British Expats - Supermarket Prices

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- - Supermarket Prices (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/supermarket-prices-313280/)

Re: Supermarket Prices

Quote:

Originally Posted by dingbat

I have just three supermarket choices - Save On Foods, Safeway and Superstore. All work out more expensive than a similar sized load-up in the UK.

I used to shop at Ultra when I first arrived and I found that a lot more expensive that the one I shop now (Zehrs and Farmers market).

Re: Supermarket Prices

Quote:

Originally Posted by brit_in_fizroy

You'll go nuts trying to keep track of this, forget what it cost in UK your'e in Canada now. Chicken and Turkey are more expensive but this means that Pork and Beef are cheaper, it's swings and round-abouts. In general, things are cheaper here. Discount stores are sprouting here now with the likes of "food basics" and "no frills" so savings can be found. Don't try to keep the old UK diet, have fun creating a new Canadian one.

Maybe so but it's a natural thing to do especially when my Canadian income is a good deal less than what it used to be in the UK and yet the grocery bill is almost the same!

Re: Supermarket Prices

FWIW

There was a poll done with a number of replies.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...od+poll+canada

It bears out that in numerically the costs are higher but then if you take into account average household incomes the overall impact is the same or less.

Average foodbill in the UK for a family is approx Ã‚Â£120 per week - no frills which is 22% of Ã‚Â£28,000. In Canada the poll seems to average at $190 per week which is 19% of $50,000 (this was the average household income in London Ontario for 2004.)

I knew a family on benefits, no bank cards as they had been taken away but the male parent still insisted on the very best cuts of meat every day. They had a food bill higher than our own.

Ah....! The benefits of a social government!

Re: Supermarket Prices

Quote:

Originally Posted by ezvanetree

Geez, really?? $300 a week on groceries?? and for poor selection?? This is distressing news--I would have thought by now that Canada in general would be a bit more 'with the programme' food wise. But perhaps people are still having their roasts and three veg on sundays and hotdogs and grilled chicken during the week??? I admit I was surprised how boring the food selection was when I visited Canada 8 years ago but I thought that was just because I was in a boring run of the mill southern ontario city (kitchener-waterloo). Maybe I have been living an illusion all this time????

I think in Canada it really depends where you live and how you choose to shop for food.

People tend to generalize their specific experience of a tiny part of Canada as a reflection of Canada as a whole. Canada is too vast and varied for that. In Victoria, you can probably get any food item you want. Victoria is full of food snobs (I'm one of them) and has a huge market for varied, high quality food and so there is a lot of it. If it exists, someone's selling it or can find it for you. In Whitehorse, you're lucky to find even a limp green pepper at certain times of the year.

Plus, how you shop is key. If people choose to do their entire grocery shopping at big box 'supermarkets' they're at the mercy of what those shops supply and those store only care about profit. Food quality is meaningless... endless shelves of Wonder bread, Yo-Hos and iceberg lettuce. Er, no thanks!

When I lived in Canada, I bought my food in Chinatown, local farmers markets or went out to the actual farms, various delis and a good local grocery store (Thrifties). Plus I grew some of my own (zucchinis, tomatoes, beans, etc are so easy to grow) and made trades with my neighbours. Also, I received fresh wild salmon from family. Plus there is plenty of other free and fresh food in the woods and waters of Vancouver Island - fiddleheads, blackberries, calmus, blueberries, mushrooms (magic ones too :)), halibut etc. Every area will have regional yummies and unique places to get good quality, cheap (even free) food. Relying on supermarkets as a source of food is limiting.

Re: Supermarket Prices

Quote:

Originally Posted by stepnek

Maybe so but it's a natural thing to do especially when my Canadian income is a good deal less than what it used to be in the UK and yet the grocery bill is almost the same!

ah but do you also complain about the gas prices as they are or jump for joy that they are still cheaper than the UK.

Re: Supermarket Prices

Quote:

Originally Posted by hot wasabi peas

I think in Canada it really depends where you live and how you choose to shop for food.

Plus, how you shop is key. If people choose to do their entire grocery shopping at big box 'supermarkets' they're at the mercy of what those shops supply and those store only care about profit. Food quality is meaningless... Relying on supermarkets as a source of food is limiting.

This is 100% true. You are being ripped off no matter if it is a supermarket here or in the UK. The mark-up they charge on fruits, vegetables and meat is insane, and the quality is terrible, they are all US or South American pesticide-covered imports. Last summer I remember we picked up 2 tomatoes from the neighbourhood Dominion store, and were appalled to see they cost us over $6!! When we queried it, we were told some story about a great tomato blight in Niagara which limited the tomato supply. Funny, we could still buy them from our local greengrocer for the normal price.

I guess the moral of the story is if you want to save money and/or improve quality, try shopping at farmers' markets or local greengrocers and butchers. I realize this can be difficult if you live in a suburb surrounded by nothing but box stores, but sometimes it's worth the effort.

Re: Supermarket Prices

Quote:

Originally Posted by brit_in_fizroy

ah but do you also complain about the gas prices as they are or jump for joy that they are still cheaper than the UK.

Not especially. As it happens I'm not better off here in Canada than I was in the UK financially as far as disposable income is concerned once all the bills are paid. The difference being I don't have a mortgage or pay rent here because we own our house outright and in the UK we had a mortgage. If we had that committment here then it would be a really tough struggle. Broadly speaking I think it's quite expensive to live here once on a Canadian income but obviously I can only speak as I find it.