Did you know that the food is the third most expensive item on the list of most Canadian families, just after home costs and transportation? It is estimated that each Canadian will spend around 250$ per person on groceries, which makes it up to 1000$ for the family of four!
This leads us to the conclusion on why so many Canadians use coupons and flyers to do their grocery purchase.
Dalhousie University’s Grocery Experience National Survey Report states that more than 50% of Canadians don’t intend to purchase food online. It also shows that the average Canadian visits 2.3 grocery stores regularly, will visit a grocery store 5.43 times a month, 1.29 times a week, 32 minutes on average. Also, 82% of Canadians believe it is important to be able to ask for some assistance if needed when grocery shopping.
Dalhousie University’s Grocery Experience National Survey Report states that more than 50% of Canadians don’t intend to purchase food online. It also shows that the average Canadian visits 2.3 grocery stores regularly, will visit a grocery store 5.43 times a month, 1.29 times a week, 32 minutes on average. Also, 82% of Canadians believe it is important to be able to ask for some assistance if needed when grocery shopping.
Let’s dig in a bit into this subject.
Theoretically, the major difference between promo flyers and coupons is the physical difference between them. Coupons are physical pieces of paper that have the deal written on them or a certain cash value that you can use while shopping, while flyers mostly just show the different promo offers looking like ads for certain products. However, the digital era is making less and less differences between these two as they both can be easily found on websites and used on either online and in-store shopping.
Great example of flyers can be found on Shopping-Canada.com as well as offers of the best Canadian brands.
WHERE TO SHOP&BASIC TRICKS
# Grocery Websites
These websites offer a wide range of different flyers and coupons that you can download directly to your store card. This includes both a manufacturer, as well as store-specific coupons. Some of the coupons can be used online only while others can also be printed and presented to the cashier in the checkout line. To redeem your coupons, all you have to do is to present your store card at checkout.
# In-Store
These types of coupons can usually be found on store shelves, on products or on the back of your receipt. Also look for coupons to print at the register. If you see a "Try Me Free" sticker on any product, be sure to check this type of offer as well!
# Magazines
Many of women's publications carry manufacturer coupons, so buying a subscription may be a good idea that will save you a lot of money.
# Direct from the manufacturer
If you are eager or not lazy and you are into saving a dollar, often just a quick note to a company whose products you like to use will get you a bunch of coupons. It’s also a good idea to check manufacturer websites for printable coupons.
Also have in mind:
- Make a list of the products and brands that you buy regularly. Then, track down coupons for as many of those things as you can.
- Have in mind that only one coupon can be used per product. This rule does not apply for London Drugs near you, that is if you are located in Western Canada.
- Be sure to know all the details about your local store's policies on coupons.
- Check if there are size restrictions on your coupon to ensure you are buying the correct product.
- Don’t forget to check for expiry dates of your coupons or flyers before using them in store.
- Do not be greedy! A mistake a lot of fresh couponers make is buying too much. Just because you have the chance to save some money does not mean you should purchase a bunch of items you don’t actually need only because they are on discount.
BE WELL ORGANIZED
One of the key places to offer a large amount of flyers and coupons are the biggest shopping malls in Canada. Having in mind the number of brands and stores in the malls you need to be well organized in order to make the most out of your shopping.
A good idea can be simply to keep track of your coupons by using either only those that you intend to use or leaving the coupon inserts intact and clipping coupons on an as-needed basis.
# Find them a place – in order to make the most out of your saving your coupons need to be smartly organized – use a recipe box, a type of wallet, a shoebox or a storage container to neatly place them at one spot.
# Don’t postpone filing them - try to do this as soon as you can. Being persistent to do this every month prevents the coupons from getting lost. It also saves you the trouble of having to sort through a mess of useless papers all at once.
# Ditch what is no longer useful – there is really no need for the expired coupons to hog the space in your coupon file. Set a timing for sorting out and throwing away expired coupons and try sticking to it.
# Make your own system – many people organize their coupons by grocery category. If another system works better for you then do it: sort them out by aisle, by expiration date, or something else.
# Extra tip: Many great websites, like Shopping-Canada.com, have a huge list of digital coupons. Be sure to check if your grocery store allows you to print a list of the coupons loaded to your store card. This feature is often available on grocery websites, and makes it easier to shop.
# Do not forget
It is always a good idea to shop at stores that double flyers and coupons. Keep them with you all the time because you never know when a great deal might show up. If you find a product on clearance and you happen to have a coupon for that product with you, you'll be glad you read this tip just in time. Also, read flyers carefully. As we said in the beginning the key difference between the flyers and coupons is that flyers are meant to attract you the same way ads do, so you need to read twice what exactly is that they promote and to check all the details. Many flyers don’t necessarily show the products on sale, but you can use them to try new products. Your favorite meals can sometimes feel boring after a while, so why not experiment with buying a product you never tried before and by a reasonable price?
SHOP SMARTLY
Always be careful not to fall into the coupon trap. As we already mentioned, both coupons and flyers are very beneficial when you use them on things you really need. Still, it is not because you have a coupon for a certain product that you absolutely need to buy it.
Try not falling into the trap of many stores – they offer point cards that can persuade us to buy certain products to get more “points”. Respect your grocery list and buy only things you really need.
Did you know you can save around ten percent on your groceries by requesting coupons from all of the manufacturers you usually buy products from? Send them an email and ask them to send you any coupons that they might have. Many shoppers do this once every month or two—whenever they know they will need more coupons and they are able to get coupons for almost everything they buy.
This sort of a tip is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you want to save about ten percent on the annual cost of your groceries, this is a great advice to follow - you can save at least ten percent by shopping at a grocery store that price matches competitor’s flyers. Make sure you bring your flyers with you when you shop to cash in on this. Believe it or not, by shopping this way, a family of four can save around 1,000$ per year. Have a chat with a manager at your favorite grocery store to see if they will price match competitor’s advertised prices.
We hope we gave you enough useful infos on what actually means to use flyers and coupons, what those are and how to make the most out of this type of shopping. In the times where food and groceries are all but cheap, it is good to know how to save like a pro. Check the list of the best malls all around Canada and the best malls in Toronto with their store list and find out more about the best deals on a daily bases. Visit Shopping-Canada.com and put your saving skills into practice! And if you want to read more about flyer, jump to previous article, "Are really flyers worth it?"
