Canada’s food inflation rate shows no sign of slowing, and more and more people are turning to coupons to manage their food budgets.
Bruce Martin of Oakville, Ont., says when grocery prices rise, he finds himself shopping strategically when he goes to the supermarket.
Martin told CTV News: “I use the Flipp app and watch it every Wednesday to see what’s coming next week and then I make decisions based on what’s where. appeared on the app and I started from there, making my decisions to get the best value around.”
Kathleen Cassidy, founder of social media account Living on a Loonie, says the Flipp app is a digital platform that puts local flyers and coupons in one place for easy access to discounts. and incentives.
She adds that it’s a way of helping savvy shoppers determine which store they should shop at to get the best price on a particular item or which store they should go to to take advantage. advantage of price comparison.
“You can browse through the flyers and by tapping on an item you can add it to your shopping list,” Cassidy told CTV News.
“If you’re looking for price match, you’ll go to a price match store [another] store, and you show them that with the product.”
Cassidy is one of many Canadians who use coupons to help others save on groceries and daily essentials, and provide tips and tutorials online for her followers.
The practice of clipping coupons has become a necessity for many in the country.
Cassidy says taking the time to use coupons can save you between $20 and $50 per week.
“It’s not something that people will do. At the end of the day, a coupon is unique to everyone and how they use it, but it can certainly change your financial situation a bit if you’re willing to put the time and effort into it, ” she said.
You can find coupons on store shelves, or you can print them at home and sign up for a digital discount.
“When it comes to coupons, we’re not just talking about paper coupons,” adds Cassidy. “We’re talking different cashback apps, basically a modern version of mail-in discounts, we’re talking loyalty points and just different ways to save.”
Cassidy says some items are often discounted and some you should never pay full price for, including toilet paper, tissues, most toiletries, bread, pasta and a number of meats.
Jennifer Andersen, founder of the social networking account Grocery Deals Canada, helps others plan meals based on weekly deals.
“My biggest piece of advice is to plan out your grocery store and start simple,” she told CTV News. “The world of coupons and the world of grocery savings can be really overwhelming.”
She added: “There are some areas where you won’t save money and it’s just a household staple that will never change and will cost the same. However, if you can save for other areas, it’s a little less difficult to pay the full cost… When I spend less on groceries, I can spend more. for other things that we really care about.”
Anderson admits not everything will be discounted, but shoppers should look for items they can stock up on.
“If you see chickens selling for $1.99 a pound – that’s a really good price – buy two or three chickens, and then, you know, you’ll have two or three chickens. in the next month or two. . They freeze really well.
“It’s a long-term plan that you can have while working on your eating plan. I’ve had this chicken since I bought it, so I’ll make it next week and cut down on my grocery shopping next week.”
