20 Ways Canadian Buyers Are Getting Creative to Beat High Prices

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From gas to groceries, rent to ramen noodles, Canadians are feeling the crunch. With inflation surging, the average Canadian consumer has had to get creative. In true “Great White North” fashion, Canadians have turned frugality into an art form. Whether it’s carpooling with their neighbor’s cousin’s dog-walker or dumpster diving, here are 20 ways Canadian buyers are getting creative to beat high prices.

Bulk Buying

Canadians are increasingly turning to bulk buying—and even sharing purchases with friends, family, or neighbours—as a clever strategy to offset surging food prices and inflation. A recent Producer.com survey found that nearly 80% of Canadians anticipate significant food-cost increases, prompting a notable rise in bulk food purchases alongside a shift away from non-essential items. Additionally, according to industry data, the popularity of warehouse clubs and bulk buying from discounters like Costco has surged, with one study revealing that 34–38% of Canadians, especially Gen Z, now regularly buy in bulk and split the haul to reduce unit costs.

Group Grocery Runs

Think of it as Uber Pool meets food shopping. In cities like Vancouver and Toronto, some neighborhood groups are organizing bulk buys through local farms or wholesalers and splitting the spoils. While Canada’s major grocers (Loblaw, Sobeys, and Metro) dominate pricing, these grassroots efforts offer real relief, enabling households to save 10–30% on essential items. Whether run through social media groups, local co-ops, or neighbours’ WhatsApp chats, group grocery runs not only cut costs but build community trust and mutual aid, transforming high food prices into an opportunity for cooperative savings.

Subscription Swapping

Instead of each friend paying for Netflix, Disney+, Crave, and Amazon Prime, Canadians are divvying up their subscriptions. One pays for Netflix, another for Spotify, and they rotate logins like polite digital pirates. Canadians are also reducing their streaming subscriptions from around six per household, consolidating plans, using gift-card promotions or free trials, and sharing accounts to manage rising prices. It’s a workaround to avoid individual subscriptions on high-priced platforms, especially since streaming providers like PlayStation Plus have recently increased their Canadian prices by CA$30 annually.

Embracing No-Name Brands

Canadian shoppers are increasingly turning to “no‑name” and private‑label brands—from Loblaw’s iconic No Name to Metro’s Selection and President’s Choice—as a savvy strategy to combat soaring inflation. With Canada’s food inflation still high (peaking near 8.7% in the spring), spending shifts are apparent. In June 2022, 89% of Canadians bought private-label grocery items, with 45% citing price as the primary motivator; only 16.8% plan to return to national brands once prices drop. Plus, it’s not unusual to hear someone at a BBQ brag, “These chips are from Dollarama—two bucks!”

DIY Everything (Even Deodorant)

Why buy it when you can YouTube it? From homemade sourdough to crafting their cleaning products, Canadians are embracing the full-on DIY approach. Shopify notes a rising trend in homemade body care products, with businesses specializing in homemade soap and deodorant expanding rapidly online. Canadian brands are also stepping in: items like Routine Natural Deodorant offer locally made, aluminum-free sticks that reliably work and often cost less than big-box versions. The rise of DIY deodorant is both a creative response to inflation and part of a broader shift toward homemade and sustainable personal care solutions.

Side Hustles

From dog walking to DoorDash, side hustling is the new national pastime. Popular gig economy options include food delivery services (e.g., SkipTheDishes, Uber Eats), ridesharing (e.g., Uber, Lyft), online freelancing on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, e-commerce via Etsy or Amazon, and service-based hustles such as dog walking, tutoring, plumbing, and translation. A Capital One survey found that 36 % of Gen Z and Millennials already have a secondary income, and 49% plan to start one—61% view it as a long-term financial strategy, with 94% motivated by necessity.

Thrift Like a Pro

Thrift shops, garage sales, and online marketplaces like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace have become goldmines. With Gen Z embracing secondhand chic, “used” is no longer a dirty word—it’s a badge of honor. Experts recommend creating a clear purchasing budget, familiarizing yourself with the store’s specialties, and carefully inspecting items before making a purchase. Social media and online platforms, such as Poshmark, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace, extend these efforts beyond in-store visits.

Gardening

Canadians are increasingly turning to gardening as a creative hedge against soaring food costs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, home food gardening has surged—more than 15% of Canadians began growing their produce in recent years, and greenhouse fruit and vegetable plant sales jumped 9.3% in 2021, contributing to a $4.7 billion gardening sector. In Alberta, one in five households reportedly started a home garden in the past three years, and up‑cycled containers, community plots, and rain-barrel watering systems are being used to keep setup costs low.

Meal Planning

Gone are the days of spontaneous takeout. With prices up 30% in some urban centres, families are meal planning down to the carrot stick. Batch cooking and repurposing leftovers—such as roasting a chicken and using the meat in multiple meals—have become staples in a cost‐cutting routine. Social media and Reddit users echo the shift: weekly grocery budgets have ballooned from approximately $500 to $800/month, leading many to say, “We have been meal planning for years… it still keeps us from buying unnecessary items.”

BYOB to Everything

Canadians are cutting costs at social gatherings by bringing their beverages, snacks, and even Tupperware. Advocates argue that it enhances consumer choice, reduces long-term costs, and promotes reusable systems in conjunction with deposit–refund initiatives. At festivals, events, and even food trucks, BYO (Bring Your Own) is becoming increasingly commonplace, offering a low-tech yet high-impact way to tackle plastic waste while encouraging businesses to adopt a circular economy mindset.

Utility Bill Whispering

Smart thermostats, LED bulbs, air-drying laundry—Canadians are finding every possible way to cut utility costs. Energy audits are on the rise, and even rural households are experimenting with solar panels, thanks to federal rebates. For example, Canada’s federal Greener Homes Grant covers up to $5,000 in retrofits. Meanwhile, shifting loads into cheaper rate windows has helped some households achieve savings of 10–15%, amounting to hundreds of dollars per year. So, while not called “whispering,” Canadians are quietly mastering rate structures, smart tech, and government incentives to trim their utility bills.

“Buy Nothing” Groups Are Booming

“Buy Nothing” groups are surging across Canada as inflation and rising living costs push people to creative money-saving strategies. Originating in 2013, the Buy Nothing Project promotes a gift economy—characterized by no buying, selling, trading, or exchanging of money—in over 700 Canadian Facebook groups. With consumer prices soaring, these groups help families access essentials—from baby clothes to tools—without incurring expenses, freeing up funds for other necessities. In Ottawa alone, 65 active groups are now sharing goods with zero dollars changing hands.

Bartering is Back

Got eggs? Need a haircut? Bartering is alive and well, especially in rural communities and among urban homesteaders. Especially in sectors like hospitality and small business, digital barter platforms are enabling cash-strapped entrepreneurs to trade excess capacity—like empty hotel rooms or unsold inventory—for needed goods or services. Although still niche, these exchanges reflect a broader trend toward creative financial resilience, enabling Canadians to preserve liquidity while meeting their needs.

Travel Hacking Staycations

Domestic travel is surging: RV vacations are trending, and more Canadians are swapping far-flung trips for regional escapes, taking advantage of deals and rewards for local assets like provincial parks, beaches, and heritage trails. Experts note that booking mid-week stays, shopping for gift-card bonuses, and choosing off-season windows can help further slash costs. This creative blend of loyalty-program mastery and local holidaying enables Canadians to “travel‑hack” near home, enjoy the economy’s deeper value, and support domestic tourism, all without the hefty price tag associated with international travel.

Cashback Apps

Canadian shoppers are increasingly turning to cashback apps to offset surging costs, especially in groceries and fuel. Apps like Rakuten, Checkout 51, Save.ca, and Flipp help users earn rebates by scanning receipts or using linked cards—some now offering up to 30% back on select purchases—effectively stacking savings alongside credit-card rewards and coupons. New players like Ampli and KOHO automatically award cash back via prepaid or debit cards, with KOHO offering up to 5% cash back on everyday purchases in Canada. Additionally, apps such as Upside, recognized as the top cashback tool for essentials in 2025, reimburse buyers for gas, dining, and grocery transactions at over 100,000 locations.

Homemade Gifts

With inflation hovering near 4% in early 2025, savvy individuals are opting for DIY presents—such as knitted scarves, hand-poured candles, and personalized recipe boxes—as cost-effective alternatives to store-bought items. A 2024 survey by a national consumer group found that 62% of respondents prefer gifting homemade items during tight financial times, citing sentimentality and affordability as reasons. Many are sharing ideas online via Facebook groups and Pinterest boards, swapping tutorials for crocheted blankets or easy preserves.

Rent Instead of Buy

Canadian homebuyers are increasingly getting creative by renting from unconventional sources to cope with prohibitively high real estate prices. A 2025 survey showed 54% of Canadian renters plan to buy within five years, yet many are delaying due to affordability constraints such as high prices and steep mortgage qualification hurdles. In markets like Vancouver and Toronto, where the average home price exceeds CA$1 million, renting remains a temporary yet strategic choice. Additionally, peer-to-peer rental platforms like Ruckify and Fêtie are experiencing significant growth.

Free Courses

Faced with soaring prices on everything from groceries to gadgets, many Canadian buyers are turning to free courses as a clever cost-cutting strategy. Platforms like Coursera, edX, and even local public libraries now offer free courses on budgeting, home repair, car maintenance, and DIY skills, empowering Canadians to bypass expensive services. For example, instead of hiring a professional for minor plumbing issues, some are learning fixes through free instructional videos from BCIT or YouTube-certified channels.

Fix It Instead of Tossing It

Repair cafés, YouTube tutorials, and tool libraries have made fixing stuff trendy again. Online tutorials, community tool libraries, and growing access to parts through sites like iFixit and Canadian Tire’s expanding repair section are making DIY repairs easier than ever. Even electronics are being saved from the landfill, thanks to Right to Repair advocacy gaining traction in provinces like Ontario and British Columbia. Not only is this trend saving families hundreds of dollars annually, but it’s also aligning with Canada’s growing environmental values, as fixing it’s suddenly more fashionable than pitching it.

Moving in with the Parents

Multigenerational living is on the rise. Canadian buyers are increasingly turning to multigenerational living—moving back in with parents or tapping into the “Bank of Mom and Dad”—to cope with skyrocketing housing costs. A Scotiabank/Maru poll found homeownership among Canadians aged 18–34 has dropped from 47% in 2021 to just 26% today, while 29% now live with their parents, up nine points in three years. Meanwhile, a 2024 CIBC report shows that 31% of first-time buyers received parental gifts, averaging CAN $115,000, a 73% increase since 2019. Bloomberg and Real Estate analyses confirm that intergenerational wealth transfers are now essential for many young buyers, helping to offset mortgage stress tests and high interest rates.

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