Canadians’ top worry: soaring grocery bills and how people are coping
Grocery prices have overtaken housing as Canadians’ primary financial concern. Here’s how rising costs are changing shopping habits and practical ways to stretch food budgets.
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By Torontoer Staff
Grocery prices have become Canadians’ chief financial worry, forcing many to rethink what they buy and how they feed their families. For people like Ben Nye, a Winnipeg resident currently looking for work, a routine trip to the store now requires careful calculation to stay within a shrinking budget.
Nye says he has been forced to sell belongings and cut spending to cover essentials. "It’s hard to make decisions," he said as he scanned shelves for affordable options. "As a consumer, we are being hit hard and it’s difficult to afford anything anymore."
What the numbers show
A recent Nanos Research poll conducted for CTV News found that 52.3 per cent of Canadians cite grocery prices as their primary concern when trying to save money this year. Housing costs ranked second at 23.5 per cent, followed by health care at 9.3 per cent. Regionally, concern was highest in the Prairie provinces at 60.7 per cent and in the Atlantic region at 55.8 per cent.
Looking at the numbers, it looks like a trip to the grocery store is a punch in the gut.
Nik Nanos, chief data scientist, Nanos Research
About half of respondents across the country said grocery spending is where they would most like to see relief. Men aged 35 to 54 made up the largest demographic group expressing concern about grocery costs, at 56.5 per cent.
How people are adjusting
Canadians report a range of strategies to cope. Some are cutting back on non-essentials, others are switching to cheaper brands or buying in bulk, and some are relying more on frozen or canned produce. For those facing job loss or reduced hours, the changes are more severe. Nye describes constant budgeting and hard choices about what meals he can afford.
You really have to budget yourself, and you really have to be tough with yourself and find out what can I afford, and how can I eat healthy and how can I afford to live at the same time.
Ben Nye, Winnipeg resident
Some households are turning to community supports, such as food banks and meal programs. Others are swapping recipe ideas within neighbourhood groups to stretch ingredients further. The response varies by income, family size and local food availability, but the common thread is a need to make every dollar go further.
Why relief may not come quickly
Experts say there are several forces keeping prices elevated, and those pressures could persist. Trade negotiations, global supply chain disruption and elevated input costs for farmers and processors all contribute to higher shelf prices.
The story on tariffs is going to continue as we are trying to renew CUSMA with a very unfortunate negotiating opponent in the United States. We could be looking at a bad year next year as well.
Shiu-Yik Au, associate professor, University of Manitoba
The federal government has moved to introduce affordability measures, including a boosted GST credit and a National Food Security strategy aimed at helping households facing higher costs. Policy responses may help some people, but economists warn systemic factors can limit how fast prices come down.
Practical ways to stretch your grocery budget
- Plan meals for the week and build a shopping list to avoid impulse purchases.
- Compare unit prices rather than package prices to find the best value.
- Buy frozen or canned fruits and vegetables when fresh options are expensive.
- Choose versatile proteins such as beans, lentils and eggs, and use smaller amounts of meat.
- Cook in batches and freeze portions for later to reduce waste and save time.
- Try store brands and less flashy cuts of meat; they often offer similar nutrition at lower cost.
- Shop sales and use loyalty points or cashback apps where available, but avoid buying items you do not need.
- Tap community resources if needed: food banks, community kitchens and municipal programs can provide short-term relief.
Small changes can add up, but for people already stretched thin, those changes may not be enough. Combining budgeting tactics with government and community supports is often necessary to bridge gaps between income and rising costs.
A practical outlook
Rising grocery bills are reshaping day-to-day decisions for many Canadians. For now, shoppers are making hard choices, experimenting with new shopping habits and seeking help where they can. Those coping strategies will not erase larger economic pressures, but they can provide immediate relief while governments and markets adjust.
We’ll get through this.
Ben Nye
If grocery costs are pressing on your budget, start with a simple weeklong meal plan and a shopping list, and look into local supports. Small steps can stabilise a household while broader solutions are pursued at provincial and federal levels.
food pricesbudgetinggrocerycost of livingpersonal finance
