How To Save Money On Groceries! [Canada]

This has always been a place I've struggled with, groceries can be super expensive and it doesn't help that the best quality, nutrient dense foods are the worst offenders. It has never made sense to me that a bag of apples was more expensive than a bag of chips!

While we all know that our health is the best investment, most of us have a budget to stick to and unfortunately can't always get what we want. What we can do however is use the following tools to help save and put those savings back into our cart with the purchase of those healthy foods.

1. Plan your shopping trip. I keep a magnetic shopping list on my fridge so that I can write down items that are used up throughout the week, my husband will also jot down anything he needs here so that it's all in one place. The day before my grocery trip I go through my pantry, cabinets and fridge to determine what needs to be restocked and add these items to my list. I will also come up with a quick meal plan, 7 meals that I can make throughout the week in addition to lunches and add the necessary ingredients to my list.

2. Coupons:  Every week I go on all the following websites (Save them to your favourites!) to print the coupons of items that are on my list. Some of the sites below send you coupons in the mail, I order from these sites weekly but only the items that my family uses. In addition to the websites listed below, you can also go directly to company website for coupons, there are often promotions going on!
- WebSaver [Printable + Mail]
- Save [Printable + Mail + Cash Back App]
- Walmart [Printable + Mail]
- PG Everyday [Printable]
- Flipp [Printable + Price Match App]
- Smart Source [Printable]

3. Price Match: Looking through all the paper flyers to find matches is incredibly time consuming and honestly I never found myself doing this until I found Flipp. Download the app on your phone, make your shopping list and it will find matches for you. (This app also has coupons that you can print out at home). I use this all the time at Walmart at have never had an issue. Bonus * You don't waste gas and time by having to go to multiple grocery stores!
- Google App
- Apple App

5. Never go grocery shopping hungry! If I do, I find that I make poor food choices and pick up quick and easy meal and snack items that I wouldn't normally purchase! If I eat before I shop, then my mind is clear to make healthy choices.

6. Shop the discounted rack! I don't know about your local store, but mine has a rack for produce and for baked goods that are close to expiry. I have often picked up a bag of oranges or buns for $1 that are still more than good to eat. However, this can backfire if you pick everything up off the rack just because it's been discounted, always buy only what you know you can eat before it goes bad.

7. Do the work yourself! Although it may be tempting to buy that fruit or veggie tray, they are super expensive and unless you are in a hurry they aren't worth it! I always try and buy the whole food version rather than the packaged one, it might not save you time but it will save you money!

8. Instant Savings Apps: These are apps that you can use in-store for discounts on your groceries at the cash register (aka digital coupons). The one I use is Coupgon!

9. Store Point Cards: These are always great as you get points that you can use at the register on your groceries, they can add up quickly! The ones I use are PC Plus and Shopper's Optimum.

10. Cash Back Apps: I don't always find the best coupons, especially when it comes to produce but this where the cash back apps come in. 9 times of 10 one of these apps will offer cash back on produce. Once you've reached $20, they'll send you a cheque in the mail!:
- Caddle
- Checkout51
- Zweet 
- Save 

What are your favourite sites, tips and tricks for saving money on groceries? I'm always looking to learn how others do it! Although I've seen Farmer's Markets on many, many lists they're always more expensive in my location so I didn't include it. Do you find that they save you money? Be sure to let me know in  the comments below! Happy Saving!