Grocery Shopping Tips for the Holidays
Posted by Gail | Filed under Smart Shopper
I routinely get letters from people who want to know how much they should be spending on groceries. Well, that all depends. It depends on what kind of food you like to eat. It depends on how many people you’re feeding and whether any of them is a growing teenage boy. And it depends on if you have any specific issues like a wheat allergy or the desire to buy only organic.
The average Canadian family spends $7,305 on food a year, which works out to about $140 a week. The average American family spend $6,133 a year or $118 a week.
When I asked the question on in my poll (you have seen the new polls on the front of the blog, right?) “How much do you spend on groceries a month?” here’s what I got. Of the 537 people who answered
- 21% spend less than $300 a month
- 54% spend $300-600 a month
- 18% spend $600-900 a month
- 6% spend $900-1200 a month
- 1% spend more than $1200 a month
Of course, you won’t get out of a specialty grocery store with that small a grocery receipt, so if you do all your shopping in a high-end store you’re probably paying way more. I have a few Princesses that can’t imagine giving up their high-end grocery stores despite not having a cent saved in an emergency fund and no retirement plan. The mere mention of having to trim their veggies or deal with a bruised fruit sends them into spasms.
These chicks also don’t shop with a list, which is the number one way to keep your grocery shopping in check. I never go into the store without a list, and I don’t often shop off-list, although a particularly good sale can see me stocking up. Many people also prep for their shopping with menu plans and some even know when certain items go on sale at the grocery store. My girlfriend Linda is a squeeze-your-own-juice girl and like the discounted fruit section for her juicer.
Sometimes the biggest savings can be found on your receipts. Often scanner errors mean you end up paying more than you should for items. It’s been estimated that in the U.S. scanner errors cost consumers between $1 and $3 billion (yup!) a year. I know I’ve caught a number of errors including fruit codes that have been entered incorrectly.
Comparison shopping is another great way to save money. I grab the fliers and do a read through to see who has what I want at the best price. The flyers also alert me to things that I might want to stock up on for a future cook-fest.
One of the best ways to save money is not to over-buy. I’ve recently implemented the just-in-time shopping system, so my fridge is far less full but I’m also throwing away much less produce. Since I’m at the grocery store a couple of times a week (driving Alex to work), it’s easy to pick up what I need though the week as opposed to doing one big shop and then watch the uneaten cauliflower develop mold.
How much time you have to shop also has an impact on how you shop. Too much time and you wander the aisles, browsing and tossing stuff into your cart. Too little time and you’re all stressed out and less likely to miss best-by dates. And, of course, everyone knows not to go to the store hungry.
We don’t buy a lot of pre-prepared food. Veggie pizzas when they are on sale. And chocolate lava cakes that come in single serves. Pretty well everything else we make from scratch. The other day I bought Malcolm one of those birthday cakes as a treat and he was quite put out. He loves making his own cake, it turns out. The cake was dry so I took it back and used the refund to buy his ingredients, saving about 2/3 of the money I’d initially spent.
Watch the bigger-is-cheaper mindset that accompanies no-name brands and oversized offerings. Check the unit price to be sure you’re getting a deal, particularly on cleaning agents, which can be very expensive. And if you’re using a coupon, applying it against a smaller, lower cost items results in bigger percentage savings.
If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where there are lower cost stores – discount stores, local markets or ethnic supermarkets for example – you might want to hit those first. Also be adventurous about shopping off-brand labels. Share your info with friends and family and encourage them to share their great finds with you. Start an email club with local friends to keep each other abreast of special deals or coupons that will help you cut your grocery bills down and leave more money for other stuff.
At no time do our grocery bills go up more than during the holiday season when we’re spending more money on treats and meals to entertain family and friends. If we’re not careful, the family feast can throw the budget completely out of whack. I’ve been saving up my PC points so that I can get through the holidays with all the extra stuff without overly straining my budget. What have you been doing to prep for the hit your budget will take?
December 10, 2009 at 8:19 am
I love today’s blog.
And how many of us don’t do anything about the missed sale prices? Especially if we don’t find out about them till we get home? Me!!
Now, my mother will make a point of going back to the store and getting her refund. Me, I really can’t be bothered taking the time to do it – and my patience is usually wearing a little thin at that time cause I grocery shop after work.
I know that I should though – grocers should be made aware of their errors.
December 10, 2009 at 8:28 am
I do shop with a list, calculator and cash. That really keeps my grocery adventures in check.
I do not, however, have the time or patience to drive to 3 different stores to save on ketchp or tuna. You should factor in gas and aggravation into those savings.
If I am having company, I steal from my entertainment envelope for the extra cost.
December 10, 2009 at 8:28 am
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December 10, 2009 at 8:35 am
Everyone should be aware of the “scancode” law that most stores observes. Pretty much it means that if an item scans incorrectly versus the shelf or flyer price, if the item is under 10 dollars, they must give you the item for free. If the item is more than 10 dollars, they will reduce the item by 10 dollars.
I catch my local store at least a couple times per month with errors on their part and if you point it out, they will refund you.
Next time you are standing in line looking at magazines, look for the scancode sticker on the side of every cash register for more info.
December 10, 2009 at 8:41 am
I use a PC credit card which each month I pre-pay with my month’s grocery budget and then keep track of the declining balance. This way, I am building PC points for special events (like the holidays). I find we don’t always spend our entire grocery budget each month so when there’s enough of a credit, we go for dinner as a reward.
December 10, 2009 at 8:48 am
Baking season is here and the price of nuts is well, nuts…
A few months worth of PC points will see us through a couple of cookie exchanges and Christmas dinner with our extended family.
Otherwise we are cooking ahead and freezing in order to keep our teens on track throughout the season of sweets and treats.
Also, since he has been off work, my hunny has been shopping the discount stores list in hand only deviating for ‘no really, it was less than half price’ red meat…i really don’t miss the queue to check-out enough to quibble.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all!!!
December 10, 2009 at 8:58 am
My strategies include shopping at a store with a GOOD reward plan, looking for sales in the flyer, and most importantly, weekly dinner plans BEFORE I go shopping made with the flyer, so that I can plan my meals around what’s on sale. Not to mention carefully comparing unit price. I’ve seen people grab a larger package without even checking to see two of the smaller packages at a sale price would be the better deal. Bulk isn’t always/necessary better.
Also, I’ve found that I end up spending far more when I’m with someone versus when I’m there alone. Sticking strictly to the list, no buying off of the list unless I receive a call from home that says I need it, makes me REALLY plan carefully. I’d rather have to go back to the store to pick up an item I didn’t know was low than overspend guessing we need more of an item that we have.
December 10, 2009 at 9:04 am
Hi!
I’m from Quebec (Canada) and there is a site that I like a lot. I look it up and they also do Ontario. This site that cost NOTHING help me to shop with the flyers. They look at the flyers and tell you recipe to do. I’m not very good in english so I coppied from the site to explain it:
Every week, you will receive:
* Your menus for the week ahead. Varied, balanced and tailored to your needs and tastes.
* Fast, easy and delicious recipes for these menus.
* A matching shopping list , based on the current weekly specials at local grocery stores.
* A step-by-step action plan , which will teach you how to save time in the kitchen.
http://www.soscuisine.com/
Sometimes I just take one recipe from this site.
And I find it very easy to use!
Have Fun!
Christine
December 10, 2009 at 9:05 am
I know Walmart will honour specials from other competitors so I scan my flyers and go to Walmart ready to shop. That’s one stop shopping and discounts too.
Oh, and Walmart is only 1 block away from my home..not going from store to store saves my gas money too!!
December 10, 2009 at 9:11 am
Sorry Gail, those of us on restrictive diets (Gluten-Free) skew your data. When a loaf of so-called ‘bread’ costs $7-$8 and everything seems to cost double it is really hard to stick to the lower end of the budget scale. Having to read every label very carefully also means more time in the grocery store. We do have a itemized list, which does help, but it is still hard to stay too frugal.
December 10, 2009 at 9:15 am
None of the grocery stores in my area (southern Alberta) honor the scancode law, I’ve asked when I’ve discovered mistakes on my receipt. But their names are listed on the website saying they do honor the code. However, they will correct the mistake, not give the item for free.
December 10, 2009 at 9:52 am
Our average is right around $300/month. It tends to vary every other month between high 200s and low 300s and averages to about $300, but this is for 2 people, not a family with kids.
We don’t buy a whole lot of processed foods, though jello does make it on that list as an easy work snack! We could save more if we weren’t lazy and actually went to the discount grocery store, but since I’m the one getting the groceries, and doing it after work, I go with the grocery store that is 2 minutes from our place. Yes, it costs a little more, but it also saves me at least 30 minutes and trying to fit on a busy streetcar with groceries during rush hour!
December 10, 2009 at 10:02 am
Great to get in here early today. The road is closed, so no getting to work for me.
I have always shopped with a grocery list. I have also retrained DH not to put things into the cart when I’m not looking that are not on the list. This list is made after reviewing the flyers. I’m pretty much a cook from scratch person. We have to travel 20 minutes to the two stores we frequent once a week. The other two stores are in the town where I work – also 20 minutes away – and I shop there too. These are podunks and so it’s not like driving across Toronto to get to them thus using lots of gas.
I’ve been squirreling away $$ from my budget for the holidays. Have quite a bit of my baking done (and most delivered to the recipients) and will now bake for family.
Hubby was in Chinatown Tuesday and arrived home with lots of wonderful fruit. I’ve been dehydrating like mad as well as stuffing my face at breakfast and for desserts.
He got a great bargain when he walked into the Eaton’s Centre through Sears. They were having a 2 hour ’sale’ of Quality Street chocolates. The tin is usually mucho $$ and they were only $2.99 for the 2 hours. Too bad only one tin per person LOL. Now that hubby is retired we don’t get the bonanza of all the chocolates etc. from his pupils. So, the $2.99 was a nice surprise.
I, too, am on such a strict diet that I have to buy $3.59 spelt bread etc. but, it is worked into my budget. It’s all about yin and yang…a balance.
Belated Happy Birthday Malcolm! Hope your day was extra special!
December 10, 2009 at 10:03 am
Grocery shopping has always been a challenge at our house. Not so much a challenge of what to buy, but of how much to spend.
I find the easiest way to keep the cost down is to leave my husband at home.
I always check the flyers at http://www.smartcanucks.ca prior to shopping, and make a list and stick to it (unless there is an in-store special that is too good to pass up).
I plan my shopping route for the day so that I am not back-tracking, and give myself a time limit of two hours to get it all done. I only have one day to shop since our jobs have us occupied from 9 am until 9 pm. Grocery shopping after work leads to too much impulse buying.
While it would be nice to have a homemade meal after work, time does not allow. So we have to buy some convenience foods. I save the home-cookin’ for the weekends.
One thing I’ve noticed is that the large ‘economy’ size is not always the better deal. We tend to end up tossing stuff out because it expires long before we use it all. So we stick to the sizes that will get used up, and buy based on taste and unit cost value.
Our stores here do honour the ’scanner code’ and there have been several items that I have received free because it scanned the wrong price. From a large package of plastic wrap, to shampoo and conditioner, to chips, to ice cream, to a frozen lasagna meal…
December 10, 2009 at 10:08 am
@Judy….If your stores are on their website but do not honor the scan code practice, you can report them. There is typically an 800 # on the scancode label at the register.
December 10, 2009 at 10:22 am
I usually buy my toiletries items (toilet paper, kleenex, shampoo, etc) at the drug store. Shoppers drug mart or Rexall tend to have really good sales for those things. You just have to watch the flyers.
My problem is the grocery stores that are turning into super mart. It is too easy to wander into the non-grocery area to “just browse” and ended up with something else.
I actually find it easier and cheaper when I shop with my husband and kids. This puts a limit on how much time I have to just get the stuff on the list, as the kids tend to fall apart quickly. When I go by myself I tend to browse more, ending up with more than I need. Go figure.
December 10, 2009 at 10:28 am
@Murray: Agreed.
We’re a kosher, GF family, and if we’re not super careful, our grocery costs go through the roof.
Example: This week, ground beef is on sale at the kosher Loblaws. For 5.49 a pound. Brisket (which thankfully I hate) is 14.99 a pound.
As a result, we eat a ton of vegetarian food (some people have a Meatless Monday, we have a Meatless everything but Monday), and GF “bread” is a special treat. Bean-based brownies are my friend
December 10, 2009 at 10:29 am
Last week I spent $30 on groceries! That was almost a record for the two of us-I was quite proud of myself. It was because the freezer and pantry items are well stocked (when on sale of course!) and only needed milk, bread, eggs, produce and a few other things to complete the meal plan for the week. I think Gail’s tips are great-especially the list, meal plan, and checking the flyers-I do all three and it makes a huge difference. I also cook mainly from scratch, which I also think makes our bill pretty reasonable.
I’m going to check out the website that Christine recommended-sounds neat! Thanks for the tip
December 10, 2009 at 10:34 am
Not only grocery shopping on a budget requires you to be more creative in your meal planning, but you also need to think outside the box and read between the lines of special offers. Especiall when it comes to the Multiple items for X dollars kind of deals.
By law, some provinces, like Quebec, are very strict when it comes to those and retailes must offer the discounted price even though you pick only one item. Different story in B.C. where I now live… you actually have to read carefully. Because one of the best way to save is actually to understand the ways and practices of the stores you shop in and make them work your way.
If the mention is not clear enough or leaves to interpretation. Be daring and have it yours. After all, the customer is always right.
By thinking beyond the marketing strategies of the retailers, there are great savings to be made. Be clever, daring and just ask. You will be surprised how often you will get things your way.
December 10, 2009 at 10:36 am
Remember, you can sign up for your grocery stores flyers to be delivered to your email. You always get it the day before the sale begins, save on paper, and never miss another sale!
Also there is a number of online forums where people actually comb through all flyers out there for a region, and categorize savings. Like “Baby deals western Canada…” you get the idea. This has been a lifesaver with a newborn, as I have no problem driving to another store to get a great deal on Formula.
Happy savings!
December 10, 2009 at 10:45 am
I keep a running list of items I am low on, out of, or need to try a new recipe on the fridge. I save this list for the customer appreciation day that many grocery stores have monthly – therefore saving 10% or more. I end up getting some things off of the list when they are on sale or having to pick them up before customer appreciation day but the list works well.
December 10, 2009 at 10:49 am
@ Judy / Caroline – it’s a voluntary code of practice, not a law. Minor point but important. I would report those who say the follow it but don’t as well.
December 10, 2009 at 11:04 am
So many good ideas so far. I agree that one of the best ways to keep grocery costs down is to cook meals from scratch (usually much healthier too), but often when I’m working, I get home tired and too cranky to start thinking about what to cook.
A really simple strategy for me is to jot down what I’m going to make for dinner each weekday evening on a calendar at the beginning of the week. I can check the calendar each evening, take what I will need for the next day out of the freezer, and when I get home from work, there’s no thinking required; I just start cooking. Somehow for me, it’s the thinking that I find tiring, so if I know what I’m supposed to cook, I can just get started. Of course, I’m not cooking anything that takes a few hours, just the usual 1/2 hour to 45 minutes from start to table.
December 10, 2009 at 11:15 am
How do I prepare for the hit my budget will take?
Our company has a Credit Union. A couple of years ago a co-worker told me she has money taken out of her pay and transfered to a Christmas account. I thought how easy!
I now have $50 per pay put into a high interest “CLOSED” savings account. The money can only be withdrawn without penalty between the third week in November until Christmas. $50 per pay x 26 pays = $1300 for the Christmas season. Because it’s taken “right off the top” I don’t miss the $50 every two weeks. Also, there isn’t any temptation to use it for other things during the year. Saving for Christmas has become painless.
Our family isn’t very large. We set low limits for the gifts we buy the adults. It forces us to be creative. Because of this I usually have money left over every year that I can put towards other fun things.
December 10, 2009 at 11:54 am
Gail, I was reading your portion of this blog about ‘just-in-time” shopping to my teenager, and he said “well, there’s her problem. She bought cauliflower!!” Seriously, since I have started working at Superstore, and my end of shift time is 9 a.m., I have developed the habit of paying attention to what has been marked down in different departments. This would be great if I had a freezer, and an empty fridge. Unfortunately, since I am working two jobs, I am (more often than not) too darn tired to cook those ‘good deals’ I have picked up, and the fridge is so full, I give up looking for something to catch my eye. I will figure out a way to make this work for me, since discounted produce doesn’t last that long, but if I worked out a meal plan, the shopping could be more frequent, just less of…. They have also dropped the 50% off meat to 30%, but it is still a good deal. Another few months and I will be getting my employee discount card, worth 10% off most purchases. I have also received many items for free when the scanner doesn’t match up with the shelf price. Usually, it is because the shelf label person hasn’t caught up with the work of the day. I was quite surprised when at our local Safeway, and I asked if they matched other retailers advertised prices and was told NO. It would just seem good business to foster customer relations while that customer is still in your store, but that is just me… Since I have been working at SS, and occasionally help stock shelves, I am discovering numerous items I never even thought anyone made – since my usual shopping was the perimeter of the store. The temptation is there to try new products, but I will wait till I know they are on sale – one of the perks of my job!!
December 10, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I’m always envious of people with low grocery bills- we never can mange it. Two adults and two kids. We buy a freezer pack of meat every 5-6 weeks- the rest of the month we buy produce, bread etc… It’s funny- but we still are spending up to $200/ week on groceries ( on top of the meat order). We don’t buy organic, we don’t buy prepackaged. I actually do make everything from scratch and buy sales. We go though an insane amount of fruit and veggies-( and cheese) but I’m not not ready to tell my kids -no you can’t have another orange- We don’t throw much ( if any) out. I just tell myself that at least we’re eating healthy.
December 10, 2009 at 1:10 pm
We spend $75/week on groceries. My wife does most of the shopping, all of the shopping some weeks. her rules for staying on budget. One, Bring a list. Two Don’t bring the Husband. I’m terrible at grocery shopping I tend to make the list longer as I am in the store.
Regards,
Jason
December 10, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I am a founder of a website, groceryalerts.ca, that posts flyer deals for grocery stores across Canada. We also showcase top money saving coupons on the website.
Some of my tips:
-> Don’t waste any food (throw out food you have already paid for).
-> Show for specials (use flyers and coupons to your advantage).
-> Purchase in season (Don’t purchase cherries in January).
Future plans include a Facebook style wall for each store so that shoppers can give advice on the best deals of the week.
Steven
December 10, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Oh yeah! A place for my favourite ranting and raving. Grocery store receipts – well all store receipts actually.
This week we made $23.89 by grocery shopping and checking our receipts. I watch my receipts like a hawk – never leave the store without checking.
The main reason for checking is to verify that you have been charged the correct price for the items you buy because many of us buy extra when on things are on sale in order to save. For instance if you buy 10 tins of peaches on sale for $2.49 when they are normally $3.29 you expect to save $8.00. If however you get charged the $3.29 you have just lost money since you would normally only buy one tin at full price.
However for me the other best reason is to play the scanning code violation game. I call it a game although it is a law because the stores love to play us. The Code must be posted but the law doesn’t actually specify that it must be where customers can actually read it. In most stores it is posted in customer service on the farthest wall and in such small print that you would need the Hubble telescope to read it.
The scanning code of practice was put into being to protect us the customer and yet most either do not know about it or don’t bother with it. And the stores love this fact.
This year we saved well over $500 in cash or merchandise. The way the code works is if an item is scanned and it comes up the wrong price then you get that first item for free up to $10.00 in value.
We saved the $23.89 because: we got the eggs for free since they were on sale for $3.89 instead of the regular price of $4.29 but they scanned through at the regular price. We bought vitamins that were on sale for $12.99. They scanned through at the regular price of $14.99. The store refunded the $14.99, charged us the $12.99 and then refunded $10 (the maximum for the scanning code violation) so we ended up paying $2.99 for the vitamins. Ditto for the bottle of fabric softener that was not on sale but the price on the shelf was $10.89 and it scanned through at $11.89. Got another $10 so the fabric softener ended up costing us $1.89.
This year besides all the “free” groceries we have also used this protection in the hardware store, clothing store and at Walmart. Ended up with a free wrench, a free belt and free underwear.
I have a friend who will not use the Scanning Code of Practice because she says that she feels as if she is ripping off the store. Really? I wonder how many people got ripped off buying vitamins and fabric softener this week because they thought they were buying the item on sale or because the price on the shelf was a price that they were willing to pay. That is what adds up to billions a year for the stores.
The stores do not make it easy for you to use this protection. You have to let the item go through the cash at the wrong price and then go to customer service to get the refund. You must also say to the clerk “this is a scanning code violation so I get the first item for free up to $10″ because the stores teach their clerks to only refund the price difference unless the customer knows about the scanning code of practice. It took us an extra ten minutes to get our refunds this week. With a $23.89 refund that works out to $2.40 a minute that we “earned”.
This code of practice also applies to produce but not if the cashier has entered the incorrect item. For instance if you are buying Granny Smith apples but the cashier enters the price code for the higher priced Golden Delicious instead that is not a scanning error. If on the other hand the Granny Smith are supposed to be $1.29 a pound but come up at $1.79 that is a scanning code error.
I just love catching the errors. We are in a stable debt free place for the first time in our lives so we look upon this money as bonus money and we use it for our city food bank, the outreach van, the Christmas toy drive and for our minister’s school in Africa. I tell everyone about the scanning code of practice and am happy to say that most are shocked and annoyed. Shocked that the stores are so sloppy and dishonest in their pricing and annoyed at how much they have lost over the years because they just didn’t know.
I can absolutely guarantee that if you do not know your prices and are not checking your store receipts you are throwing money away. Perhaps there are those who can afford not to bother but most of us can’t or are just too ornery. I only wish I lived in Australia where the scanning code of practice goes up to $50 and the stores give it to you right at the cash when they are in error. Unfortunately…. wait. I meant to say fortunately this big penalty makes the stores very careful not to rip their customers off.
P.S. Also always check the cash tendered line on the receipt and count your change. Living in a Gail-cash-only world this is very important. I worked in retail for about 10 years and part of my job was to train cashiers. I always taught them to leave the cash on the til until the transaction was finished, how to figure out the change without the use of the computer and to count the change back to the customer but apparently this is a lost art as most cashiers just do as the computer cash tells them. Honesty is a b*t*h. A few months ago I paid with a $10 bill but the cashier entered a $100 so she ended up giving me $93 in change. I tried to show her and convince her to take the $90 back. She was very nice but confused so she had to get a supervisor.
December 10, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Our holiday budget can get out of whack pretty easily. We used to host big Christmas dinners and never knew how many people would show up until we were actually sitting down to dinner; any of our friends who knew ‘orphans’ with no place to go could bring them along. But we didn’t buy gifts — our day-long open-house feast was our gift.
We spend $120/week for two adults, which will go up now that my partner has anemia and has to eat more meat (I’m a vegetarian). However, to counteract the increased cost of organic and free-run meat (can’t'/won’t buy factory-farmed meat for ethical and health reasons), lately we’ve been eating short-grain brown rice with steamed veggies, tofu, toasted nuts and seeds, and a flavoured oil most nights. It doesn’t sound great, but it’s actually delicious, and a great antidote to all the culinary excesses of the season!
December 10, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Im with Jenn b….where do these families come from that spend between 300-600? I spend about $250 week with no processed, organic food…..
I don’t get it!
December 10, 2009 at 1:52 pm
@Geoff – you are absolutely correct. It is a voluntary code here in Canada not a law. I misspoke – misthought – mistyped. If your store does follow the code then they must post it. Most stores have signed on for the public relations points it buys them.
@mh – I believe Gail’s research says the families are spending $300 to $600 a month. Are you spending $250 a week ($1000 a month) or $250 a month?
December 10, 2009 at 2:58 pm
When you live in the middle of nowhere, with only 2 grocery stores, it becomes quite a challenge to keep within a spending limit. That said, there are wonderful farmer’s markets here in the summer and we do our best to freeze as much fruit as we can for later.
Note: Blackberry bushes are extremely resilient and idiot proof. Plant a few one year (be sure you want them there forever because that’s what will happen) and by year 3 (sometimes year 2), you will have your own fruit stand.
December 10, 2009 at 3:09 pm
We almost NEVER eat out, so 99% of our meals are from the groceries we buy. I loathe wasting food, so if a veggie is getting ugly, I trim the mildew, chop the mushy parts and make a batch of soup for dinner. (I LOVE cauliflower cheese soup BTW), limp spinach goes fantastic in spagetti sauce (call it florentine and add 1/4c of cream). Mushrooms looking not so firm are fine in stirfries (the flavour intesifies). Quite often my meal plan is based on what needs to be eaten first!
Even though we don’t waste much and I buy the discount meats almost exclusively, and we have spagetti at least once a week, our grocery bill is still on average over $1000/month (family of 4). But I think that has a lot to do with me including toilet paper, catfood and dishsoap in the grocery catagory.
That having been said, I am a borderline food hoarder. My pantry is PACKED with canned and dry goods, my fridge is stuffed, and my chest freezer is at maximum capacity, so we are in no way hurting for food. (It all rotates and there is a plan for everything I have).
December 10, 2009 at 3:12 pm
What categories do exactly fit in the groceries budget? I use only one credit card for everything so it is easier to track and at the same time I can collect PC points. I have noticed that you can use coupons when something is on sale so you can get things even cheaper than sale (sometimes I paid just a fraction of the original price). I see that some items are regularly on sale while other never. I always try to be prepared and stocked up so I never have to buy some things in regular prices. I always have my freezer full with meat I have bought on sale since I know what is good price and what isn’t. I try to buy meat that doesn’t have much bones or skin so almost nothing is wasted. I can ground my pork if I buy it cheap and then freeze it or cut meat in portions so I don’t have to pay extra just because someone else did it for me. I always try to check price per unit so I know which container pick. And as it was already noticed buying bulk not necessary works better for you, plus sometimes it is more convenient to use smaller containers than one huge (believe me or not I still try to be conscious how much garbage I produce and it seems to work very well). Maybe I spend about 300 – 400 per month on food but we always cook fresh, from scratch and my pantry/fridge/freezer is full. If I have to I would be able to leave for a month or more without buying much except from fresh produce, milk and eggs since we can even make our own bread. I have discovered that even so called expensive stores have good prices too, once I even compared the same items to discover that they don’t charge much more than ‘cheaper’ stores, have more selection of things, it is more likely you are able to buy almost everything from your list under one roof instead of driving around. They usually have more items in stock if it is on sale so there is a chance that you will get it even if you are not the first one by the door. I hope I won’t be misunderstood but sometimes some stores have specific clientele so believe me or not but it may be easier or more difficult to shop (I could go on more on this topic…).
December 10, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Sorry about ‘leave’ in my post. Obviously was supposed to be ‘live’…
December 10, 2009 at 3:31 pm
What a great post!
I am always trying to think of ways to get our grocery budget down. I am still new at this though. I was just starting to get the hang of cooking successfully and cheaply for one and then my fiance and I moved in together almost a year ago and I am still adapting. Last month we spent $600 … for the two of us! And we shop at No Frills which is even cheaper than Superstore! We don’t buy organic or speciality items. We do however buy frozen lunches quite a bit. We really like the conveniance of PC Blue Menu frozen lunches. I think after reading this, this might be where were going wrong. I also have not perfected the art of not wasting food. I clean out my fridge every month of “bad” items and it brothers me quite a bit to be tossing food. I have just started to shop with a menu plan so I am hoping this will help with less food wastage and lower cost.
I am hosting my first Christmas this year and I am bit nervous about what its going to cost me. Holiday Dinners have always been potluck in our family. The person who is hosting is responsible for the meat, sauces, appetizers, and wine, but the starch, veggies, dessert and bread is brought by other people. So I guess its not too bad.
December 10, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Murray as a GF person too, I agree that our food costs are much more than the norm.
I buy at my regular grocery store with a list all the time and buy many items when they go on sale. There is another grocery store which is said to be a little less expensive but I refuse to go regularly. The fruits, veggies, and cheese are the pits there and I end up throwing out food that should be fresh but goes bad really fast. Sure the reset of their food is less but without a car I find going to my regular, a little more expensive, chain grocery store ends up costing me the same in the long run since I don’t throw out food and I can go longer lengths with their fresh produce before going back for more. More importantly the better quality produce makes me eat better. If this makes me a food princess, I’ll gladly be one.
I don’t know how you guys know the prices of all the items you buy when you get to the cash. I applaud all of you who do and get rebates or food for free due to the price difference. Personnally I don’t like getting groceries, but I have to since I have no one else and I have to eat. So I get in the store buy what is on my list and get out asap. I can’t imagine adding coupon checking, and price checking to this tedious chore of mine. Does coupons, and price checking at the cash register make it fun or less of a chore? Do you save alot of money this way?
December 10, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I have a family of 4 (2 adults, 1 child & 1 baby) and I’m spending about $100 a week. That’s food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc (but not diapers). I always shop at Superstore and buy very few “convenience” foods. Our biggest budget buster is fruit – my 3 year old is somewhat picky but he LOVES fruit and eats quite a bit of it. I’ve also got a hungry husband who has a physical job – when he gets home, he is HUNGRY.
Sometimes I’m lucky enough to catch the meat department guy at Superstore putting 50% off stickers on the meat, and then I stock up. I also go to a bread store about once a month where I can get discounted “fancy” bread (100% whole wheat multigrain whatever) for 99 cents a loaf. I buy about 10 loaves and stick them in my freezer.
December 10, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Megan:
If you are throwing food out, then you do need to revisit your shopping habits. For some stuff, keep 20% of your grocery budget for mid-week purchases (i hear some people eat fresh vegetables). Make a list of what spoils before the expiry date and don’t bother with the ‘bigger’ versions of those food items.
If buying pre-made lunches keeps you from buying lunch, don’t fret too much about it. I am a big believer of finding the cheapest way to make it happen. Figure how much it would cost you to make sandwiches that you like and vary your lunches. Some lunches on sale can be cheap (and easy to grab in the morning, so they happen). I could make my sandwiches cheaper, but I would end up buying a side dish or an entire lunch way more often.
December 10, 2009 at 4:00 pm
@mh and jennb – with no organic or processed foods on your grocery bills, I’m not sure how you manage to get these numbers… keep track of your bills and get someone else to look over them with you? Maybe they can help you figure out what’s going on. And don’t forget some grocery stores just charge a lot more than others…
BTW – maybe I’m blind, but I can’t find a poll anywhere on the blog or website. Help?
December 10, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Anne, when you are paying cash, are on a budget and generally buy the same things week after week, you just start to remember the prices. It’s kind of weird, actually.
December 10, 2009 at 4:44 pm
We recently moved provinces, and have had to up our grocery amounts to $500 a month. This is for two adults and a growing pre-schooler.
A few tips – we sit down once a month, and plan an entire month’s dinners at once on a calendar that lives on the fridge. As much as possible, we use the slow cooker or cook large batches of things (spaghetti, chili, etc) that freeze well for lunches. Planning a whole month at once takes way less time than weekly plans, plus there’s the bonus that once you have two or three month’s worth of calendars, you can just rotate them!
Also, cooking from scratch is not always cheaper. Last time we were at Costco, they had a mega box of chocolate chunk cookies on sale for $4.50. I know full well that I can’t possibly bake that many chocolate cookies for less than that – the ingredients, plus the electricity for the oven. So we bought them instead of baking them. I love to bake, and homemade is great, but so is saving money! Things like Lasanga are like that too – it costs more to buy the cheese and other ingredients that it does to buy a frozen lasagna.
The last tip is that if you have kids, your grocery bill will continue to climb until they move out!
December 10, 2009 at 6:05 pm
If you’re looking for the poll, go to the front page of my blog (where the picture displays) by clicking on “gail’s blog” at the top. Then scroll on the way down to the bottom on the page. On the right is the poll. Each Monday the poll changes.
December 10, 2009 at 6:22 pm
@Anne Grocery shopping? I hate, hate, hate it. There is no way to actually convey in print just how MUCH I hate it. Like you I do what I gotta do and I just look upon it as part of the job of life and try to do it as well as I can as quickly and infrequently as possible. Using coupons and receipt checking does not make it any more fun. In fact the only way grocery shopping could ever be fun for me is if I was doing it with Antonio Banderas. Then I would insist on going every day.
Using coupons and receipt checking does save me a small fortune. I have only been keeping track for 3 years and it has been over $400 for each of the first two years and over $500 this year. It takes me just a few minutes and is very worth it in dollars but more importantly I love getting just a little ahead of the massive greed of our grocery stores. I used to work on the books for a grocery store chain so I have a really good idea of exactly what sort of markup and profit they make. It is actually usury as far as I am concerned. And of course now with the monopolies in retail, wholesale, distribution and manufacturing it is only going to get worse. The way I look at it better in my pocket than Galen Weston’s. We use these “found” savings to finance our favourite charities but that $1300 would also be a fantastic dirty weekend away. With or without Antonio.
I don’t know how it is that I remember the prices. Probably a lot of repetition on the items but I also know I don’t have to remember them for long. Just from the aisle to the checkout. And I make notes on my list.
@Jason: You wife is right. Leaving men (and kids) at home will save you a fortune and a ton of time. Unfortunately since I am no longer able to drive my Hubster has become my shopping partner. I have found that it is very important to never shop when he is hungry. If I feed him before shopping he does not want everything he sees and actually tends to doze off while I am sorting out the produce.
December 10, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I show at a few stores, but only if I am already going there. I life close to Walmart, so often stock up on bread, soup, lunch items: puddings, apple sauce, granola bars etc. I don’t run all over town to say pennies, costs more in my time.
http://www.sdhu.com/uploads/content/listings/NutritiousFoodBasket2009-Eng.pdf
This report from my city: Sudbury states that the “food Basket” would cost a family of 4: 2 adults, 2 children $187/week and $813/month. That is sometimes more than what some people working full time brings home working for $10/hr or less.
Scary.
December 10, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Jenn B. – I’m in the same boat as you. I’m stunned at the low grocery bills some of the people posting here have. We are a family of 6. I cook from scratch 90% of the time. The only pre-packaged stuff in our house is lunchbox snacks for school lunches. I’ve switched from juice boxes to frozen concentrate extra watered down juice – half filled – for their lunches, which costs about a dollar a week for all their lunch drinks – quite a deal compared to 15-18 juice boxes per week costing $4-5 dollars. I meal-plan all our suppers, and we never eat out. We occasionally (once every 8 weeks or so) will order a pizza or take out, so all our food costs are incorporated into our grocery budget. I save and use coupons, watch flyers carefully for sales and buy no-name brands to cut costs. But, having said and done all that, our monthly grocery budget is still $900, and we are ALWAYS scraping the bottom of the money jar AND borrowing from other jars to make up the shortfall in food needs! I hesitate to increase the grocery budget because stretching ourselves isn’t a bad thing – it forces us to be creative and “go without” the extras like chips, cookies and dessert every night. But I’d LOVE to be able to cut down our grocery costs a bit. Are we doing something wrong? When I tell people we are on a tight budget and then share that we spend $900 on groceries in a month, they usually think that’s an awful lot of money on food. Is it possibly because none of our food costs are hidden in restaurant/entertainment type costs?
December 10, 2009 at 7:48 pm
WAY TO TO MRS T!!!! $900 a month isn’t bad!!!! The average is about $50.00/person per week. Those saying the spend 4-600 a month isnt a family of 6!! Growing up in a family of 4 teenagers all a year apart and a baby brother and some stray friens my mom spent about 300 a week on groceries
ON ANOTHER NOTE —–I live in a town where people pay $17.00 a bottle of gaviscon where I could go to the walmart and pay 9.98 for it… that is what it is like in my town for grocery shopping if its not on sale you don’t think to buy it. I would love to support my local economy but at what cost to me….. I travel 90kms out of town to buy groceries for approx half of how much it costs here. If I buy my bread in town its $2.00 more a loaf and I go though about 40 loaves a year!!!! When I can I try to make it with girlfriends to keep the overhead down but it makes me sick when I do have to buy groceries here in town because of bad weather. I have to hand it to all of you who want to do your family’s better by buying smarter and networking and to those in special situations where G-free or vegan/special diets just know that WE KNOW that you cant survive of a small food budget and hope that things can become more accessable and wish you the best of luck with whatever budget you have and dont take it personally when I say I spend $28 this week on groceries.. yes but last week I spent about $100 AVERAGE IT OUT!!! Happy Holidays everyone and STOP and spend a minute enjoying the lights and sounds of the holiday season its a time to enjoy not stress over!
December 10, 2009 at 8:31 pm
For those of you who love coupons, I’ve found a great website that gives you a list of current coupons for a variety of food and household items, you choose the ones that you would use, check them off, and they are mailed to your house. Usually takes 5-7 days but you only get the coupons you need and you can keep going back if you need them again.
Check it out: http://www.save.ca
December 10, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Scanner errors: From paying double for a selection of meats, to having a point shift in the wrong direction creating the memorable 1400 Euro grocery receipt — knowing in advance how much it will cost and checking afterwards, just in case, has saved me a lot of money. (The 1400 Euro one even the cashier noticed, though.)
Shopping for a holiday dinner: I start with how much I want to spend. Then I decide what the highlights will be. If there’s a lot of money, one highlight might be a good roast, with little to distract from it, and a fancy selection of cheeses at the end. If money’s short, the highlights might be home-made filled pasta, and chocolate cream. Around those, the menu gets planned. There are always one or two inexpensive dishes that I’ll have in abundance, just in case surprise guests show up, or someone is especially hungry. Spiced cabbage or curried vegetable soups are my favourites for this — they can be prepared in large pots and be frozen easily.
When I know what to put on the table, I write up the recipes, do the math for the expected number of people, write up a shopping list and plan where to go and when. I usually know what everything costs and where to buy it. Things like large meats or fresh fish I pre-order, so I can be sure to get it in the right quality at the right time to the agreed-upon price.
If I expect a lot of people to hang around for several days, the question is less how to get something festive on the table and more how to feed all those hungry mouths. I get flour and yeast so I can make bread or pizza when needed, stock up on bacon and sausages, frozen vegetables, frozen chicken, canned tomatos, rice and pasta, and cheese. And the cheap chocolate chips cookies from the discounter.
What keeps the bills down, but is probably not feasable for families with children: no soda. I have bottled water, tea, coffee, and wine.
I am single, and in an average month (i.e, not December), I spend about 200 Euro on food: 60% of that on groceries, the rest on sweets, eating out, and in the company cantina. Grocery costs have gone up a lot from last year, because I’m trying to eat healthier and buy more locally-grown produce.
I do not use coupons and I do not check flyers for special offers. I know that it works out well for a lot of people, but I’m not one of them. Special offers only tempt me to buy expensive stuff cheaper, instead of cheap stuff at regular price. Also, being single and having a freezer the size of an ice box you might carry to a picnic means that the amounts that are useful for me to get are so small that I’d spend more on gas to get to that out-of-the-way store with special offers than I can save on them. A decade ago I ran an eight-person household on a shoestring budget and had no car (and no freezer), and even then buying stock food where it was reliably cheap worked better for me than bargain-hunting.
December 10, 2009 at 9:21 pm
WOW I made a lot of typos in my early post. Anyways, I tend to stock up on sale items. Example tonight went to the Metro for my fix of diet Coke, and remembered that Tropicana orange juice was on sale, ending tonight, so I picked up 2. I bought two on Sunday, but when the same container is $6.49 off sale and I can get 2/$9.98 taxes in, I hauled it home. Juice is good until the end of January 2010. To the lady who spends $600/month on groceries for 6 people is excellent. In my city, the average is $187/week for 2 adults and 2 children.
December 10, 2009 at 10:48 pm
I spend about $40 3 out of every 4 weeks with one big trip about every 3 months. I am single so this is fairly easy to do. I always try to shop the add. My dad actually manages a store and the margins are very slim after all the bills get paid. I shop at many different stores, but only one per week. I always buy my meat when there is a good sell and I freeze it in individual portions. If I make a big meal I either freeze the left overs or eat them until it is gone. For those interested in big savings there are website (many are free) dedicated to tracking sale prices (they even tell you how good the sell is and what the rock bottom price is for the product at that grocery store) and emailing printable coupons. I buy almost all fresh foods although I do love Jello. I buy a select number of items organic. For instance the use buy day on most milk is 7 days out and there is no way I can drink it that fast, but the organic milk gives me a month to finish it. Although I pay more initially I save money since I am not throwing milk away. I also always keep a few frozen meals on hand in case I am not in the mood to cook so that I won’t pick food up on the way home.
December 11, 2009 at 12:56 am
@Stephanie H. Says:
What is that site that track sale prices, I m curious to try it !
Thanks
December 11, 2009 at 1:24 am
Interesting post and comments today. Scanning Code of Practice is my favourite thing. I tell all my friends. I am trying to find out if a store follows the practice can they suspend it during busy times such as the holiday season? I haven’t had an opportunity to call the 800 # yet. Must do that before the next trip.
Many of you are correct, the cashiers don’t know/understand/care about SCOP. I have had to ask almost every time because the cashier will void the incorrect price and then charge me the correct price – I always say this falls under SCOP doesn’t it?? They sigh and give me the $10 refund. I think it is a shame that the people that have been mentioned in the posts above either can’t be bothered or think they are ripping off the store. You would no sooner leave the $10 or correct price differenct on the sidewalk and walk away or would you?
We spend on average about $800 per month for 4 people. But that includes everything from laundry soap, toilet paper and food. We get creative (really it’s me!) and sometimes combine two different sets of leftovers and make an entire new meal. To the person who says they can buy lasagne cheaper than they can make it, I don’t agree. Even at Superstore a pan of lasagne (generic brand) that is the same size as I would make costs $13.99 – my costs for 1 is approximately $7 (depending on the cost of the ground meat that week) I always also make more than one and freeze it for later. That saves money.
Wishing all a Merry Christmas and a happy and DEBT free new year!!
December 11, 2009 at 1:51 am
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December 11, 2009 at 8:28 am
Candy floss has always been my favorite type of sweet, that kind of culinery masterpiece would last about 2 seconds in this house. Thanks for reminding us of the joys of sweets!
December 11, 2009 at 11:18 am
I am a cooking-challenged person. I don’t spend a lot of time doing it because of my travel schedule. Often food in my fridge used to go to waste, but I’ve learned some tips from friends and family
1. Meal plan from your cupboard more often. Instead of planning a meal, creating a grocery list and heading to the grocery store – check what you can create with what you have at home.
2. Shredded cheese freezes really well. If you’ve got that big block of cheese that you can’t finish before it expires – shred it up into baggies and freeze flat. You don’t even have to defrost before using.
3. Freeze the little things – that leftover tomato paste, the half-can of blackbeans that the recipe didn’t need etc….The next time you are cooking – incorporate some of it.
4. Parsley and cilantro can be chopped and frozen flat in baggies. Rather than waste the bunch after your recipe – freeze it and break off frozen chunks to add to your cooking.
5. Freeze leftover wine in one cup servings in little baggies. It can eliminate the waste and works in recipes that call for wine and where you’re not interested in opening a whole bottle.
Great post Gail!
December 11, 2009 at 1:16 pm
With scan wrong thing. I use to have it put bac until I remember the phrase to get it free. Now instead of looking at bill at home or in car. I look at items list at till (computer screen) n caught the item going through wrong saves me alot of more time than figuring it out later n hassle at customer service desk.
We spend on groceries for two of us, $250-300 Every two weeks or little more considering what Im stocking up since it’s on sale. That’s magority of shopping at superstore. I shop some times at Sobeys since it is in neighborhood for quick things we need for food. Until a friend that use too work at superstore saids that the store price checks all other flyers n sells cheaper! I
am a wife that makes everthing from scratch but can’t figure to get my bill lower. I don’t throw old food away as much anymore.. We cutback on junk food which seem to be around fifty bucks for it but it seems that what Calgary food costs.
Different dinners I put aside for lunches so it’s not same thing every day. We find more filling than premade dinners.
December 11, 2009 at 6:01 pm
SCOP- Scanner Code of Practice is law in Quebec, but voluntary the rest of Canada.
There is a great website- smartcanucks.ca where like minded people come together to discuss deals and coupons ect…. A lot of flyers get posted in advance there too. You’d learn a lot about combining sales and coupons and SCOP, ect…. Trimmed my grocery budget a fair bit with tips from people on that site.
December 12, 2009 at 6:04 pm
My tips”
We purchased beef from a local farmer recognized for good farming practices. Works out to be either the same or lower priced then grocery store. No hormones or antibiotics. A family may be able to buy 1/4 or 1/2 side of beef, but you need the freezer space and 1/3 will be ground beef. Ground from the farmer is like lean from the store.
We make large batches for the two of us and freeze for single meals (e.g. lunches).
Once in a while, I will make soup with whatever is in the fridge. If you sautee vegetables for 20 minutes then add you liquid, you will get much more flavor. Try tossing in a rind of Parmesan in water (added after you sauteed the veggies) and simmer 30 min, and you will have a nice soup.
For recipe selection, think like a peasant (see rind idea above), bread and tomato salad, beans, etc. Try to eat what’s in season.
Pressure cookers work wonders – reduce the cooking time by 1/3.
December 14, 2009 at 5:42 am
I also don’t buy vegetables or meat until the day I want to use them. I hate when I have to throw vegetables out, or dinner takes too long with defrost time. I live 2 minutes from the store so that makes it easy and cost saving.
January 30, 2011 at 4:52 pm
good blog, thanks….
January 30, 2011 at 4:54 pm
thanks, thanks, thanks…