Last Sunday, rain was coming down hard. I grabbed my keys, one shopping bag, and told Mike, "I don’t have the patience for a full shop in this weather. I’m just grabbing the essentials. Coffee and produce, I’ll be back in a flash."

I drove to my local grocery store, a place where you can park right in front and dashed in. I started shopping and immediately felt like I’d entered an alternate reality. Prices looked 30–40% higher. I did a double and triple take. Had things jumped overnight?

A clerk, about my age, was stocking a shelf. I asked him, “What’s happening here? Has everything suddenly gotten so much more expensive?” I needed someone to debrief with, right then and there.

He didn’t sugarcoat it. “Yes,” he said. “And it could get worse. Prices have gone up across the board.”

We walked the aisles: rice, up, canned tomatoes, up, a bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips? $10.69. "No risk of me not sticking to essentials today!"

He admitted the store might be slightly more expensive due to convenience, but not by much. Still, it made me think: Is convenience worth it? Do I need convenience? The answer is no. It is time to get more intentional about how I shop.

When I got home, I jumped online to check flyers for local stores. Everything I needed to know was at my fingertips in minutes. I was relieved to find that many options were still at least a few dollars less at other shops.

I used to avoid shops like No Frills. Prices were lower, but you had to bag your own groceries and I always felt too rushed for it and I am not an expert bagger. However, I've noticed that “bring your own bag” has quietly turned into “bag your own groceries” anywhere and everywhere. So now I’m at a full-price store doing what I would at No Frills or Superstore. There is no point. I now must go where the best deal can be had and learn to bag. Bonus for us at Empower: there’s a No Frills right next door, perfect for grabbing basics on repeat.

A couple other grocery tips while we are on this topic. If you’re bagging your own food, bread and eggs go on top. I’ve mangled a loaf or two learning that the hard way. And always say yes to the receipt. I’m not sure why the practice of asking if you want a receipt has sprung up and I used to always say no, until one day I got home and realized I was missing the paper towels I swore I bought. I was bagging my own stuff that day and was hurried. Just by chance, I’d said yes to the receipt that day. I went back the next day to the store as it was worth it, showed the receipt at customer service, and there were the paper towels, waiting. No receipt, no return.

Here are a few practical strategies to keep grocery costs down nowadays:

1. Flyer First

Check the flyers before you go. Five minutes of scanning can save serious money. Build your list around what’s priced well, not just what you feel like eating.

2. Make a list and stick to it.

Know what you’re buying and where. It keeps you focused, cuts food waste, and prevents those “just in case” extras that add up.

3. Cook with Beans

Beans are cheap, filling, and versatile, great in soups, tacos, stews, salads. And let’s stop fearing this carb source. It is budget-friendly and filling and is a great addition to meals.

4. Stretch Meat with Strategy

Don’t ditch meat, just use it smarter. Shred a couple chicken breasts into soup, wraps, or stir-fry. Bulk it out with beans or other whole grains and make it stretch.

5. Frozen = Flexible

Fresh greens are great, until they wilt in the fridge. Frozen spinach, kale, peas? Just as healthy, often cost less, and they wait for you.

6. Cook Once, Eat Twice

Double up on meals that reheat well i.e., chili, soup, sauces. Freeze half or eat it later in the week. Less stress, less waste.

Effort vs Impact

But here’s the thing: savvy shopping takes effort. Checking flyers, planning meals, hitting more than one store, it’s work, but it pays dividends. The real question is: what degree of effort do you want to make? There’s no right or wrong answer. Everyone’s circumstances are different. The key is to find the system that works for you and your lifestyle.

Don’t let the current state of things wear you down. This is a moment to get smart, not discouraged. Challenge yourself to become the best savvy shopper there is! Stretch what you’ve got. Make it a game. We’re all navigating this time, and the more we share ideas, the easier it gets. Let’s talk about it.

Interested in learning more about our nutrition coaching program at Empower or know someone who might be? Drop me a line. I’d love to chat. [email protected]

Lift Over Forty💪

We have 2 spots left for our Spring Lift Over Forty Women's Strength Training Class. Gains start Sunday April 13th 11 am - 12 pm. Join us! Details here.

Wednesday Whip It🥣

Check out: Spend with Pennies, easy home cooked, family friendly money saving recipes and tips from Holly, a married mom of 4, grandma of two and passionate home cook living the suburbs of Vancouver, B.C.

Spend with Pennies Everyday Comfort: Family Dinner Recipes from Fresh to Cozy: A Cookbook

Wednesday WOD

4 rounds for time of:
21 front squats
15 bar-facing burpees
9 strict handstand push-ups

♀ 75 lb
♂ 115 lb

Photo Credit: Rachel Nixon