Canadians are feeling the pinch as grocery prices continue to climb, so it’s no surprise that one shopper’s $20 haul left many feeling thoroughly impressed.
TikToker Kat is a self-described extreme couponer based in Ontario who shares tips on her channel @livingonaloonie.
“I’ve been couponing for over 10 years and have saved thousands of dollars, and I want to teach Canadians how to do the same,” she said. “Now more than ever, people need to learn how to save money and not only that but talk about money more openly.”
In addition to coupons, she also shares weekly grocery and online deals. In one recent video, she heads to a local Food Basics supermarket to see how much she can buy shopping supermarket flyer deals with just $20.
Watch the video below:
@livingonaloonie $20 Grocery Challenge at Food Basics! #livingonaloonie #canada #couponingincanada #grocerydeals ♬ original sound – livingonaloonie
Her purchases include a five-pound bag of potatoes for $2, walnut halves for $2.93, a bag of clementines for $2.86, a pack of four sausages for $4, a bag of carrots for $1.98, a bag of onions for $1.98, three packs of Hawaiian rolls for $1 each, and a bag of perogies for $1. Before taxes, Kat had spent a total of $19.75.
In the comments, she emphasized that the video’s purpose isn’t about meal planning but to demonstrate “the stretch of the flyer deals.” Given the cost of food these days, her $20 grocery challenge has led to some hilarious reactions from viewers.
“What year is this?” asked Cedj96.
“Were you shopping in 2008?” demanded BoogJr.
“Where in Canada are you? Are you sure this is in 2024?” wrote cocoapuff.
One viewer applauded Kat for being a savvy shopper.
User Thinkb4 stated, “This is how to shop. All the people complaining how terribly expensive food is, blah, blah, blah. You have food here for at least seven days, depending on how many people you feed. Amazing job.”
Like-minded shopper Kelsey Connelly wrote, “I’m dying. Minus the sausages, I got every single thing in this haul yesterday.”
Viewers in Western Canada were shocked, with one stating that “a bag of potatoes is seven dollars in BC.”
“Try shopping in BC. Prices here are a rip-off,” bemoaned one user.
“Prices unheard of in Vancouver,” agreed JazmineDrives.
“The way this would cost $100 in Alberta,” wrote boundlessboreal.
But not everyone appears to be impressed with the quality of produce at Food Basics.
“I cannot buy produce at Food Basics; it goes mouldy as soon as I step foot in the front door,” said one shopper.
User Debbie agreed, stating, “Their fruit and vegetables are not fresh.”
While Kat’s $20 grocery challenge was certainly impressive, user SisterMeira42 pointed out that working with such a limited budget is a reality for some Canadians.
“Sometimes I don’t like when people use the word challenge because, for many of us, this is reality. Sometimes we don’t even have that much to spend,” she wrote.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.