Re: Groceries
 

Awesome. I've been buying the 99c 1L bottles from Metro as it's the smallest diet tonic I can find. I only use it for G&T but don't drink enough G&T in one sitting before it goes flat. (I have not yet acquired Bitters to mix up the rest, lol.) There's a Sobeys not too far from me, I'll pick up a case and give it a shot with G&T. I am not really a G&T snob so considering I'm already happy with the Metro own brand (Selections) I'll probably be just fine with the Sobeys one, lol.

The Coke/Pepsi knockoffs I don't find stack up at all in the own-brand. The Sprite/7up knockoffs in cans are gross, but in bottles I actually don't mind them. Granted I rarely drink it straight, but if I'm having a party and need a load of lemonade (Sprite or similar) for Pimms then the own brand actually works just fine. (I used to buy own-brand Sainsburys as well.)

And on the fizzy note, we just bought a SodaStream at work as we are all fizzy water drinkers, so 5 of us split the cost of a SodaStream. Saves me a bucket on buying cases of Perrier at Costco so that I'm not drinking soft drinks all the time!

Re: Groceries
 

That was me exactly with the 1L metro diet tonic. Until I gave up and started drinking full fat, since I was losing weight anyway.

Re: Groceries
 

I do the following (including price match) on a regular basis at several stores on the way to or back to the FIL

Yesterdays bargain at Walmart

On the marked down produce rack everything is $1, I picked up...of course I weighed them to get the max deal before putting them in my cart

- 7lbs white potatoes,

- Two heads of iceberg lettuce (2 in the bag) no brown or wilted markings,

- 5 Ibs Tomatoes,

- 3 lb bag seedless grapes,

- 5 lbs banana (discarded 2 because they were too brown).

- Four medium size zucchini

Total cost for that lot = $6, versus regular price of approx $19 on special/price match

Saving of $13

On meat, fresh lean ground $2.67/Lb, cost $8.92. when I got home divided up into 1/4 Lb lots each in a polybag.

Saving $3.99 Ib (regular price) - $2.67/Ib = $1.32 x 3.34 Ib = $4.40 in savings

Total savings for that shop was $17.40 which I bought gas with


.

Re: Groceries
 

Which website is it that you use to check out the specials?

I use 'smart canucks'

Canadian Flyers

Re: Groceries
 

I've never seen anything like that at Walmart. :( Not in Quebec before we came to Moncton nor since they went Supercentre.

There's a bread rack (not in the bakery section :confused:) @ maybe 50% and a small part of one or two freezer chests, usually just chicken portions mostly 25% off a not particularly attractive price in the first place.

With your cheap 'ethnic' store you have it made :nod:

Re: Groceries
 

Our store has a mark down produce rack with a lot of $1 items at times, however the produce on the rack most times is over ripe or should have been thrown out.

Meat is usually marked down 25% however Wal Mart charges more for their meat vs the butcher store so even at 25% off it tends to cost more.

Safeway is the place for markdown dairy, they usually mark it down 4 or 5 days before the best by date, so easy to use it before it goes off.

Only thing lacking is a good sea food store. The offerings are not so good.

Re: Groceries
 

The several Walmarts within the GTA (Toronto) area all have 'mark down produce racks. The one that I go to, they fill several times per day & it empties quick. Just have to be there at the right time... which I've figured out after speaking to the produce manager :thumbsup:

Maybe a another reason for Bristol to move to Ontario;)

Its not that we need the cost savings (although we have been doing this so long, its the norm), its the savings to pay for the back & forth to my FIL twice a day to pay for the gas. Even though we are retired, don't travel far for ourselves, we average not less than 1500KM/mth, most all of that is for the FIL, back & forth, his appointments. Our gas bill is over $200/mth.

I told my wife to get an electric bike:eek:

FIL never puts his hand in his pocket to offer gas money or pay for the groceries we buy for him, the old bugger is tight - but that's OK, hopefully we get ALL OF his estate after he pops his clogs :amen:

Re: Groceries
 

I was in Maxi (No Frills) last night: there were masses of Scotch Bonnet peppers on the 'mark-down' rack, as well as bags of overripe mangoes. All at 99c/package. Not stuff I usually buy, but I did:

roasted the SB peppers with garlic & Ginger, skinned then puréed 'em & froze in tiny amounts for future recipes calling for hot spices.

Peeled & puréed & froze (in small quantities) mangoes for future smoothies/lassis/add to yoghurt.

Re: Groceries
 

Unless he leaves it to the dogs home? :ohmy:

None. The main ones arrive on a Weds/Thurs with the newspaper.

A quick glance reveals whether the saving on one or two items alone will pay for the taxi, in which case we'll go there.

If it's not worth a trip, we just make a mental note of what is worth getting and then my stepdaughter can call at Superstore after she finishes work 50 yards away or we can drop by whichever store depending what else and where else we have to be.

With what we have available 5 minutes walk away, we don't really have a regular grocery store shop or get to the point that we need one.

Re: Groceries
 

When you get your smartphone, download the Flipp app. It's really good, I use it often. Scrapes all the various flyers from the various stores and then you can search by product. I use it when I am bulk-buying a few things like soft drinks.

I was at Fortinos today and stopped by the marked down produce rack... I just find we won't go through any of the stuff fast enough because you have to buy it in such large quantities. It's pretty much use it within 24 hours... I did pick up a few things from there while I was on maternity leave and thus eating more at home, but not so much now that I'm back at work. I like SB's suggestions of making up some stuff and then freezing it... just don't have the time!

Re: Groceries
 

@ post #1030, some good points there, thanks

The so called 'good stuff only' from the marked down rack in our case is consumed quickly. What can be frozen, is frozen.

We do not consume soda beverages of any kind (huge cost savings to the grocery bill), nor would I buy six lettuce

I have found that frugal grocery shopping is a skill, not unlike 'couponing in the states, only that I couldn't & wouldn't, even if it was possible to buy case on case of items, much the same as I wouldn't bulk shop the Costco way

Purchase fresh what you consume within one-week

Purchase staples or dry goods that get consumed within six months

Purchase to freeze what you would consume within 12 - 18 months

Try not to ever waste or throw out food

Re: Groceries
 

Naff that. Just get a decent job and stop worrying.

Re: Groceries
 

Stuff the expense, buy the cat a goldfish.

Re: Groceries
 

Obviously much comes down to taste but a two litre bottle of pepsi or coke is often available for 99c/$1. Big 8 and store brands might be even cheaper if you don't mind ordinary lemonade...all diet versions too so not sugar loaded.

Only tap water is cheaper than that isn't it?

Plenty of these things make nice mixers for whisky, brandy, gin or even shandy. They also make juices go further too. They are actually an economical measure.

Re: Groceries
 

Sprite tastes surprisingly good in whiskey. I don't usually drink spirits but an ex-neighbor popped down yesterday evening with a giant bottle of it and all I had on the boat was some Sprite. This morning I wished it hadn't tasted so good. :(