Canadians-grocery spending question

[MrsPB]

First time poster here, been lurking for a few months!

Trying to workout where we (family of 4 with 2 adults, 1 preschooler and 1 infant) are on the scale with food spending as many posts here are in US$. We live on the East Coast and don't have a big range of stores here ( Superstore, Walmart, Costco and Sobeys are the big grocery players), and few ethnic stores, limited farmers markets, especially in winter.
I'm curious to know the following info from other Canadians here:

Location:
Family size and ages:
Grocery spend per month (just groceries for home cooking, not alcohol or home supplies):
Style of eating (carnivore, vegan, vegetarian, wheat free etc):
All other eating out spending per month (including coffee, dine in, fast food):
Alcohol (can write 'separate from groceries' if prefer not to disclose-I just want to ensure the grocery spend is just food, not alcohol too):
Where you shop:


We currently spend:
- around $600 on groceries alone which includes baby formula at $50/month
-We are carnivores but have small portions of meats, I am wheat free and egg free due to allergies/sensitivities but not my family but as I do the cooking, we typically use spelt flour, rice pasta etc so I'm not making 2 separate meals. I make everything myself, and do most from scratch, very little in prepared sauces etc. We eat lots of fresh fruit and veg and we are trying to eat vegetarian a few nights a week now too.
-Eating out/coffees etc is around $50 per month
-Alcohol  is currently zero but previously was around $100 (!! alcohol is expensive here but we also drank regularly-not to excess at one time, but 1-2 drinks several times a week- now we are cutting it out for a variety of reasons)
We do one large and one smaller shop at costco per month and then usually 1-2 small trips to superstore for the things I can't get at costco.

I think I can get the bill down another $100 at least, especially once my Infant is off formula in a few months, and with the increase in vegetarian eating.

Curious to know what others are spending.

[powersuitrecall]

I would love to get our grocery spending down to $600/month.  We are 2 adults + 3yo 5yo and spend a combined $915 ($850 Groceries / $35 Restaurants /$50 Booze).

We are also wheat-free and cook from scratch as you do.  I include household items like paper, bathroom and cleaning products in our numbers, but our numbers are still way high.

I'd say you guys are doing great!

[MrsPB]

Thanks for the reply, we were previously spending over $1000/month but about a year ago I really changed how we shopped and cooked and made a big dent in things. I used to go to costco only once a month for a few things but they have improved their range of stuff and now we have kids, we can get through larger volumes of the fresh stuff. I do use Flipp to check prices of stuff, sometimes costco is not the cheapest but overall I find it is. If I could eat wheat and eggs, I could shave off $100 instantly, I'm sure! We eat fairly similar to how we did when we spent $1000/month but I simplified things, less fresh herbs etc that cost a lot and reducing our meat portions a little, buying in bulk more etc. it is work for sure and I do get a little bored from time to time of same meals, but now it's BBQ season so that changes the menu up a bit.

[MrsPB]

I see all these people in the US spending $300-$400 a month including dog food, formula, cleaning and household supplies and they sound like they eat the same types of food we do and I think, wow, how can I do that?! But I know we pay more here for groceries but not sure that fact alone accounts for the difference.

[powersuitrecall]

I feel the same way.  I do think we pay substantially more for food.  I'm sure it's the staple items like chicken, cheese, etc.  For instance this week I paid $4 for 2 avocados.  Here's what a typical weekly shop looks like for us:

$  40 Farm Boy (fresh fruit/veggies, meat if it's on sale)
$  50 Loblaws (cereal, canned goods, soda water, snacks)
$ 100 Costco (milk, cheese, meat, snacks, paper/cleaning)
$   5 Bulk Barn (GF flours/mixes)

I'm not justifying our spending.  It's clearly too much and we are working on it.  For context, we used to spend $300 more than this a month.

BTW - Where do you get your spelt flour?

[daverobev]

About $70/week for 2 adults, one toddler.

I'm a.. retired vegetarian. I do much of the cooking and all of the shopping, so we get meat semi-rarely. I've been doing slow-cooker chili with use-by-today beef at 50% off.

No pets so that's easy.

I work from home so I basically don't eat out. DW does business restaurant stuff on and off. Maybe $50 a month.

Fast food.. the occasional milkshake, pizza etc. Maybe another $30 a month?

I need to get a 'price book'. I try to buy cheese only when it's $4/450g, which happens sporadically - when it does, I buy 5-6 blocks. Same with everything, really, buy when on sale, buy less if you run out til it goes on sale again.

Soon, it'll be 'get lots from the garden' time, which is nice. Raspberries are already here, salad is here, tomatoes and courgettes are coming!

[Stasher]

Hi MrsPB

Vancouver Island
Our grocery bill for 2 adults and 2 teens runs an average of $700/month (this includes toiletries, etc .. anything from grocery store)
We eat meat but in small portions like you mentioned which makes a significant difference in one's budget. We always watch for the marked down fruit and vegetables and try to only buy meat when its on sale. We but our biggest use items like PB , coffee, jasmine rice, olive oil, granola bars at Costco but everything else is bought at our local grocery store and we make an effort to only buy groceries as we need them every couple of days.

We spend probably $100 on restaurants, $100 on coffee shop/cafes and $50 on miscellaneous gas station/fast food/treats stops if I were to best average.

Alcohol maybe 3 6packs of Cider a month tops.

[MrsPB]

I feel the same way.  I do think we pay substantially more for food.  I'm sure it's the staple items like chicken, cheese, etc.  For instance this week I paid $4 for 2 avocados.  Here's what a typical weekly shop looks like for us:

$  40 Farm Boy (fresh fruit/veggies, meat if it's on sale)
$  50 Loblaws (cereal, canned goods, soda water, snacks)
$ 100 Costco (milk, cheese, meat, snacks, paper/cleaning)
$   5 Bulk Barn (GF flours/mixes)

I'm not justifying our spending.  It's clearly too much and we are working on it.  For context, we used to spend $300 more than this a month.

BTW - Where do you get your spelt flour?

I get one from Superstore in the natural food section. It's Hockley Valley light spelt flour so it's 100% spelt but it's not 100% whole grain. It's not cheap at $21 for 2.5 kg but we don't use it all that often so it lasts a few months. I find it's great for that  soft 'white flour' texture for pizzas :). I also get the stone ground spelt flour from Superstore, there are a couple of brands, Bob's Red Mill and Speermill. We have bulk barn too but haven't bought flour there yet. What's the price on spelt flour there?

[MrsPB]

About $70/week for 2 adults, one toddler.

I'm a.. retired vegetarian. I do much of the cooking and all of the shopping, so we get meat semi-rarely. I've been doing slow-cooker chili with use-by-today beef at 50% off.

No pets so that's easy.

I work from home so I basically don't eat out. DW does business restaurant stuff on and off. Maybe $50 a month.

Fast food.. the occasional milkshake, pizza etc. Maybe another $30 a month?

I need to get a 'price book'. I try to buy cheese only when it's $4/450g, which happens sporadically - when it does, I buy 5-6 blocks. Same with everything, really, buy when on sale, buy less if you run out til it goes on sale again.

Soon, it'll be 'get lots from the garden' time, which is nice. Raspberries are already here, salad is here, tomatoes and courgettes are coming!

We do the same with cheese etc. costco has 940g black diamond cheddar for $9.99 and it's rare for anywhere else to beat that often. I do see the $4/450g you mention from time to time, I should get more when it goes on sale for that. Thanks for the reminder.  Cheapest eggs I find are at shoppers or superstore on sale for $1.99/dozen. This price per egg beats even costco's largest 30 egg pack. I do stock up on coffee and staples when on sale, sometimes the coffee goes on sale at superstore for $8.99 can vs $15.99 regular...that's a deal!

[MrsPB]

Hi MrsPB

Vancouver Island
Our grocery bill for 2 adults and 2 teens runs an average of $700/month (this includes toiletries, etc .. anything from grocery store)
We eat meat but in small portions like you mentioned which makes a significant difference in one's budget. We always watch for the marked down fruit and vegetables and try to only buy meat when its on sale. We but our biggest use items like PB , coffee, jasmine rice, olive oil, granola bars at Costco but everything else is bought at our local grocery store and we make an effort to only buy groceries as we need them every couple of days.

We spend probably $100 on restaurants, $100 on coffee shop/cafes and $50 on miscellaneous gas station/fast food/treats stops if I were to best average.

Alcohol maybe 3 6packs of Cider a month tops.

That's impressive! I'm intrigued to hear you shop little and often, how much of a difference have you found that makes vs the traditional weekly big shop? Do you ever feel like you are always at the store or do you find you enjoy it?

[MrsPB]

[Soon, it'll be 'get lots from the garden' time, which is nice. Raspberries are already here, salad is here, tomatoes and courgettes are coming!]
[/quote]

Yum! We are a bit behind here due to our later spring but have snap peas now, and potatoes, broccoli and tomatoes on the way. Not enough to dent our grocery spending much but an enjoyable hobby. Have you grown strawberries at all? Thinking of trying this next year.

[Stasher]

That's impressive! I'm intrigued to hear you shop little and often, how much of a difference have you found that makes vs the traditional weekly big shop? Do you ever feel like you are always at the store or do you find you enjoy it?

We live close to the grocery store so we walk
 - it limits impulse buying because we have to carry it
 - we are there more often and catch the daily mark down prices on near expired items and veggies that aren't "beauty queens"

We like going to the grocery store as our community is only 5000 people so we bump into friendly faces all the time. Another big part of our smaller budget is that we are happy to eat simple foods and eat the same things every week.

fresh vegetables with coconut/curry over rice
fresh vegetable pomodoro over spaghettini
quinio balsamic cold salad with spinach and poached eggs
baked chicken in homemade s&s over rice
pancake supper night
crock pot soups in winter
deli meat sandwich night
eggs and toast every morning

Mentioned elsewhere the big ones that crush you in cost are
 - meat (we do not buy roasts or steaks) do not buy pork chops (maybe 1x every 2 months a ham) chicken breasts in extreme moderation
 - milk is a big one ! we do not drink milk in our house (only kids have on cereal as they are teens LOL)
 - cheese, used limited and only really for sandwiches
 - no pop or other fancy drinks in the house
 

[MrsPB]

That's impressive! I'm intrigued to hear you shop little and often, how much of a difference have you found that makes vs the traditional weekly big shop? Do you ever feel like you are always at the store or do you find you enjoy it?

We live close to the grocery store so we walk
 - it limits impulse buying because we have to carry it
 - we are there more often and catch the daily mark down prices on near expired items and veggies that aren't "beauty queens"

We like going to the grocery store as our community is only 5000 people so we bump into friendly faces all the time. Another big part of our smaller budget is that we are happy to eat simple foods and eat the same things every week.

fresh vegetables with coconut/curry over rice
fresh vegetable pomodoro over spaghettini
quinio balsamic cold salad with spinach and poached eggs
baked chicken in homemade s&s over rice
pancake supper night
crock pot soups in winter
deli meat sandwich night
eggs and toast every morning

Mentioned elsewhere the big ones that crush you in cost are
 - meat (we do not buy roasts or steaks) do not buy pork chops (maybe 1x every 2 months a ham) chicken breasts in extreme moderation
 - milk is a big one ! we do not drink milk in our house (only kids have on cereal as they are teens LOL)
 - cheese, used limited and only really for sandwiches
 - no pop or other fancy drinks in the house

That sounds wonderful! Very European style and love that it's self regulating.
Only my preschooler drinks milk, I am sensitive to dairy so can only tolerate a bit of cheese and DH only uses milk in his coffee. I don't often buy milk substitutes either. Very rare for us to buy pop or fancy drinks. Mainly club soda. I never buy chicken breast, only whole chickens and thighs. We do eat beef steak and pork tenderloin quite often  around 1 X week but keep portions to around 4oz and preschooler doesn't eat more than an oz or so. Still, I think overall meat frequency and type is where we can make some improvements. I love cooking so it's really fun for me to try something new, not too much of a chore luckily.

[Stasher]

Have fun , eat well and optimize the crap outta whatever you can :)

[daverobev]

Soon, it'll be 'get lots from the garden' time, which is nice. Raspberries are already here, salad is here, tomatoes and courgettes are coming!

Yum! We are a bit behind here due to our later spring but have snap peas now, and potatoes, broccoli and tomatoes on the way. Not enough to dent our grocery spending much but an enjoyable hobby. Have you grown strawberries at all? Thinking of trying this next year.

Ha, we have wild strawberries, I keep pulling them out. The garden centre I went to last year was out of stock when I went, and I went *reasonably* early. I should get some next year.

We had a funny spring - really really hot for a week which made all my spinach bolt, then cool again which meant most of the hot weather stuff - which had started moving - slowed right down again.

I've got watermelons smaller than marbles, at the moment. Snap peas seem to have come and gone with very little to show, though a second batch is flowering now.

Slugs (I think) have eaten bean leaves. And soon we get squash vine borers. I'm hoping I can get on top of them this year, as the courgette plants look good.

[snowball]

I average $240/month at the grocery store (including non-food items) and another $40/month eating out with friends...this is for one person, in Alberta.  I could do better.  Mostly the problem is that I love cheese.  :)  I eat a lot of veggies and not much meat, though, so I allow that indulgence.

I don't have a car so I almost always walk to the store, and I too find that this really helps cut down on frivolous/unhealthy purchases (do I want to carry cans of soda home? No, so I don't buy that stuff).  I don't drink alcohol either as I don't like the taste.

Sometimes I buy extra cheese when on sale and freeze it.  It freezes reasonably well, just crumblier when you thaw it.

I'm currently experimenting with a low carb/high fat diet, and I am spending a bit more than normal due to not eating much bread and pasta (esp since I usually make my own bread, so that's really cheap).  I think I just need to eat more eggs.

[TravelJunkyQC]

To answer your questions:
1. We're in Quebec (City)
2. Two adults
3. One hardcore carnivore (BF) who eats anything I put in front of him, but will get hungry in 30 mins if there isn't a sizeable protein portion included, and one who eats everything but loves salad (me). So we have meat or fish with almost every meal, but 1/3 of the time I'll make myself just a salad which I'll share with him, and he'll make himself some fish and rice with it.
4. We spend about 400$ to 500$ a month on groceries. We don't eat out, alcohol is very little and not included in this.
5. We shop at Costco about once every three months for meats and fish that I portion out and freeze. Then we shop about once every two weeks at a Fruiterie 440 (bulk veggie and fruit store), and Super C for everything else.

I've been on the wait list for two years to have a little plot in the community garden close to our condo, but so far, I'm still forced to buy from the store. I think we might be able to do better, but I have found a happy medium between being frugal, and eating well and healthily with quality ingredients. I don't buy organic, but I try to buy local or the closest to local as possible without being too expensive.

[Kitsune]

We're in rural Quebec. 2 adults, 1 toddler, and another baby on the way.

Typically, we hit about 700$ in the 'everything from costco/pharmacy/grocery store/SAQ' category. Breaking it down further: about 50$/month in diapers, about 60$/month in booze (down to significantly less now that I'm knocked up), about 60-80 in pharmacy supplies (make-up, shampoo, detergent, cleaning supplies, soap, toilet paper, household goods, and the like). So: roundabout 500$ on food per month. We're not vegetarian when I'm not pregnant (meat, any meat, the smell or visual of meat, any of it: makes me puke), and we don't do 'organic' but we do 'support local farmers', and they're mostly free-range and organic by default, so we do eat pretty well. :)

Something to keep in mind when comparing with US people talking about their grocery bill: the exchange rate. At the current exchange rate, my 500$ CAD is equal to 385$ US... so exactly what you were looking at as comparison. :)

[Kaspian]

I saw a chart somewhere showing that Northern Ontario pays the most for groceries out of anywhere in North America.  :(
Which I totally do not understand because we have loads of farms in the area.

So, that's where I live:  Northern Ontario.  It costs me (on average last year) $230 a month for one (male, very tall) person.  I do all my shopping at the cheapest grocery store here, Food Basics, with the occasional jaunt to Giant Tiger or Walmart if something is on sale.  Never go to restaurants.  Things get really stupid around March--about $270.  I also rarely have any waste.  Last year it was only a small piece of lettuce, a rotten apple, and this year it's been two slices of freezer burnt bread.

[MrsPB]

To answer your questions:
1. We're in Quebec (City)
2. Two adults
3. One hardcore carnivore (BF) who eats anything I put in front of him, but will get hungry in 30 mins if there isn't a sizeable protein portion included, and one who eats everything but loves salad (me). So we have meat or fish with almost every meal, but 1/3 of the time I'll make myself just a salad which I'll share with him, and he'll make himself some fish and rice with it.
4. We spend about 400$ to 500$ a month on groceries. We don't eat out, alcohol is very little and not included in this.
5. We shop at Costco about once every three months for meats and fish that I portion out and freeze. Then we shop about once every two weeks at a Fruiterie 440 (bulk veggie and fruit store), and Super C for everything else.

I've been on the wait list for two years to have a little plot in the community garden close to our condo, but so far, I'm still forced to buy from the store. I think we might be able to do better, but I have found a happy medium between being frugal, and eating well and healthily with quality ingredients. I don't buy organic, but I try to buy local or the closest to local as possible without being too expensive.

This is the same for us, I don't want to compromise nutrition and quality for a lower bottom line so I'm trying my best to balance everything while meeting our savings goals. These are our lean years with two kids in daycare (once I'm back at work) etc. We buy some organic, mostly not. We have a small amount of homegrown veggies but it's a hobby more.

[MrsPB]

We're in rural Quebec. 2 adults, 1 toddler, and another baby on the way.

Typically, we hit about 700$ in the 'everything from costco/pharmacy/grocery store/SAQ' category. Breaking it down further: about 50$/month in diapers, about 60$/month in booze (down to significantly less now that I'm knocked up), about 60-80 in pharmacy supplies (make-up, shampoo, detergent, cleaning supplies, soap, toilet paper, household goods, and the like). So: roundabout 500$ on food per month. We're not vegetarian when I'm not pregnant (meat, any meat, the smell or visual of meat, any of it: makes me puke), and we don't do 'organic' but we do 'support local farmers', and they're mostly free-range and organic by default, so we do eat pretty well. :)

Something to keep in mind when comparing with US people talking about their grocery bill: the exchange rate. At the current exchange rate, my 500$ CAD is equal to 385$ US... so exactly what you were looking at as comparison. :)

Congrats on the pregnancy, sorry about the meat aversions! I was like that with chicken during my pregnancies. All in with diapers and non grocery, we are probably the same as you. I feel a bit better, I felt like maybe we were being quite extravagant but I think I'm doing as good as we can considering we are meat eaters!

[Knitwit]

I live in Manitoba. In 2016, I have been averaging $300 a month for two adults. This amount includes groceries and sundries (toilet paper, toothpaste, etc.), and excludes restaurants, alcohol, and pet food.

We do the majority of our shopping at Loblaws stores, mostly Superstore & No Frills. We also use a PC Mastercard for our day-to-day purchases and very actively collect points in the PC Plus program. In the last 12 months, we have redeemed about $800 worth of PC points. That's a huge chunk of our bill. I'm sure there are cards that have a better rewards percentage, but it is hugely psychologically satisfying for me to get free groceries.

I would say our diet is pretty average. We are average weight, average height, average fitness levels. I'm lactose sensitive so I don't drink milk, but my husband does. I can do yogurt and cheese, so we eat a fair bit of that as well. We buy a plain, no name halal (gelatin-free) yogurt that is $2 for 750g and add our own fruit or spreads to it. Cheese I only buy if the price is $1 per 100g or less; at that price I generally stock up because it will last a while if unopened.

Our biggest weekly expense is fresh fruit and veg, about 1/3 to 1/2 of our bill. We try to eat what's in season and on sale. We have a veggie garden where I try to grow some of the things we eat most often.  A small Walmart recently opened up very near me and they often have $1 bags of "past its prime" produce. I have gotten some great deals there - most memorable was a bag with 6 lemons and 4 limes for $1 - so I check in whenever I'm in the vicinity.

I don't really believe in organic (sorry), so no extra money spent there.

For meat, we mostly do chicken, fish, turkey, and pork. Occasionally shrimp for me, DH won't touch it. I pretty much only buy meat when it's on sale and then I freeze it. We have completely removed ground beef from our diet and replaced it with ground turkey. I wait until I have a PC points offer on turkey (usually 200 pts per $1 spent) and try to combine that with a store sale and 30% quick sale reduction. If the stars align, I can get ground turkey for less than $3/lb and when that happens I load up.

We eat a lot of eggs and I'm very lucky that we get eggs for free from my husband's parents, who have a farm. We pay this back in other ways - pitching in on the farm and so on - but because we're talking about food, I thought I should mention it.

We do not shop at Costco and I'm sure if we did, our grocery bill would double. We couldn't eat those quantities of fresh food before it spoiled, and I know we'd spend a ton more on snack foods and pre-packaged meals.

That came out longer than I expected, sorry! Hope it helps someone.

[MrsPB]

I saw a chart somewhere showing that Northern Ontario pays the most for groceries out of anywhere in North America.  :(
Which I totally do not understand because we have loads of farms in the area.

So, that's where I live:  Northern Ontario.  It costs me (on average last year) $230 a month for one (male, very tall) person.  I do all my shopping at the cheapest grocery store here, Food Basics, with the occasional jaunt to Giant Tiger or Walmart if something is on sale.  Never go to restaurants.  Things get really stupid around March--about $270.  I also rarely have any waste.  Last year it was only a small piece of lettuce, a rotten apple, and this year it's been two slices of freezer burnt bread.

I have heard that about Northern Ontario, so it looks like you are doing pretty good considering but must still be painful knowing what other parts of Canada are paying. And super impressed with the low waste! We minimize waste too, i haaaate throwing anything out that could have been eaten if a little more care and diligence was paid.

[MrsPB]

I live in Manitoba. In 2016, I have been averaging $300 a month for two adults. This amount includes groceries and sundries (toilet paper, toothpaste, etc.), and excludes restaurants, alcohol, and pet food.

We do the majority of our shopping at Loblaws stores, mostly Superstore & No Frills. We also use a PC Mastercard for our day-to-day purchases and very actively collect points in the PC Plus program. In the last 12 months, we have redeemed about $800 worth of PC points. That's a huge chunk of our bill. I'm sure there are cards that have a better rewards percentage, but it is hugely psychologically satisfying for me to get free groceries.

I would say our diet is pretty average. We are average weight, average height, average fitness levels. I'm lactose sensitive so I don't drink milk, but my husband does. I can do yogurt and cheese, so we eat a fair bit of that as well. We buy a plain, no name halal (gelatin-free) yogurt that is $2 for 750g and add our own fruit or spreads to it. Cheese I only buy if the price is $1 per 100g or less; at that price I generally stock up because it will last a while if unopened.

Our biggest weekly expense is fresh fruit and veg, about 1/3 to 1/2 of our bill. We try to eat what's in season and on sale. We have a veggie garden where I try to grow some of the things we eat most often.  A small Walmart recently opened up very near me and they often have $1 bags of "past its prime" produce. I have gotten some great deals there - most memorable was a bag with 6 lemons and 4 limes for $1 - so I check in whenever I'm in the vicinity.

I don't really believe in organic (sorry), so no extra money spent there.

For meat, we mostly do chicken, fish, turkey, and pork. Occasionally shrimp for me, DH won't touch it. I pretty much only buy meat when it's on sale and then I freeze it. We have completely removed ground beef from our diet and replaced it with ground turkey. I wait until I have a PC points offer on turkey (usually 200 pts per $1 spent) and try to combine that with a store sale and 30% quick sale reduction. If the stars align, I can get ground turkey for less than $3/lb and when that happens I load up.

We eat a lot of eggs and I'm very lucky that we get eggs for free from my husband's parents, who have a farm. We pay this back in other ways - pitching in on the farm and so on - but because we're talking about food, I thought I should mention it.

We do not shop at Costco and I'm sure if we did, our grocery bill would double. We couldn't eat those quantities of fresh food before it spoiled, and I know we'd spend a ton more on snack foods and pre-packaged meals.

That came out longer than I expected, sorry! Hope it helps someone.

I appreciate the long post! I have the PC world elite MasterCard with a great points rate which I use in store and for all other purchases possible and pay off the balance each month. I have found it to be the best rewards card for us. We don't travel a lot so travel rewards are useless but I love cashing in my points for gifts for others and to cover our Christmas grocery bill.
I used to shop mainly at superstore and yes, it is totally possible to overspend at Costco but we have our list and stick to it and we avoid quantities that I know we can't consume in time or freeze.
That's a great deal on turkey. Did you switch to ground turkey from beef for health reasons? We eat round beef and some ground pork, maybe 1x week.

Nice to get your eggs for free direct from the source! I love eggs but am allergic so can't eat them. But DH and the preschooler eat them daily. I love cooking them for the family.

[Kitsune]

We're in rural Quebec. 2 adults, 1 toddler, and another baby on the way.

Typically, we hit about 700$ in the 'everything from costco/pharmacy/grocery store/SAQ' category. Breaking it down further: about 50$/month in diapers, about 60$/month in booze (down to significantly less now that I'm knocked up), about 60-80 in pharmacy supplies (make-up, shampoo, detergent, cleaning supplies, soap, toilet paper, household goods, and the like). So: roundabout 500$ on food per month. We're not vegetarian when I'm not pregnant (meat, any meat, the smell or visual of meat, any of it: makes me puke), and we don't do 'organic' but we do 'support local farmers', and they're mostly free-range and organic by default, so we do eat pretty well. :)

Something to keep in mind when comparing with US people talking about their grocery bill: the exchange rate. At the current exchange rate, my 500$ CAD is equal to 385$ US... so exactly what you were looking at as comparison. :)

Congrats on the pregnancy, sorry about the meat aversions! I was like that with chicken during my pregnancies. All in with diapers and non grocery, we are probably the same as you. I feel a bit better, I felt like maybe we were being quite extravagant but I think I'm doing as good as we can considering we are meat eaters!

What really kills the grocery budget with a toddler, surprisingly enough? Milk.

6.80/gallon around here, and no way to get it cheaper other than buying a cow. I like milk in my tea/coffee, and the occasional latte. And we make yogurt every 2 weeks or so. But the bottles, omfg. 3 gallons a week. Averaging out at over 80$/month on MILK.

[canuck_24]

I am loving this post!  Thank you for starting the thread, I have often wondered the same thing, and always felt like we are spending "SO MUCH" on groceries compared with typical MMM forum posts.  I genuinely enjoyed reading everyone's 2-bits.  The numbers I included below are the averages from our spending over the past 6 months.

Location:  Northern Manitoba
Family size and ages:  2 adults (late 20s) no kids, no pets.

Groceries (includes tp & other sundries): $400/month
We shop about once/week.  We definitely stock up on any sale items, because prices up here can be pretty outrageous if not purchasing on sale!  We used to do this with almost any item on sale and then can or freeze it, but there are some items we just don't enjoy as much once thawed (spinach, cheese, milk, etc).  I find that we have a month or two of high spending (where we were clearly "stocking up") at $500-$600 ish, but then the following month will be $100 because we were just buying the fresh stuff and using up our "stockpile".

All eating out/coffee/fast food etc: $100/month

Alcohol: $20-$40/month  [Side note: This is actually our "entertainment" budget item, so it includes any trips to the pub, the movies, golf course, etc in that $20-$40/month.]

Where you shop: Safeway and occasionally Family Foods.  Those are the only two grocery stores within about 400km of me.  I really miss being able to go to the famers market and pick up produce, or to grow it ourselves (currently renting, with no place for a garden.)

Style of eating: carnivores, definitely carnivores.  We try to keep some of the meat costs down by purchasing the large packs of meat when they are on sale and then repack them into smaller portions and seal with a FoodSaver before freezing them.  While we do eat meat with pretty much every meal, it isn't giant portions.  My best example is our roast chickens: we often buy whole chickens on sale (looking for $6/kg or less), roast it in the slow cooker.  So, a $10-12 bird will end up serving about 5 suppers + lunch leftovers of each supper for my husband and I (ie. 20 portions of meals total).  Where most recipes call for 2 chicken breasts, I'll use 2/3 of a single breast, and make up the rest with extra veggies.  Here is how a regular chicken gets split up in my house to spend only around $0.50/plate on meat:
- 1/2 the loose dark meat = roast chicken dinner with potatoes &veggies
- 1/2 the loose dark meat = a hearty chicken/vegetable soup (usually 6+ portions actually)
- 2/3 of 1 breast = a chicken stir fry with rice
- 2/3 of 1 breast = a chicken pasta sauce of some sort
- remaining bits of breast = a final chicken dish (al a king, or a casserole, etc)

If ham, or roast beef goes on sale, we'll do the same, but it never stretches quite as far as the chicken!

Weekday breakfasts are toast or cereal, and a piece of fruit or something, but we have really been enjoying cooking hot breakfasts on weekends (I was curious so I just tallied up how much this hot breakfast "splurge" was costing us: over the 2 mornings we'll crush a pack of meat (bacon or sausage ~$5), 8 eggs (~$4/12), a handful of potatoes and 2 pots of coffee, tallying up to a total of about $10/weekend.  I'm totally okay with that!  I was expecting much more $$$).  Lunches are always leftovers of the previous night's meal.

[TrMama]

Location: Vancouver Island
Family size and ages: 2 adults, 2 school age kids. DH rarely eats at home since he's fed at his job.
Grocery spend per month: $600
Style of eating: One kid is dairy and egg free. Otherwise most meals are pretty balanced (some meat, some cheap carbs, some fresh produce). We eat very, very little junk food since most of it is off limits to my youngest. We also rarely eat seafood or red meat since it's so expensive.

All other eating out spending per month (including coffee, dine in, fast food): about $100 in restaurants, ice cream (Chocolat Favoris opened an outlet here and yes I'm willing to delay FIRE so we can go there), alcohol

Alcohol : Very little, included above.

Where you shop: Superstore, a couple local shops for specialty items. I let our Costco membership lapse. Frankly, we do not need the fancy groceries sold there, and I don't have the willpower to keep the non-grocery items out of my cart.

Cutting dairy and eggs from my YDDs diet was eye opening. Even though we now buy some specialty replacement items, we save a ton of money because we barely buy milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, etc.  The President's Choice MC also really helps keep the grocery bill down by allowing me to pay with points.

[daverobev]

I'd love to see what you're all spending on! I'll admit to being lucky in that the town I'm in has two grocery stores, and one is No Frills, and one is Metro. For staples, No Frills is often 75% the price of Metro, so I just don't even bother going in there unless they have a specific deal.

TP etc - check flyers. Walmart delivers on $50+ orders. I ordered a big bag of flour and tp on sale - so much easier than carrying (plus cans of this, that, and the other, I can't remember what).

Basically anything expensive/bulky you need to compare. Eating in season helps a ton too - not necessarily OUR season, either, but - for here at least - when it's coming from the greenhouses down on Lake Erie it's cheap. Courgettes? Cheap. Peaches - when they are < $1/lb? Cheap.

In the winter, cut back on expensive stuff. It's ok! Eat more stews, root veg, all that.

When I first came here, I was mostly shopping at RCSS, with some trips to a slightly closer independent/small shop that had organic stuff as well as the normal. Thing is, cans of tomatoes (say) were 70% more expensive than I pay now! It makes a HUGE difference. Buying pasta when a bag is less than a dollar - and buying 8 of them - vs when they are $1.70, $2 makes a massive difference.

I mean, even if I'm saving $20 a week, that's $1k a year.

And yeah, add that to the 3% from using the PCF WE card, and the PC Points from offers... I often end up with 5% in 'immediate' points (which are separate from the 3% on the card).

[Carma]

Great thread - I am on a mission to get our grocery budget way down over the coming months!

Location: Small town in central BC

Family size and ages: 2 adults

Grocery spend per month (just groceries for home cooking, not alcohol or home supplies): $500-ish, but I generally lump anything we buy at the grocery store under "groceries", so this also includes things like TP, shampoo, dishwasher detergent, etc. The total doesn't include pet supplies like cat litter & pet food.

Style of eating (carnivore, vegan, vegetarian, wheat free etc): Decidedly carnivore, though I've recently been incorporating at least one vegetarian dinner each week.

All other eating out spending per month (including coffee, dine in, fast food): This varies - maybe 1 dinner out/month at $50 a pop? Though DH has a wicked Timmies habit that I'm sure he spends a significant portion of "his" money on each month.

Alcohol (can write 'separate from groceries' if prefer not to disclose-I just want to ensure the grocery spend is just food, not alcohol too): Alcohol is separate.

Where you shop: Shopping is pretty much exclusively at Save On Foods - the other options in my small town are either extremely expensive ($6/lb for peaches in season!?!?!?) or have terrible produce and/or no BC/WA produce. I refuse to buy cucumbers from Spain when they grow perfectly well in this part of the world!

We definitely eat too much meat and cheese, which I'm trying to reduce. I've just started making sandwich bread and rolls for breakfast/lunches to try to cut some costs there too. I also got DH to start getting a dozen eggs/week from a guy he works with - I've been spending $5.50/dozen and he is selling them for $2.50/dozen - score! My goal this month is to try to get the budget down to $400/month. Now that the garden is in full swing I'm hoping it's doable!

[TrMama]

I'd love to see what you're all spending on!

It's important to remember that grocery prices even within Canada are regional. When we lived in Quebec City I only spent $400/mo. As soon as we moved back to BC it jumped to $600.

The difference is that when things went on sale in QC they'd be marked down significantly, even though the non-sale prices are comparable. I remember paying $0.50/lb for a large ham, $4 for a 900g brick of cheese and produce felt like it was free. Here, the sale prices for those things are $2/lb for ham, $8 for the cheese and produce is rarely less than $2/lb.

I was able to save a lot of money in QC by shopping the sales and seasons. Here in BC, things only get marked down about 10%, so you simply can't save as much. Seasonal produce here just means that it's available, not that it's necessarily any cheaper.

[MrsPB]

Does anyone know if you collect PC points at No Frills? They are Loblaw owned, aren't they?  There is one No Frills about 30 min drive from me so I don't usually go there as Costco and superstore are both 15 min away and I get the extra PC points using my WE PC MasterCard in store. Maybe I should look at trying No Frills instead of Superstore but would require a special trip as I never go out that way for anything else.
I do wish we had more ethnic grocers/stores here in Halifax. We live and work outside the city so don't go there often but when we have, I don't recall seeing much besides the large farmers market on  Saturdays  and I just can't tolerate the crowds there.

[MrsPB]

We're in rural Quebec. 2 adults, 1 toddler, and another baby on the way.

Typically, we hit about 700$ in the 'everything from costco/pharmacy/grocery store/SAQ' category. Breaking it down further: about 50$/month in diapers, about 60$/month in booze (down to significantly less now that I'm knocked up), about 60-80 in pharmacy supplies (make-up, shampoo, detergent, cleaning supplies, soap, toilet paper, household goods, and the like). So: roundabout 500$ on food per month. We're not vegetarian when I'm not pregnant (meat, any meat, the smell or visual of meat, any of it: makes me puke), and we don't do 'organic' but we do 'support local farmers', and they're mostly free-range and organic by default, so we do eat pretty well. :)

Something to keep in mind when comparing with US people talking about their grocery bill: the exchange rate. At the current exchange rate, my 500$ CAD is equal to 385$ US... so exactly what you were looking at as comparison. :)

Congrats on the pregnancy, sorry about the meat aversions! I was like that with chicken during my pregnancies. All in with diapers and non grocery, we are probably the same as you. I feel a bit better, I felt like maybe we were being quite extravagant but I think I'm doing as good as we can considering we are meat eaters!

What really kills the grocery budget with a toddler, surprisingly enough? Milk.

6.80/gallon around here, and no way to get it cheaper other than buying a cow. I like milk in my tea/coffee, and the occasional latte. And we make yogurt every 2 weeks or so. But the bottles, omfg. 3 gallons a week. Averaging out at over 80$/month on MILK.

Wow! I thought we paid a lot for milk here at $5.50 ish at Costco! We go though about a gallon a week I think, pretty much all my preschooler! So when my youngest starts on milk in a few months we will be at $40 per month on milk.

[MrsPB]

Great thread - I am on a mission to get our grocery budget way down over the coming months!

Location: Small town in central BC

Family size and ages: 2 adults

Grocery spend per month (just groceries for home cooking, not alcohol or home supplies): $500-ish, but I generally lump anything we buy at the grocery store under "groceries", so this also includes things like TP, shampoo, dishwasher detergent, etc. The total doesn't include pet supplies like cat litter & pet food.

Style of eating (carnivore, vegan, vegetarian, wheat free etc): Decidedly carnivore, though I've recently been incorporating at least one vegetarian dinner each week.

All other eating out spending per month (including coffee, dine in, fast food): This varies - maybe 1 dinner out/month at $50 a pop? Though DH has a wicked Timmies habit that I'm sure he spends a significant portion of "his" money on each month.

Alcohol (can write 'separate from groceries' if prefer not to disclose-I just want to ensure the grocery spend is just food, not alcohol too): Alcohol is separate.

Where you shop: Shopping is pretty much exclusively at Save On Foods - the other options in my small town are either extremely expensive ($6/lb for peaches in season!?!?!?) or have terrible produce and/or no BC/WA produce. I refuse to buy cucumbers from Spain when they grow perfectly well in this part of the world!

We definitely eat too much meat and cheese, which I'm trying to reduce. I've just started making sandwich bread and rolls for breakfast/lunches to try to cut some costs there too. I also got DH to start getting a dozen eggs/week from a guy he works with - I've been spending $5.50/dozen and he is selling them for $2.50/dozen - score! My goal this month is to try to get the budget down to $400/month. Now that the garden is in full swing I'm hoping it's doable!

We are trying more vegetarian too. I highly recommend the Oh She Glows cookbook

[MrsPB]

Great thread - I am on a mission to get our grocery budget way down over the coming months!

Location: Small town in central BC

Family size and ages: 2 adults

Grocery spend per month (just groceries for home cooking, not alcohol or home supplies): $500-ish, but I generally lump anything we buy at the grocery store under "groceries", so this also includes things like TP, shampoo, dishwasher detergent, etc. The total doesn't include pet supplies like cat litter & pet food.

Style of eating (carnivore, vegan, vegetarian, wheat free etc): Decidedly carnivore, though I've recently been incorporating at least one vegetarian dinner each week.

All other eating out spending per month (including coffee, dine in, fast food): This varies - maybe 1 dinner out/month at $50 a pop? Though DH has a wicked Timmies habit that I'm sure he spends a significant portion of "his" money on each month.

Alcohol (can write 'separate from groceries' if prefer not to disclose-I just want to ensure the grocery spend is just food, not alcohol too): Alcohol is separate.

Where you shop: Shopping is pretty much exclusively at Save On Foods - the other options in my small town are either extremely expensive ($6/lb for peaches in season!?!?!?) or have terrible produce and/or no BC/WA produce. I refuse to buy cucumbers from Spain when they grow perfectly well in this part of the world!

We definitely eat too much meat and cheese, which I'm trying to reduce. I've just started making sandwich bread and rolls for breakfast/lunches to try to cut some costs there too. I also got DH to start getting a dozen eggs/week from a guy he works with - I've been spending $5.50/dozen and he is selling them for $2.50/dozen - score! My goal this month is to try to get the budget down to $400/month. Now that the garden is in full swing I'm hoping it's doable!

We are trying more vegetarian too. I highly recommend the Oh She Glows cookbook

Oh and my husband also had a decent Tims habit so I ended up buying a $25 gift card per month for him and once it was gone it was gone until the next month. It worked so well! Now he only needs a $15 card!

[MrsPB]

Just checked my last Costco receipt and 4L milk is $5.19 currently.

[Kitsune]

Yeah, well... Quebec has a milk cartel, functionally. The prices are regulated and can't go below that. So... Kinda stuck.

[MrsPB]

Ouch!

[MrsPB]

We're in rural Quebec. 2 adults, 1 toddler, and another baby on the way.

Typically, we hit about 700$ in the 'everything from costco/pharmacy/grocery store/SAQ' category. Breaking it down further: about 50$/month in diapers, about 60$/month in booze (down to significantly less now that I'm knocked up), about 60-80 in pharmacy supplies (make-up, shampoo, detergent, cleaning supplies, soap, toilet paper, household goods, and the like). So: roundabout 500$ on food per month. We're not vegetarian when I'm not pregnant (meat, any meat, the smell or visual of meat, any of it: makes me puke), and we don't do 'organic' but we do 'support local farmers', and they're mostly free-range and organic by default, so we do eat pretty well. :)

Something to keep in mind when comparing with US people talking about their grocery bill: the exchange rate. At the current exchange rate, my 500$ CAD is equal to 385$ US... so exactly what you were looking at as comparison. :)

Congrats on the pregnancy, sorry about the meat aversions! I was like that with chicken during my pregnancies. All in with diapers and non grocery, we are probably the same as you. I feel a bit better, I felt like maybe we were being quite extravagant but I think I'm doing as good as we can considering we are meat eaters!

What really kills the grocery budget with a toddler, surprisingly enough? Milk.

6.80/gallon around here, and no way to get it cheaper other than buying a cow. I like milk in my tea/coffee, and the occasional latte. And we make yogurt every 2 weeks or so. But the bottles, omfg. 3 gallons a week. Averaging out at over 80$/month on MILK.

Wow! I thought we paid a lot for milk here at $5.50 ish at Costco! We go though about a gallon a week I think, pretty much all my preschooler! So when my youngest starts on milk in a few months we will be at $40 per month on milk.
Edited for :
math... I mean $80/month as it would be $10/week with both of them drinking milk daily. Oy!

[MrsPB]

We're in rural Quebec. 2 adults, 1 toddler, and another baby on the way.

Typically, we hit about 700$ in the 'everything from costco/pharmacy/grocery store/SAQ' category. Breaking it down further: about 50$/month in diapers, about 60$/month in booze (down to significantly less now that I'm knocked up), about 60-80 in pharmacy supplies (make-up, shampoo, detergent, cleaning supplies, soap, toilet paper, household goods, and the like). So: roundabout 500$ on food per month. We're not vegetarian when I'm not pregnant (meat, any meat, the smell or visual of meat, any of it: makes me puke), and we don't do 'organic' but we do 'support local farmers', and they're mostly free-range and organic by default, so we do eat pretty well. :)

Something to keep in mind when comparing with US people talking about their grocery bill: the exchange rate. At the current exchange rate, my 500$ CAD is equal to 385$ US... so exactly what you were looking at as comparison. :)

Congrats on the pregnancy, sorry about the meat aversions! I was like that with chicken during my pregnancies. All in with diapers and non grocery, we are probably the same as you. I feel a bit better, I felt like maybe we were being quite extravagant but I think I'm doing as good as we can considering we are meat eaters!

What really kills the grocery budget with a toddler, surprisingly enough? Milk.

6.80/gallon around here, and no way to get it cheaper other than buying a cow. I like milk in my tea/coffee, and the occasional latte. And we make yogurt every 2 weeks or so. But the bottles, omfg. 3 gallons a week. Averaging out at over 80$/month on MILK.

Wow! I thought we paid a lot for milk here at $5.50 ish at Costco! We go though about a gallon a week I think, pretty much all my preschooler! So when my youngest starts on milk in a few months we will be at $40 per month on milk.

[MrsPB]

I don't seem to find local in season produce all that cheap here, maybe I'm off on reasonable prices but strawberries which are abundant locally right now are $3.99 a quart at superstore. A small grocery store near my home had them on special for $2.50 a quart but that is not the norm from what I've seen. Apples still seem pricey here in season too. We love honeycrisps but rarely get them as they are around $3.99/lb in season!!! And that's non organic.

[Kitsune]

I don't seem to find local in season produce all that cheap here, maybe I'm off on reasonable prices but strawberries which are abundant locally right now are $3.99 a quart at superstore. A small grocery store near my home had them on special for $2.50 a quart but that is not the norm from what I've seen. Apples still seem pricey here in season too. We love honeycrisps but rarely get them as they are around $3.99/lb in season!!! And that's non organic.

That's ludicrous. Where ARE you??

Strawberries here are 12$/crate (... 5 litres, I think?) at the farm. Apples at the grocery store now can be 1.50$/lb and they're out of season. Honey crisp are always more expensive, though.

[elaine amj]

Does anyone know if you collect PC points at No Frills? They are Loblaw owned, aren't they?  There is one No Frills about 30 min drive from me so I don't usually go there as Costco and superstore are both 15 min away and I get the extra PC points using my WE PC MasterCard in store. Maybe I should look at trying No Frills instead of Superstore but would require a special trip as I never go out that way for anything else.
I do wish we had more ethnic grocers/stores here in Halifax. We live and work outside the city so don't go there often but when we have, I don't recall seeing much besides the large farmers market on  Saturdays  and I just can't tolerate the crowds there.

Superstore will price match from apps. I use the rebee app on my phone. At checkout, I just open up the relevant item on the app to show the cashier. I like rebee's setup better than flipp. Been shopping a whole lot more at Superstore now :)

We are a family of 4  - 2 adults 2 teens in Southwestern Ontario. Spend about $650/mo on groceries.

We are carnivores although DH and I do more veggie-based meals. I try to only buy meat under $1.99/lb. chicken breast when it is $2.49/lb. I shop at 5-6 stores. I rarely end up buying meat from the chains, even Food Basics/Freshco. Cheapest has been at my local meat stores - they often have 1-2 things on super sale.

We mostly eat chicken quarters, pork chops, ground pork and ground beef for meat. Everything else is mostly too $$. Chicken breast is our splurge.

We do spend a bit at Costco for specialty stuff like spinach cakes, veggie burgers, frozen edamame, chips, frozen fruit, and my fave granola.

I almost never buy produce from the Superstore. Always from Freshco/Food Basics or my local produce stores.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MrsPB]

I'd love to see what you're all spending on!

We buy typically the same basic list of stuff from Costco:
Eggs unless on sale cheaper elsewhere
Milk
Wraps and bread
Quinoa
Almond and peanut butter
Ham
Cheese
Cucumbers
Apples
Frozen broccoli, green beans, peas
Mary's crackers
Bananas
Carrots
Baker potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Bell Peppers
Ground beef
Whole chickens and chicken thighs
Pork tenderloins (eat 1 loin about 2-3 X month and feeds us plus lunch next day)
Haddock
Salsa
Avocados

Once every few months will buy stuff like
Oats
Nuts
Canola/olive oil
Canned tomatoes
Hot sauce
Mayo
Etc

Monthly at superstore we buy:
Rice cakes
Coffee when on sale
Kale
Ginger
Garlic
Lemons/limes
Rice cakes
Canned beans
Rice pasta
Coconut milk cans
Random condiments in regular sizes vs giant Costco size
Spelt flour


I missed a few things for sure, but you can see it's all pretty basic stuff to make meals from scratch and I buy a lot of non perishables or stuff that an be frozen from Costco to make the most of it.

Have a Costco executive membership and get enough of a rebate to cover membership fee annually, sometimes more.

[MrsPB]

I don't seem to find local in season produce all that cheap here, maybe I'm off on reasonable prices but strawberries which are abundant locally right now are $3.99 a quart at superstore. A small grocery store near my home had them on special for $2.50 a quart but that is not the norm from what I've seen. Apples still seem pricey here in season too. We love honeycrisps but rarely get them as they are around $3.99/lb in season!!! And that's non organic.

That's ludicrous. Where ARE you??



Strawberries here are 12$/crate (... 5 litres, I think?) at the farm. Apples at the grocery store now can be 1.50$/lb and they're out of season. Honey crisp are always more expensive, though.

Halifax, NS! I just saw the new flyer for superstore for Friday and strawberries are $2.99/lb now but still, a quart would pretty much be a snack for 2 of us! Not paying it!

[MrsPB]

Does anyone know if you collect PC points at No Frills? They are Loblaw owned, aren't they?  There is one No Frills about 30 min drive from me so I don't usually go there as Costco and superstore are both 15 min away and I get the extra PC points using my WE PC MasterCard in store. Maybe I should look at trying No Frills instead of Superstore but would require a special trip as I never go out that way for anything else.
I do wish we had more ethnic grocers/stores here in Halifax. We live and work outside the city so don't go there often but when we have, I don't recall seeing much besides the large farmers market on  Saturdays  and I just can't tolerate the crowds there.

Superstore will price match from apps. I use the rebee app on my phone. At checkout, I just open up the relevant item on the app to show the cashier. I like rebee's setup better than flipp. Been shopping a whole lot more at Superstore now :)

We are a family of 4  - 2 adults 2 teens in Southwestern Ontario. Spend about $650/mo on groceries.

We are carnivores although DH and I do more veggie-based meals. I try to only buy meat under $1.99/lb. chicken breast when it is $2.49/lb. I shop at 5-6 stores. I rarely end up buying meat from the chains, even Food Basics/Freshco. Cheapest has been at my local meat stores - they often have 1-2 things on super sale.

We mostly eat chicken quarters, pork chops, ground pork and ground beef for meat. Everything else is mostly too $$. Chicken breast is our splurge.

We do spend a bit at Costco for specialty stuff like spinach cakes, veggie burgers, frozen edamame, chips, frozen fruit, and my fave granola.

I almost never buy produce from the Superstore. Always from Freshco/Food Basics or my local produce stores.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the tip on Reebee and Superstore! I will do that!

[Kitsune]

Similar list to MrsPB, overall.

Add some regular flour and GF pasta (one of us needs wheat-free), baking supplies (cacao, etc), sour cream, butter, cheese (on sale), boneless skinless chicken thighs (yassa chicken, omg), too much milk for words...

[MrsPB]

Similar list to MrsPB, overall.

Add some regular flour and GF pasta (one of us needs wheat-free), baking supplies (cacao, etc), sour cream, butter, cheese (on sale), boneless skinless chicken thighs (yassa chicken, omg), too much milk for words...

Yes, butter!!  How could I forget!

[daverobev]

Does anyone know if you collect PC points at No Frills? They are Loblaw owned, aren't they?  There is one No Frills about 30 min drive from me so I don't usually go there as Costco and superstore are both 15 min away and I get the extra PC points using my WE PC MasterCard in store. Maybe I should look at trying No Frills instead of Superstore but would require a special trip as I never go out that way for anything else.
I do wish we had more ethnic grocers/stores here in Halifax. We live and work outside the city so don't go there often but when we have, I don't recall seeing much besides the large farmers market on  Saturdays  and I just can't tolerate the crowds there.

Yes, no frills is pretty much the only place I shop, and I get off points there.

Our local one now only does price matches with a couple of local stores. I don't even bother; metro on sale is as much no frills normal. Basically I only buy stuff when it's a sensible price. I do need to get a price book, though!

[Bendigirl]

BC southern interior
Two adults, 59, carnivore, wheat free, very few eggs ( mild allergy), 90% grain free, love cheese, no alcohol
$500 month that does include toiletries, but we really don't use much.
Costco, meat store, superstore, Walmart ....Costco is the closest store for me...trick is NO CART. Right now I buy a lot of fresh blueberries and huge bags of salad.  I find them expensive on certain things.

I insist on organic free range eggs...just cannot even consider eating eggs from chickens that are caged and never move....what a snob, right?  And with my allergy I have to be very careful, hives SUCK.  Use in baking only
Meat, pastured meat only.  Great local meat store that offers the best meat.  Very pricey, very good.  Grass fed beef only.
Cheese....oh my.  With all my allergies this is my treat.  Hard to find pastured milk cheese here but do buy good quality...on sale
I make my own gluten free pumpkin protein muffins and have them every morning with a banana.
I buy a lot of almond based things (peanut allergy).... Almond butter, almond flour (I do not use the gluten free grain based products), almonds...
Every second night is a huge salad with seeds and protein of choice.  Maybe sweet potatoes with peppers or a big veggie stir fry with protein for the other meals.

We are retired, just.  Food is the big indulgence for us and something I won't compromise on.  We buy organic when the prices are close, always for our frozen smoothie fruit (Costco has very good prices on frozen organic fruit).  Sweet potatoes are always organic and superstore gives me points in potatoes every second week.

Our meals are fairly consistent.  As I said, lots of salads and the garden helps right now!  Smoothies for lunch with whey isolate and frozen fruit, coconut milk...
Never pop, no milk for me but hubs has it on his fibre one in the morning, we drink water, tea and coffee.  No chips.  We will make popcorn with coconut oil, yum, if we desire.

My peach tree is loaded this year!  Oh happy days.  The tomatoes are huge but everything is stunted with this cool summer weather.  All in due time, I hope.

We sometimes splurge on ice cream...rare.  I do bake some things for treats.  Dark chocolate reigns supreme, but in moderation.

Now we get to spend some of the money we saved.....

[Jschange]

I'm in the GTA, $150ish,  family of 1 with a fair bit of entertaining. Higher than it used to be because I'm eating pescetarian, high fat, low processed, low carb.

I don't have pets, spend at most $50 per year on alcohol, and eating out is up to $100/month, but I'm trying to trim it more.