Calgary woman shares her tricks for coupons, and others offer tips for stretching a food budget

Annette Lowe goes grocery shopping with two binders full of coupons. 

Patience is the secret to getting awesome deals, says the Calgary resident, whose only income is a government disability cheque.

She makes that stretch by printing, clipping and watching for sales.

"We'll make a shopping list and then I'll go through the coupons," she said in an interview for CBC Calgary's project on the increasing cost of food. "I'll go to Superstore because they will price match and use my coupons to make my grocery bill as low as I can."

"You can make it fun. It depends how serious you want to be about it," Lowe said. "But it is 100 per cent necessary to make my budget work. Cleaning supplies are very expensive and I get most of my cleaning supplies free, just from the printed coupons. I always get cheese very cheap because those coupons are always available."

"I don't know how I could afford groceries without them."

Inflation and pandemic-related supply chain issues have been driving up the cost of food to the point where many Calgary residents say they're struggling. CBC Calgary has been inviting people to share tips for saving money on Facebook and through a text-messaging app.

Whether it's canning and dehydrating, shopping in bulk or cutting out meat, it seems each person has a different technique to get by.

Lowe recommends joining the Canadian Savings Group on Facebook to read their primer for tips and links. That coupon-focused group now has 94,000 members.

She says she often gets items free if she has a coupon for several dollars off and waits until the item goes on sale. Several stores let customers layer up deals like that, and often companies send coupons by email.

"Chapman's will send you a $4 coupon toward ice cream every year," she said. "You email them and they'll send you a coupon.… My grandchildren, they like that Christmas ice cream, so I wait until it goes on clearance and buy two."

Other Calgary and southern Alberta residents shared their tips for winter gardening, for shopping at discount produce stores, and for using community programs such as Fresh Routes and the Good Food Box.

Community member Joan Karlowsky told Daybreak Alberta host Russell Bowers about a class on reducing food waste she took from the Calgary Public Library. Now she is careful about how she stores produce, ensuring fruits and vegetables are separate, and she shops more frequently, buying just what she needs.

Others told CBC News they share a Costco membership, or they buy gift cards through the Alberta Motor Association to get five per cent back.