The cost of groceries is starting to feel personal. From shrinkflation to tariffs, the rising price of food can make even the quickest trip to the store end with a shockingly large bill. And with grocery prices up 3.8% in April, 2025—outpacing inflation for the third month in a row—it’s no wonder you’re feeling the squeeze.
But even if it feels like you can’t do anything about why groceries are going up, you can take control of how you shop.
We teamed up with Diana Chan from Foodology, a food blogger, grocery strategy enthusiast, and Vancity employee, to talk about how to shop smarter.
“I personally love grocery shopping given that I spend a lot of my time sharing products I love (and sometimes hate) on my Instagram through honest reviews,” says Diana. “I do get a sense of sorrow when I see how expensive grocery prices have gotten for produce and just plain essentials for families.”
Read on for a mix of practical advice, tools to use, and how to maximize your food-cost savings.
Start saving before you even leave the house.
It’s too easy to head to the store without a plan in mind and buy everything at full price. Or, worse, to go to the store when you’re hungry and leave with a bag of popcorn and some pastries but no dinner ingredients. You want to get a plan in place before you set foot in the store.
You want to get a plan in place before you set foot in the store.
The app Flipp hosts weekly digital flyers from retailers near your house. “Every Thursday morning, I browse through Flipp to see what is on sale and plan my grocery trips based on what’s available through my closest supermarket,” says Diana.
Diana also uses the app Checkout 51 to find rebates, and swears by breaking her list into two sections: Essentials and nice-to-haves.
“I have a group of essential items I need right away, then I have another list of nice-to-haves if the price is right or if I can wait a few more days,” says Diana. Once she knows what she’s going to get, Diana makes a list on her phone so she won’t deviate from the plan.
Before leaving the house, Diana does one more important thing: She checks her pantry and freezer. “Maybe there’s something you didn’t realize you had in there,” says Diana. “I find that my freezer is always packed, but I actually have no idea what’s in there, so I try my best to use and make what is in there before buying similar products.”
How to stop U.S. tariffs from quietly eating away at your cash.
The U.S. tariffs have made an expensive time for most Canadians even worse. A lot of our food is imported from the U.S., and when tariffs are added, that extra cost can trickle down to you at the checkout.
The best way to avoid paying tariffs is to buy locally. “I’ve started checking where the items I buy come from,” says Diana. “If I see ‘Product of U.S.A.,’ I’ll look for alternatives.” Big chains like Loblaws have started labelling tariff-affected products in their apps, which can help you find products that don’t have an added tax built in.
“Companies like Loblaws have gone the extra mile to identify Canadian products, as well as items affected by tariffs, which is amazing in helping consumers. You can see these items labelled in their PC Optimum app, too.”
Still, it’s not always obvious. That’s why Diana has been creating social content to help others decode labels.
Skip brand loyalty. Stay loyal to your wallet.
Don’t let flashy packaging fool you. Store brands, like No Name or Great Value, could be made in the same factories as name brands. “I once did a factory tour of a local food producer and they told us not to film a certain area as they were making dumplings for Safeway’s Compliments brand,” says Diana. “The only real difference? Packaging and price.”
Don’t let flashy packaging fool you. Store brands, like No Name or Great Value, could be made in the same factories as name brands.
Brands spend a lot of time and money researching the kind of labels that make people want to buy. Look past the package; you’ll find it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
Loyalty can extend past brands on the shelf to the stores you frequent. Shop around for the best quality on bulk items, and the freshest produce or more specific niche items.
“I rely on my closest supermarkets for larger bulk purchases for essentials we go through a lot, like eggs, milk, cheese, and toilet paper,” says Diana. “I use more independently owned mom and pop grocers within walking distance for fresh produce, fruits, and ethnic goods.”
Keep an eye out for shrinkflation.
Shrinkflation is when a product shrinks in size but stays the same price. For example, a pack of 8 hamburger buns for $4.99 suddenly becomes 6 for the same price. It takes a bite out of your budget, sometimes without you noticing.
“What consumers can do is compare the price per 100g, ml, or per unit between different brands,” says Diana. “Sometimes the label of grocery stores will list this out as it helps compare actual value between brands and packaging sizes.”
“What consumers can do is compare the price per 100g, ml, or per unit between different brands. Sometimes the label of grocery stores will list this out as it helps compare actual value between brands and packaging sizes.”
Stack your savings between apps, stores, and credit card kickbacks.
Discounts and coupons don’t live in a vacuum. With some pre-planning, you can stack up your rewards points to make the most of your money.
“I always pay with a points-earning credit card (enviro™ Visa Infinite Privilege card with Vancity Rewards),” says Diana. “If the store has a loyalty program, I’ll redeem for dollars off my groceries when I’ve hit the threshold, price-match if the store allows me to do so, and use cashback offers from Checkout 51.”
Here’s one real-world example of how Diana made her money work harder:
- she sees a cereal on sale at Walmart on Flipp ($2.99 from $4.99)
- price-matches it at Superstore
- loads 1,200 PC Optimum points ($1.20 worth in points) for the cereal in the app
- claims $1 cashback in Checkout 51 after purchase
- pays with a 3 per cent grocery cashback credit card
- uses PC Points to pay for part of the bill.
In the end, Diana saves about $2 and earns $3.09 in points, plus cashback. These savings add up over time.
Planning ahead takes time.
Some weeks, you have the energy to research, plan, and prep. Other times, it’s a miracle you made it to the store at all. That’s okay.
“Not everyone can spend time seeking out deals,” says Diana. “I like to follow Facebook groups, Instagram accounts, and browse forums like Reddit or Red Flag Deals where people in Canada will share deals they personally find at their stores.”
Some of the accounts Diana recommends are:
It’s about doing what you can, when you can.
Vancity can help with the money-planning part.
You don’t need to let the rising cost of groceries get you down. Vancity’s here with a free budgeting tool and friendly financial advice (also free) from wealth advisors.
Our advisors can help you create a realistic plan that makes room for your real life, whether that’s saving for retirement, getting an emergency fund together, or simply purchasing the groceries you want guilt-free. Book an appointment today.
