Chookie

I can't comment on Toronto food prices because I am in Calgary and tbh I have never visited Toronto... but if it is any guide, my thoughts on food are thus...

Pepsi - I don't buy it so can't comment
Bread - pricey if you want the decent quality stuff. I make my own because it is virtually impossible to buy bread that doesn't contain dairy in some form or another and I am allergic. This also works out cheaper.
Steak - cheaper than the UK, and far better quality. on the whole, beef is cheap

As an indication of prices, I have just dug out my receipt from last Sunday's shopping trip to Superstore...

PC (ie ownbrand but not supercheapo) Honey nut O's $6.49
Own brand (supercheapo cos the kids waste it) loo roll 24 pack $5.98
Dishwasher detergent (Finish gelpacks) $13.97
Skimmed milk (4litre size) $3.77 (there is also a 5cent recycling charge on that and a 25 cent deposit)
PC ownbrand soy milk $3.59 (with a 25 cent deposit)
no-name (ie supercheapo) orange juce concentrate - frozen $1.18 (times 4)
cucumber $0.88
3lb bag of onions $3.48
2.48kg bananas (my kids eat a lot of fruit!) at $1.48/kg = $3.67
0.19 kg mushrooms at $5.91/kg = 1.12
2lb bag of carrots $1.28
Pat of butter $2.97
6 corn on the cobs at 0.48 each = $2.28
Tbone steak x 2 (destined for Mr Chookies birthday meal tomorrow) $11.34 each
bunch of spring onions x3 $0.47 each = $1.41
bunch of parsley $0.48
6lb bag of granny smith apples $5.98
1 dozen large eggs $1.97
lettuce $0.77



But this was a relatively cheap shop for us because apart from the steak we are having an "eat out of the freezer week" in a desperate attempt to clear it out so I can defrost it. Plus I have loads of veg leftover that needs using up.

If it is any guide, we eat relatively modest amounts of meat, I cook everything from scratch (several food allergies and intolerances mean this is a necessity in our household) but am feeding 4 kids and 2 adults and 3 cats and our weekly food bill fluctuates from $150 to $250 depending on time of year, special offers etc.

fledermaus

I'm told that Valumart in Marmora is OK. I know that the No Frills in Brighton is good. Amazingly so. Clean, big, tidy. sells allsorts too. I go there occasionally for a big shop but it is 40 mins drive from me. I usually get veggies in Sharps and the other stuff in No Frills, with some stuff in Valumart here.
I also go to Costco in Pbro every 3/4 months.

cheepnis

if practical for your situation, do yourself a massive favour and getting yourself a Costco Executive membership and apply for their instore amex card to compound the savings. Also keep an eye out on their weekly coupon offers.

Though the quantities are larger, you will save, erm... massively.

fledermaus

You don't always. You have to know your prices and make sure that you only buy things that your would normally buy and that you know are cheaper or better quality for the same price.

jimf

What would you pay for a whole lamb? I never got round to trying it but in the UK I could have got a whole lamb straight from the farmer for 45 GBP. This would have been butchered and the cuts separately packaged. Could have chosen at what age (up to a year) to get it. After a year I think they called it a hogget.

In Calgary in the supermarkets I've only seen frozen lamb from NZ and it is quite expensive.

R I C H

I pay about $100 to $120 for a whole butchered lamb from a neighbour each year.

Cookie

I bought the same pork steaks a few weeks back too - they were huge! Also bought a few packs of striploin and T-bone 'on special' for the freezer. You find that most foods in flyers are on offer every few weeks so it makes sense to pick it up when on offer and not pay the full price.

I am a support worker and the residents I support live alone and have a $35 food budget per week, which is very tight. Through careful shopping by staff using the flyers they eat home-made meals daily made from steak, ground beef, pork, ham (but rarely chicken), pasta, rice, veg, etc - we follow the Canada Food Guide and promote healthy eating. My residents do have extra cash for Tim's because most of them like their coffee

Although I am not on a tight budget myself, I shop more wisely than I ever did before and am not so wasteful with food. Leftovers are turned into packed lunches or suppers (I work shifts). People here eat too many take-outs thats for sure.

dbd33

A lamb is around 50lbs so 300 bucks or so. Note that "a lamb" is the whole thing, I'd often go halves with a friend. The first time I told the farmer I wanted it halved I was astonished to be presented with the two halves of a neatly cleaved head; one half is downstairs waiting for a visitor who will appreciate it.

Steve_P

I find that an interesting comment considering a lot of expats complain about the lack of prepared foods here compared to the UK. Which to me would be the same as take out or at least similar to.

I also noticed on a trip back to the UK eleven years ago many more pre-packaged meals and desserts in places like Marks and Spencer, Tesco and the like than we had in Canada at the time.

Novocastrian

Hannibal Lector springs to mind.

Cdnshaz

Yes been to Valumart or IGA or whatever it is now, they are all the same, expensive...and Marmora and Stirling are dreadfully expensive, and Brighton is too far so wouldn't go there, my sil and dil are flyer readers so inform me when good deals come. Not big pork eaters here and lamb yuck..but that's just me

I do have a costco card but Pbro and K'ston more then hours drive...and I don't find them much cheaper on alot of things, just things are larger...

dbd33

Maybe Geordie? Charlie didn't know what to make of a previous half-head. Neither, come to that, did cruiks, the buyer of the other lamb halves.

Lorrden

Is there a butcher in Calgary or surrounding area where you could get a whole lamb?

BristolUK

Exactly

Occasionally Sobeys does an offer on a pack of two chickens. That's not too bad, but I buy 3kg boxes of frozen chicken breast from the co-op for between $15 and$19. I seem to recall tthere's a co-op in New Glasgow? They're not that good individually as they're a bit uneven, but fine for casseroles, sweet and sours, curries etc. But better ones can still be had for $22 sometimes at the two Ss.

But we're lucky in that a meat store up the road here regularly does chicken portions for a decent price...about $1.30 a lb and often does thighs for $1 to $1.20.

I don't understand why more people don't do this stuff. It really doesn't take much - just a shopping list and an extra 20 minutes or so a week - and the savings can be spent on something else.

Unless people have so much money it doesn't matter to them.

Chookie

Cookie - If you are buying in bulk for your residents (ie all the shopping at once), sometimes superstore does a deal where if you spend over a certain amount (think it is around $250 - easily done if you were shopping for 8 residents all at once) you get a huge box of frozen chicken breasts for free with the appropriate voucher... that is worth watching out for. Also, even if you/they have to shop separately, you can combine the receipts to get the freebie as long as they are all from the same day. Then they can split the box of chick breasts between them