People in Canada - please share tips on saving money, best places to shop

[countydurhamlass]

Hi, i moved to Regina in Canada three months ago and i am not able to work for at least another three to four months. we are managing on my husband's wage but dont have a lot of money left over once the bills and shopping is paid for.

can any of you recommend how we can save money on things like grocery shopping, or recommend any cheap products to buy that are good. we mainly do our shopping and canadian superstore and walmart.

I am not the type person who has to have branded goods.

Hi, I'm in Toronto and it is hellishly expensive here too. Unfortunately we have found that when you veer away from the unbranded foodstuffs they are often foul and the cost saving is pathetic, ie a few cents.
I tend to shop around, buying when there are offers and stocking up, the cheapest supermarket for me is No Frills and the president choice range is fine. I buy meats from a local butcher and divide it into portions and freeze it, I try to pad out meals with cheaper pulses or potatoes, fruit and veg is cheap here compared to uk.
Milk, cheese, bread are so dear, I often bake my own bread as it's 3 bucks a loaf here and I buy cheese at a local farm shop which is cheaper and tastier. Shoppers drugmart often have offers which I take advantage of and collect shopper points to redeem later.

I constantly feel like I have to penny pinch here and I so miss the quality and range of foodstuffs from back home.
Give me Tescos any day of the week!

Do you have a Costco near you? I find it is good for bulk buying meat and things like toilet roll and rubbish bags.

I second costco, for toilet rolls, cheap bread etc! Superstore have their own version of costco and you don't need to be a member.

www.wholesaleclub.ca/LCLOnline/home.jsp?_requestid=435645

howcomes - thanks, have bought a few president choice things, love their vanilla icecream. i find fruit and veg is cheap but it doesnt stay as fresh for long :-( cheese is ridiculous in price, in England i used to make my own pizza because it was cheaper but not here, it would cost about $10 dollars to make one and i can buy a mccain classic for $4. i occasionally make a loaf of bread because it is just as expensive here and when packed lunches are put up etc i can go through a loaf in 2 days.

susuwataritoes - we do have a costco here, we dont eat a great deal of meat, mainly minced beef and chicken and i didnt know whether i would actually save in the long run. may have to have a look though and see what else i can get there.

i knew it was going to be more expensive food wise here but i cannot believe how much more expensive some of the things are. i have noticed the more it is processed and packaged (ie pre-cut veg/salad, fruit platters, tinned items, the more expensive it is. i am trying to make all meals from fresh.

i also use bulk barn but i am not sure whether i am actually saving money, its just that i can buy what i need and nothing more

I buy the huge cans of chopped or purée tomatoes from Costco and batch cook different sauces for pasta (inc bolognese etc) and freeze. Ditto with slabs of Costco chicken breasts and batch cook them in different ways (teriyaki, casserole etc) and freeze.

Um. Other than that, I use UK based a girl called jack for healthy meals on a budget and make my own sunshine buns etc. I know in the city here they have no frills supermarket - we don't, but I do once a month few hour round trip for Costco.

You need to watch the supermarkets for offers - sign up to see what offers are coming each week, and bulk buy when you can.

But yes - cooking from fresh is better for you as well as your purse lol.

How's Regina treating you?

prissyenglisharriviste- thanks, we are loving it in Regina, we still have not had chance to explore it all but hoping to do so over the next couple of months when my ds is off school. we are also hoping to have a few days out to other places too