Jun. 23, 2022 'Here's how this woman saves $1K a month or more on groceries": Today I found this article by by Jonathan Ore with files from CBC News and Cross Country Checkup. Interview with Leanne Mathewson produced by Arman Aghbali.
If you're walking up to the cashier at a grocery store in Ontario and see Leanne Mathewson in line ahead of you, get ready to wait a little longer than usual.
"Usually, if I catch people early enough before I start my my transaction, I say, you know, I'm going to be a little while. You might want to go to another line. I try to warn them," she told As It Happens guest host Tom Harrington.
That's because the stay-at-home mom of five from Windsor, Ont., is also what some call an "extreme couponer," gathering deals from coupons, clippings and deal-searching apps to cut her grocery bill in half, saving $30 or more in a single visit on the regular.
She's part of the Canadian Savings Group on Facebook, a community of over 96,000 members with a self-described mission to "teach and guide you in saving the most money on your everyday household needs, including groceries, and other everyday items."
And those lessons have paid off for Mathewson, big time. She's been an avid couponer for about six years, and keeps a detailed spreadsheet of her savings over time. In a given month, she says, she'll save between $1,000 to $1,500 on her grocery bills.
"The best savings I had so far was over $10,000 last year" in 2021, she said.
More Canadians than before might be tempted to try out these couponing strategies, as the inflation rate recently hit 7.7 per cent, it's highest point since 1983. The price of gas and food in particular have been among the biggest factors putting the squeeze on budgets.
Discount-hunting apps
Dana Calder of Truro, N.S., says she's able to save even more than that with her extreme couponing strategies, as much as $20,000 a year.
Calder, who runs the blog The Coupon Nannie, explained one such tactic on Cross Country Checkup last weekend. By looking at what's on sale in local print fliers and then looking up on discount-hunting apps, she'll try to find ways to double-dip on the discounts for some items.
"So if normally Adams peanut butter [costs] $4.99, it might be on sale this week for $3.99. And then I have a cashback offer on [the app] Checkout 51 for $1.50 back. So that's even reducing the price even lower," she told Checkup host Ian Hanomansing.
Discount-hunting apps have become a key tool for people hoping to optimize their couponing game without having to travel with a Rolodex's worth of clippings in their wallet.
These apps collect deals from coupons and fliers from stores in your area.
Flipp, one of Mathewson's preferred apps, advertises that it includes data from more than 2,000 stores, from supermarkets like Metro to household stores like The Home Depot or Best Buy.
Mathewson admits shes gets something of a rush when she finds a good discount for an everyday item, or even slashes the price all the way down to zero.
"There is always a thrill to say, 'I got this for free,'" she told Harrington.
Still, it's all about the savings and her ability to provide for her family, especially in recent years as the cost of living from everyday expenses continues to go up.
"You know, maybe you're only saving 50 cents. [But] maybe you're saving three dollars. It makes a difference in the end."
Written by Jonathan Ore with files from CBC News and Cross Country Checkup. Interview with Leanne Mathewson produced by Arman Aghbali.
Here's how this woman saves $1K a month or more on groceries | CBC Radio
Read it again. She’s not spending $10,000 a year; she’s saving $10,000 a year. Big difference
What’s really funny is that the two of you can’t do math.
Aug. 4, 2022 "6 strategies to save on your next grocery bill": Today I found this article by James Battiston on the Financial Post:
The pinch felt with every trip to the grocery store is undeniable. In May of this year, the price of food rose 9.7 per cent, and more than two in five Canadians say they’ve been affected by rising costs.
With inflation impacting the prices of everyday goods, finding ways to save money on your grocery bill is more than welcome.
From planning ahead to buying “ugly food,” here are some tips to help you lower your costs the next time you go to the grocery store.
Buy on an as-needed basis
It’s estimated that the average Canadian household wastes about $1,300 of food a year. If you live near a grocery store or market, consider purchasing the meat, fruit and vegetables you require on an as-needed basis.
This is an ideal scenario for people who can walk to a shop or pass by a market on their way home from work. Buying only the fresh items you require for a meal when you need them ensures that no food will go bad in your refrigerator, therefore saving you money.
Meal planning
You have to eat everyday. By planning what you’re going to have for meals in advance you save not only time, but you also cut down on the risk of wasting food.
That’s not to say meal planning isn’t an effort. Trying to figure out meals for an entire week takes time, and preparing meals in advance takes even longer.
But with some strategizing, you can optimize your meals for the week and make your life a lot simpler.
When the weekly grocery flyers are available, take a look at what’s on special. You might find yourself inspired to cook a particular cut of meat or a nice vegan dish based on what you find.
Even if there’s nothing immediately obvious that you’d want to cook, you can do an internet search for recipes involving a combination of items that are on sale.
Come up with a few meal ideas for the week, and figure out how much you and your family are going to need to eat. Be sure to think about leftovers as well – cooking extra food takes only a little more effort but saves you time in the long run.
When you’ve figured out what you need for your weekly meals, make a grocery list. If you can, include the price of the items you saw in the flyer. This will help ensure you’re getting the best price on groceries when you hit the store.
After you’ve planned your meals and are heading to the grocery store, keep these tips in mind:
Many grocery stores offer price matching. If you see a discount in a flyer for one store but not another, bring the flyer along with you when you shop. Often they’ll adjust the price at the checkout for you.
Pay attention to prices. While the flyer might show a certain cut of meat on special, for example, sometimes it’s more affordable to buy a family size format of the same cut of meat. Just be sure you have a plan to use it, or room in your freezer to store the extra.
Keep an eye out for generic brands. While brand name products might be on special, you often can get a better price if you buy a competing product.
If you see a great deal on an item at the grocery store, stock up. Meats can be put in your freezer for future use, or you can cook an entire meal and put it in your freezer for a day when you don’t have time to cook.
Avoid processed fruits and vegetables. Pay attention to differences in price between pre-sliced and whole fruits and vegetables. Pre-sliced vegetables and fruit may save you time in the kitchen, but they’re often more expensive. Taking the few extra minutes to cut up the produce yourself can help reduce your grocery bill.
If you can, when you get home from the grocery store, cook your meals right away. This way you’ve used up all the items that might go bad if left sitting in your fridge. You can freeze any meal you don’t intend to eat right away.
In order to optimize your time in the kitchen, try to prepare ingredients for multiple recipes at the same time. For instance, if two meals call for green peppers, prepare the peppers for both recipes simultaneously.
Consider ‘ugly’ food
If you’ve ever tried to grow your own vegetables, you know that your homegrown produce seldom looks as perfect as what you find at the grocery store. Despite appearances, though, it tastes just the same.
Appearances are important at grocery stores: they want what they sell to look appealing so you feel inspired to buy it. But what happens to the fruit and vegetables that look a little off?
Some grocery stores offer “imperfect” or irregularly shaped produce for cheaper than their more uniform counterparts. This is a great way to save some money when you’re at the grocery store, so be sure to keep an eye out for these deals.
Different regions also offer “ugly food” sellers – one-stop shops for discounted food.
For example, in Montreal, Second Life offers such a service, or if you’re in south western Ontario, you can try out FoodFund.
Various grocery stores have also partnered with Flashfood, an app that allows you to shop for imperfect or nearing-expiry groceries at your local store.
Frozen produce
Did you know that frozen fruits and vegetables have almost equal nutritional value as fresh?
And not only are they just as nutritious, they’re often cheaper.
Stocking up on frozen produce is an easy way to reduce your grocery bill while making sure you can still create healthy meals.
Frozen produce has the added advantage of being incredibly easy to prepare. No need to worry about spending time cleaning and chopping vegetables, simply open the package, heat it up and you’re good to go.
Cook at home
You might be tempted to buy prepared meals when at the grocery store, or to skip grocery shopping altogether and get a takeout meal.
If you’re trying to reduce your spending, this is one habit you should quit as soon as possible.
By preparing your own meals at home, not only can you save money but you also control the nutritional value of what you’re making.
Choose ingredients that have more nutritional value, and when you are cooking, prepare more food than you need for a meal. Leftovers go a long way.
If you’re an inexperienced cook, start with simple recipes you find online or in a cookbook. As you become more comfortable, start to experiment with recipes – adding and taking away ingredients to create a new dish.
Once you’ve got a handle on cooking a few things, you’ll find it’s simple to create a new taste. Not only is it fun to experiment with dishes, but it also helps prevent you from getting tired of cooking the same thing all the time.
Give up the apps
During the pandemic, you may have gotten used to ordering your groceries online. While this can be a convenient way to get your shopping done and avoid crowds, it prevents you from searching out the best deal in the grocery store.
Apps don’t always feature all the products that a grocery store has, and some specials might not be available through the app.
Going to the store in person allows you to select the most affordable item available, and increase-or-decrease the quantity of food you get. With the cost of fresh vegetables increasing by 10.3 per cent in May, according to Statistics Canada, being able to select exactly how much produce you get can shave a few dollars off your bill.
In order to avoid crowds, you can try shopping off-peak hours, like going to the grocery store first thing in the morning or right before it closes.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
6 strategies to save on your next grocery | Financial Post
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