Does the amount of money you spend on groceries every week send you into a panic? Turns out, you’re not alone.
A recent post in the r/AskACanadian group on Reddit asked how much Canadians typically spend on groceries in a week, and many admitted that it was “way too much.”
The post has received a ton of responses detailing how much folks are forking to feed themselves and their families.
One commenter said that for their family of two adults and two kids under five, they spend up to $250 a week, limiting their purchases to “the basics.”
“Rarely eat out or get takeout. Whatever meat is on sale, veggies depending on season, canned goods, bread, bananas, eggs, cheese, rice,” the response read.
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Some parents noted that one of the biggest factors impacting their pocketbooks was food waste, and provided some tips and strategies on how they tried to cut back on leftovers ending up in the trash.
One person suggested smaller portions.
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Someone else noted that they eat their kids’ leftovers despite how “gross and germy it might get.”
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Families with tweens and teens spend much more on their weekly grocery shop.
“We’re about $400 for a family of four (a teen, a tween and two adults),” said one person.
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A parent in a family of five (including two teens) said their weekly bill adds up to around $500, highlighting that packing lunches for their kids makes a dent in their spending.
Others shared that even with cost-saving methods like making their food at home and not eating out, the amount they spend on groceries is still high.
“In rural Nova Scotia, two adults, we make at least 95% of our food from scratch and never eat out, buy from farmers’ markets when we can and organic when possible. I spend at least $200-300 a week,” said one commenter.
“I’m spending almost twice what I was two years ago in BC and buying less organic.”
One person said they only shop for groceries at Costco to stock up for their family of five.
“We started shopping only at Costco and do one shop for about $1,100 that lasts for around five weeks or more,” they said.
“We switched from milk to oat milk so that keeps in the cupboard. Freeze bread, portion meat, use freshest veg first. Make stock from all bones and veg cuts. Nothing gets thrown out. Eat lots of oats for breakfast hot and cold.”
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In a longer response, a Redditor said they were feeding their family of four on $700/month, detailing their methods to save money.
They cut back on buying processed foods and said they also resorted to eating oatmeal every morning. However, they said they also spend $150 per month on eating out as a treat.
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Those living the single life shared some interesting spending habits.
Some people living on their own noted they were spending a whopping $150 to $200 on their weekly grocery haul, which one commenter admitted was “way too much.”
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“My bill hasn’t changed since my ex left… $120-$150 per week and I’m trying to be frugal, making larger meals and freezing them for leftovers. Lots of rice and pasta dishes,” wrote another Redditor.
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While others said they were only spending $50 per week living alone.
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According to estimates from Canada’s Food Price Report 2024, the cost of overall food prices in the country will increase by 2.5% to 4.5%.
This means the average Canadian family of four is expected to spend $16,297.20 on food in 2024, an increase of up to $701.79 from 2023.
How much do you spend on groceries per week? Let us know in the comments.
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