Need to save some money on groceries? Well, you’re not alone. It’s no secret that the cost of living is rising and grocery prices are on the rise with it. We all want to stretch our money as far as we can on our weekly grocery shop while still feel like we’re eating healthy. In this article, we share five tips for getting more out of your grocery budget.

In addition to our 9 Tips for Grocery Savings and 7 Tips for just Making Shopping Easier, here are a few of my favorite ways to stretch your food budget just that little bit more.

1. Get the apps & collect points

Almost all stores have their own app. I love using store apps. You get quick access to the flyer and sometimes get special deals only found in the app. I’ve gotten some great “VIP special deals” just for using the app, so it’s worth it to get the app and check it when you head to the store.

Most store apps let you make your shopping list right in the app from the digital flyer. As you use the apps more, you might find new specials added for you based on how you shop. The apps give stores enough extra information to offer you special deals based on your shopping habits.

Everyone likes an exclusive deal, right? But there’s another thing the app is great for—comparison shopping and price matching. You might already check the flyer for the store you usually visit, but it’s worth checking out the online versions of competing flyers too. Why? The little secret is most people don’t take advantage of is price matching.

2. Taking advantage of price matching

Every store says they have the lowest prices around or their prices can’t be beaten. True or not, most stores also have a price match guarantee. See a lower price at another store, they’ll match it.

Some stores even give you a little bonus like an extra 10% off, just because you’re giving them the chance to earn your business. This is why checking out the flyers and having the store app on your phone is really handy.

Instead of driving all over town to pick up an item here or there, when you’re at your favorite store, ask for a price match. You save money and time all at once!

3. Watch for special days at Legends Haul, SPUD, & Longos

Longo’s

Did you know that most Longo’s stores have special savings days? A day when you save a little extra just because you’re shopping that particular day? Another little insider secret that can save you a lot of money—just for showing up on a certain day.

One of the coolest things about the Longo’s stores is Customer Appreciation Day. Don’t know about this day? Here’s the deal, the first Tuesday of the month you automatically get an extra 10-15% off your bill. It’s a great way to save some extra money and all you have to do is a shop on a Tuesday.

Customer Appreciation Day goes across all Longo’s stores, but your local store might have special days like tastings or deals to watch for. Sometimes the app will tell you, but just to be sure, keep an eye out when you go in. You never know when a cheese night will pop up with extra savings.

What could be better than saving just for showing up?

Save using a SPUD.CA membership

SPUD.CA membership is like shopping from your local farms from home. If you’re looking to support local producers and your carbon footprint is important to you, Spud.CA is where you should be ordering your groceries from.

If you’re a first-time buyer, you get $10 off your first purchase just by signing up for their newsletter. Within those newsletters, you’ll find weekly deals and flyers. This will allow you to be inspired to plan your meals ahead of time.

Unlike their competitors, if you purchase at least $100 worth of groceries at SPUD.CA, you skip out on the $6.25 delivery fee. You can choose to subscribe and save for the products you absolutely cannot live without.

This will save you 5%-8% off that product every single time you purchase it. Setting up product subscriptions is really easy. All you need to do is select your favorite products, choose the frequency in which you’d like to replenish them, and then customize your subscription.

Lastly, if you’ve made up your mind to shop with SPUD.CA year-round, their membership can be a great option. There’s no better way to save money with SPUD.CA than to be a member. You can choose a monthly or yearly membership to score benefits including:

• Unlimited free delivery
• Savings of up to 8% on household essentials through their Subscribe & Save program
• Receive 15% off most health and body products, and
• 8% off selected top-selling products – all exclusive for members!

Some other added perks include a welcome gift, annual exclusive birthday gifts, 99c avocadoes, and access to member-only events.

Hot Tip: If you’re a student, check the student benefits that your school offers. Some schools are partnered with SPUD.CA and through your school, you can save a lot of money on groceries.

Save at Legends Haul

Legends Haul offers consciously sourced ingredients from hyper-local farmers, producers, restaurants, and business owners from across B.C.

If it’s your first-time grocery shopping online, you can subscribe to Legends Haul’s emails and save 10% off your first purchase. They deliver all over British Columbia, and if you spend over $100, you can save from their $9.98 delivery fee.

Most of your grocery savings will come from joining Legends Haul – “The End Club”. This is a member-exclusive club where you can save the most from shopping online. You can save on every dollar you spend, every new friend you refer, and so much more. They’ve made it easy for you, $1 spent = 1 point. You can redeem your points at check-out as long as you’re logged into your account.

When you refer a friend you’ll both receive a $10 credit, talk about a win-win! The most important thing to watch out for is Legends Haul’s weekly and quarterly 2x bonus points events where you can truly save and rack up your points.

The more you shop, the more you’ll end up saving!

4. Consider Meal Kit Delivery instead to save money on groceries

Meal kit delivery can be a great way of saving extra money on groceries because you’re not paying for all the extra food you buy but waste. Meal kit delivery companies also offer some really incredible deals to sign up so you can always shop around and decide which meal kit service works best for you. Some of our favorite meal kit delivery services are Goodfood and freshprep. By changing how you pay you can save money well beyond the sign up bonus!

5. Change the way you pay with Moola

It’s a habit to pay using a credit card when you do your grocery shop. But, you can save more money on grocery shopping just by changing the way you pay. When you use Moola to pay for your groceries using discounted gift cards, you can stretch your money even further. After all, when you watch the pennies the dollars take care of themselves so it all adds up!

Save a little extra at Longos, Spud.CA & more with Moola

Haven’t downloaded Moola yet? Click below and get started today. Moola is a free and easy way to buy (and give) gift cards to the places you already shop and save. You can save up 10%—and sometimes more—or get special bonuses on gift cards at hundreds of stores across Canada.