Healthy Eating on a Budget

With grocery costs on the rise it’s no secret Canadians are looking for more ways to save.  With more widespread coverage than ever, social media accounts focused on money saving opportunities are becoming widely popular.  In today’s blog post we are covering a common question and one of our most popular topic requests; finding healthy eating options on a budget.

It’s a common misconception that saving money on groceries can only be done on junk food and snacks.  Most Canadians often associate coupons with unhealthy snacks.  The truth is you CAN save money on everyday items you actually use, including healthier options.  Below we present our top five ways Canadians can save.

Tip #1 – Price Match

Price matching is such a great and easy way to save money on every day items! Did you know price matching isn’t restricted to prepackaged goods? That’s right, you can price match items like produce and meat! Not all stores offer price matching, and those that do will often limit to grocery competitors in their area.  Check out our Education page and our blog on price matching for even more details. When price matching produce and meat its important the flyer description matches what your purchasing in store (country, grade, quantities). See our 2 examples below for what to look for

Example 1: Price Matching Meat

When price matching meat make sure you grab the same cut, identify grade and country of origin. In this example we present Striploin Grilling Steak, Canada AA grade. If you were to price match this in another store for $6.88/lb you would need to make sure all of those details were present. If your store has a deli, meat or butcher counter go there first to see if they can update the sticker on the pack you are purchasing; this will make it so much easier for the cashier.

Example 2: Price Matching Produce

In this example we present pomegranates, individually on sale for $1.49 each. If you were to price match this at another store you would simply need to make sure the pomegranates in their store came from the USA, so easy!

Tip #2 – Use coupons!

Is there a particular brand or item you and your family love and use often?  Many CPGs (consumer packaged goods) will actually mail out savings or send out discount codes to loyal customers.  So don’t be shy! Write to brands you love, let them know what you love about them, and ask if they can send you coupons to help you save.  Checkout our Company Mailout Coupons section to see just a few brands we know that have sent out coupons to customers this year.

Looking for more options? Check out our online printable coupon database for printable coupons! Here we list available coupons, including dairy options (your milk and yogurts), even salads!  You might be surprised to find many of your favourite brands have sections on their websites where you can request or even download printable coupons. 

Tip #3 - Use Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs like PC Optimum, Air Miles, and Scene+ provide offers to members on items they frequently use.  This is an incentive to get you to shop more and is based on your shopping habits.  PC optimum sends out new points offers to their members each week, even allowing you to save up to 4 offers for the following week for future use.  Check your weekly offers and notice that what you buy is often reflected in future weeks.  Check local flyers to see what points offers there are.  No Frills and FreshCo both offer a weekly points promotion on produce, making the items featured a great deal.

With No Frills, produce included in the points promotion is almost always on sale. Grab a combination of any 4 to get $4 back in points.

FreshCo is similar, but as shown above when you buy any combination of 4 featured items you’ll get $3 back in Scene+ points.

PC Optimum Points promotion. Earn $1 back in points for every 1 lb pack of Organic Kiwis purchased.

Scene+ Points promotions. A case of Red Mangos on sale for $9.99. Scene+ Members can swipe their loyalty card at checkout to get these for $2 off, making them only $7.99 a case.

Scene+ and Air Miles both have flyer features each and every week on produce and meat. Promotions can include added points on certain items, or members pricing discounts; meaning by swiping your loyalty card you will get reduced and on sale pricing! They also have great apps where you can check out offers available by store.  Offers range across a variety of products, and can include dairy, meat and fresh baked goods (to name a few).

Tip #4 – Use Flashfood

Through the use of an app Flashfood provides huge savings on items like produce for a fraction of the cost.  Items are nearing expiration or best before dates, which is why they are heavily discounted. You can check online before you shop to see what savings there are. You can order online and pick up in store on the same day! This is a great option for planning out weekly meals. We personally love their produce boxes (featured below) which have great seasonal options and are a game changer for weekly meal planning.

Example: Flashfood produce boxes. Availability, produce inclusions, and pricing may vary by store and region.

Tip #5 – Cashback Apps & Websites

A number of apps are starting to offer cashback on general produce, including Checkout 51, Go Coupons and Eclipsa.  Offers are limited so make sure you check back often and send in your receipts right after you purchase so that you don’t miss out. If you aren’t familiar with the cashback world, check out our earlier blog post for more tips & tricks!

Tips #4 – Use the Savin App!

We match coupons and cashback offers to local flyer sales.  Can’t find what you’re looking for? Try our search function.  Even without available coupons you can find the best flyer sale prices in your area. If there are coupons available you bet our platform will have them. Don’t forget to check out the resources on our page for even more ways to help you save!

Happy Shopping!