An overview of the most common groceries in Canada, along with their price tags.
A new survey suggests that the majority of Canadians are buying groceries in the hope of getting a better deal, rather than to save money.
The survey by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) found that about two-thirds of Canadians buy groceries to get the best price.
About three-quarters of Canadians, or more than half, said they purchase their groceries in hopes of finding bargains.
CSPI president and CEO David Suzuki says Canadians should be buying things to save on bills and spend their money.
“I think that’s an important thing to recognize, but I think it’s also a very important thing for people to understand,” Suzuki said.
“If we don’t think about this and think about it, we’re not going to get a better understanding of how to spend our money.”
Suzuki said the survey was based on data from Statistics Canada’s Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), which was conducted in March and April.
He said Canadians were asking about different groceries, such as meat, dairy and bread.
“It’s really important that we have some understanding of what our spending priorities are and what our priorities are when we shop,” he said.
Suzuki said Canadians should also know the size of their budget.
“There are really some important things to understand about what a lot of our budgets are and some of those things are going to affect our grocery shopping decisions,” he added.
“When you’re shopping at a grocery store and you see, oh my gosh, we’ve got these kinds of items, they can affect your grocery shopping decision.”
The survey also asked Canadians whether they would be willing to pay more for a good or service if it meant getting the product at a lower price.
The majority of respondents said they would.
“If I could only get the products at a price that was as good or better than it would be at a store that is the lowest price, I would,” said Suzukis wife, Susan.
“That’s where I think Canadians are falling short.
They’re not really thinking about the cost of their food.
They don’t pay attention to what’s in the package.
We need to really focus on the value of what we’re buying.”
Suzanne said people should consider how much money they are spending on grocery shopping.
“One of the biggest myths in this country is that you can just go and buy anything and everything,” he noted.
“You need to look at the quality of the ingredients, the ingredients that are on the package, the price tag, and what it will actually cost you.”
Suzu said Canadians are also buying things they think are cheap, but are actually not.
“We’re spending a lot more than we actually spend, but that’s because we’re paying more than our budget allows,” he explained.
“In this day and age, there are so many products that are cheap that it’s very difficult to tell the difference between a product that is really really affordable and a product where the price is $1 or $1.50.”
The more you spend, the more things you’re going to spend.
“Suzuki said the key is to know what you’re buying.”
What are the prices you’re paying?
Are you paying $1 a can of beans or $3 a can?
Do you pay for a small amount or do you pay a lot?
And then make sure you’re getting what you pay,” he advised.”
People are spending money, but what they’re doing is not paying enough of it.
“Suzuki believes that Canadians are getting more value for their money when they are buying their groceries.”
They are paying more because they’re paying less.
Suzy said that’s why he’s not convinced Canadians should throw away their credit cards and cash.””
They’re paying it in advance.”
Suzy said that’s why he’s not convinced Canadians should throw away their credit cards and cash.
“Cash is a bad idea.
It’s a bad thing to spend your money on,” he argued.
“I think it would make a huge difference if you used a debit card instead of a credit card.
You would get more value out of that.”
The Centre for Food Safety (CFSA), a group that advocates for the environment and food safety, released a report in April which highlighted the need to improve food safety standards.
The CFSA has been working with governments, including Canada’s, to improve safety standards for food.
Suzuki is also calling on Canadians to take action.
“Food is something we do every day, it’s part of our lives.
It should be accessible and affordable to everybody,” he emphasized.