# Where do you shop?



## BeautifulAngel (Jun 30, 2017)

Where do you usually shop for groceries? 

For clothing? 

I tend to go to any grocery store that has a good deal. I look at the flyers every week to see what my meal plans should be based on what's on sale. If I buy in bulk I buy at Costco.

For clothing I sometimes go to Wish.com, Talize, Walmart, Winners, etc. I don't tend to buy clothes often. 


Where do you tend to do your shopping and do you have a points/rewards card there? 

I currently have a Talize card and a PC plus card.

Do you ever use coupons? And if so, how often? 

I try to use coupons all the time, I don't like having to pay full price for anything unless I feel like it is fairy priced.

What about you?


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## Kuznec (Jul 27, 2017)

Products in any network supermarket, clothes - in a store where there are large sizes. With shoes problems, it's hard to find the right size, you have to go around a lot of shops.


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## heyjude (May 16, 2009)

Great question. 

For groceries, I start at the farmers' market when it's open. I love to buy fresh local produce, even if I'm not personally saving any money. For meats, I visit an organic butcher, stock up on what's on sale and freeze it. I do occasionally buy in-store made sausages at Save On Foods, my local supermarket of choice (in BC). I have their loyalty card for discounts at the checkout. I do sometimes visit the Italian grocery for pancetta, mozzarella, etc. I often buy staples like toilet paper at Shoppers Drug Mart, when they are on sale. I use their Optimum card for discounts. I load their coupons to my card electronically, but I only buy what I need. I don't subscribe to any newspapers and never clip coupons. 

As I'm now retired, I mostly wear casual clothing and I spend very little, often less than $100, per year on clothing. In particular, I have outlawed pantyhose! I have bought golf gear at Golf Town, and golf shirts are awesome for travelling. I used to buy undies at Sears, but since my last move I don't have a Sears close by, and they are a zombie store anyway, so Walmart is where I go for socks and underpants. Sometimes I buy an unusual item when I'm travelling.

For other purchases, I research them online first. For household items I like to patronize Canadian Tire or Home Depot. When the price is right, I shop on Amazon.ca. I have Amazon Prime and with free shipping, it pays for itself.

I quit cable TV five years ago and don't miss it.

I am not a Costco member because I'm single and live in a condo. I don't have space to store all that stuff!


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## milhouse (Nov 16, 2016)

Groceries:
Small local grocery market for fruit and veg and some miscellaneous. I hate the produce quality at Superstore and I find it pricey at places like Save-On Foods. 
We'll buy certain products from Costco. Obviously because of the bulk numbers, we either have to make sure we typically can work through the items like avocados, lettuce, and dairy or freeze it like meats. 
For dry goods and frozen, we'll either go to Superstore or Costco. 
Rarely use coupons for groceries. We have the odd loyalty points card for groceries but we're not expecting it to amount to much.

We don't do a lot of clothing shopping. I might pick up the odd piece or set of socks from Costco. Otherwise, we typically save up our clothing shopping for when we make a trip out to the outlets or while on vacation. We'll hit up a Winners or Ross when convenient. I've picked up the odd tshirt from Walmart. We're do a rare splurge once every few years. 
We'll occasionally use coupons for the outlets but typically have trouble meeting minimum spends. We generally evaluate the price of an item for what it is. Clothing at Costco is cheap enough that you don't necessarily need a further discount for a decent price. Pricing at outlets, winners, etc are pretty sketchy. Even after discounts and coupons, it's sometimes not the greatest deal. You can get lucky sometimes by stacking multiple coupons an a clearance item. LOL


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## awesomeame (Nov 15, 2011)

Here in Toronto you can't beat the unit cost at Costco for food! Work clothes I get at Walmart. 

Matt


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

Buy quite a lot at Costco. Food, and other items. Just bought a pair of Josef Siebel shoes for $109. They were $200 everywhere else. DW likes Superstore for some groceries.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

No Frills is the closest food market and I shop there all the time. Produce, canned goods, frozen food etc significantly cheaper than elsewhere but produce is lower quality and no in store deli or bakery.


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## cedebe (Feb 1, 2012)

Groceries: No Frills, Save-On Foods, Whole Foods. They're all within walking distance, so I make the circuit every week. I gave up on farmer's markets b/c most take cash only and I buy everything with credit.

Clothes: I detest shopping malls (no interest in looking like everyone else), so primarily Ebay and Poshmark, with most vintage coming from Etsy. I'd rather buy high-quality European-made natural fibre clothing gently used online than new crapola from Asia, esp. China. Yes, I know some quality products come from China, but their stance on human and animal rights is deplorable, hence I try to avoid anything from China. 

Costco has very good prices on certain items... pecans, organic frozen fruit, coconut sugar, fresh organic fruit... but I haven't renewed my membership in quite some time. 

Online coupon codes when I can find them or cashback sites like Ebates or Top Cash Back.


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## Oldroe (Sep 18, 2009)

Giant Tiger their store raisin brand is the best.

The honey bun finally price matches the flyers and doesn't drive to 10 stores.

We bulk buy toilet paper,paper toils , tooth paste ect.


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## cynbad07 (Sep 2, 2017)

For groceries I shop at No Frills because there are 3 good ones in my area, and also to take advantage of PC Plus. The free groceries add up fast! I have a clothing allowance for work and I usually take advantage of Bay Days to get the maximum value. For casual clothes, usually I shop at The Gap Factory Outlet, Old Navy, or anywhere else that has good sales. I rarely pay full price for anything.


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## Ollyward (Oct 18, 2017)

BeautifulAngel said:


> Where do you usually shop for groceries?
> 
> For clothing?
> 
> ...


For clothes I prefer to shop online since it's hassle free and convenient.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

awesomeame said:


> Here in Toronto you can't beat the unit cost at Costco for food! Work clothes I get at Walmart.
> 
> Matt


I do like Costco for meat quality & general merchandise. However, supermarkets regularly have cheaper meat, produce, even grocery especially if you shop sales/loyalty programs. I really resent having to buy giant packs of grocery... takes up a lot of room and promotes food waste (and overeating).


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## mars (Mar 11, 2014)

I'm lucky to live in the middle of Highland Farms, Food Basic, No Frills, Metro, and Shoppers; they are all close enough that I can bike if I am only picking up small quantities. I watch to see who has what I want at the best price and buy there, the local paper that gets delivered for free has all the flyers. I am also close to Costco but do not have a membership and since I am single I do not need to buy large quantities. I also live close to a butcher shop so if I really want good cuts I go there, they also have decent prices on some cuts especially if you buy larger quantities.

For clothes and sundries I tend to get a lot of those as Christmas gifts. When asked what I want or need by family members I will tell them what clothes I need. I do buy various items from time to time and depending on what I need I shop at various places. I do not go with the cheapest things when I buy but the items I buy tend to last.


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## coptzr (Jan 18, 2013)

Lately there have been great deals for casual/work clothes at Mark's Work Warehouse. Even needed a couple t-shirts for screen printing and found nice fitting ones there for $9.99. Giant Tiger and Walmart shirts are normally too long or baggy looking. Groceries we price match as much as possible. Walmart for dry food, but after bad produce and limited selection of breads, etc...at Walmart and some discount grocery stores we tend to go back to the bigger more expensive ones. An example is milk, was told forever to buy at Walmart, but going to Independent Grocer is exact same price plus PC rewards plus Visa cashback at 4%. I personally know the owner of this store buys local fresh produce, give back to the local community, and employees many part time students. For gadgets and stuff, always try eBay and recently more Amazon, but been too inconvenienced by Amazon with delayed deliveries of 6-8 weeks, non-delivered items, and huge variance is prices. eBay seems to look after the customer better. Costco has been good for special occasions or seasonal items. With outlet malls in every direction I don't need 6-10 pack bulk items cluttering my cupboards. For motor vehicle related parts and accessories the Canadian online suppliers have really stepped up their game and expedited their shipping. The American suppliers have begun making cross border shipping accurate and honest. Entertainment I have noticed has gotten expensive with hockey, football, or concert events costing at least $300 for a couple to have an evening out.


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## FinancialPanther (Jul 13, 2013)

Groceries: No Frills mainly, have some locations on my commute where the produce is pretty good. Farmer's markets or Chinese markets for produce when possible.

Clothes (don't really shop often):
Online whenever possible.
Work dress shirts: Banana Republic or Black Brown 1826
Work dress pants, nicer casual wear: Frank & Oak
Suits: Suit Supply
T shirts: wherever; stocked up on Abercrombie a few times during sales.
Jeans: Weekday was my last pair


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

We are buying more and more on line. Lots of reasons. Price is often much better. Much better selection. Better service...DW is tired of going into stores and being ignored by staff on cell phones or just gabbing among themselves.

In the past ten days.....LLBean shirts, cell phone, high chair, blankets, winter boots, ipad cover, phone cover, books. We seem to be doing more and more on line shopping. Walked through the mall this week and it was depressing. All the stores are the same. he worst part was walking through a Sears. What dump.....no wonder they went bankrupt. I tried to order something on line from them five years ago and gave up.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

Due to a treatable medical setback that affected my weight, I needed to buy an entire new wardrobe. I bought from Eddie Bauer, the Bay, Marks Work Warehouse, Sport Chek, MEC and Walmart. I focus on quality over price because I I believe that a quality product is cheaper in the long run. I spent almost $100 on a pair of travel pants from MEC but they replaced a pair that was still going strong after 18 years. 

Groceries come from a variety of stores including Costco, Coop, Safeway, Superstore and Walmart. 

We also buy a number of dry products online. Amazon is our favourite. We try to avoid the cheap knockoff products and stick with the name brands to avoid disappointment.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

Pretty much everywhere really. I generally buy stuff on sale unless it's something I need right away.

Grocery: Walmart, Save-On-Foods, Superstore, Safeway (rarely)
Clothes: Mark's, Sears, The Bay, Walmart (rarely)
Gas/propane: Costco, Esso (when I can't make it to Costco)
Random stuff, furniture, etc: Ikea, thrift stores
Electronics: Amazon, eBay, NCIX
Specialty items: eBay, various online retailers
Automotive: Canadian Tire, Napa, Lordco, eBay, Amazon, etc


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## mcoursd2006 (May 22, 2012)

I shop mostly for groceries, and then mostly the fruits and vegetables. Wife goes to Costco to buy other stuff.

I hate doing other types of shopping. I'll buy stuff online instead, or even used.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

Costco (store and on line), Co-op, Amazon, Superstore, Bay.com, LLBean.com, Indigo.ca

Never buy anything at Canadian Tire. Never even bother going in. Once in a while Walmart.

Just thought about it. Our most recent non food purchases-8 out of 9 have been on line, the 9th was from Costco.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

Deleted


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

I was about to hit the order button last week on a high chair from costco.ca. It was a gift for my daughter. $156.

She went on line to look at it and give me the okey dokey. She also looked it up on amazon.ca and sent me the page. I ordered the identical item/model number from amazon.ca for $89. 

Amazon have since increased the price. Pays to shop. It certainly does not take long to do on the web. 

Just did exactly the same on an cel phone, ipad cover, and cell phone cover. Selection, price, delivery. Cannot beat the web.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

^^ Recommend a browser add-on to get price history and price drop alerts. Best amazon price trackers in 2017 (3 of 4 work for amazon.ca)

I get most of my non-perishable groceries from amazon subscribe and save now. I cross compared prices for awhile and many things were half price or better on amazon (whereas the grocery stores just put things on sale all the time) There's often more selection and quality options, getting better all the time. It's far more convenient to have these things show up monthly rather than walking the aisles for sales. Significantly speeds up grocery shopping and the amount of stuff to ring in, bag, load and unload from your trunk etc

I still go to Costco for frozen goods but I always end up buying more stuff than I planned to or come back for things I saw. I know this is Costco's strategy (half the store is impulse items that change monthly or seasonally) They do have better automotive products than Crappy tire and their warranty is 2nd to none, but I'm not sure I get my money's worth from the membership. Amazon has replaced most of the non-perishable aisles at the back and often has the same impulse items available (once you know they exist!)

I go to malls the rare time as a cultural experience, kind of like going to the zoo. It's mostly teenagers and seniors from what I can tell.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Ag Driver said:


> Groceries:
> 
> Costco for Bulk and Freezables, Fresh Berries and Flat Wraps (Frozen berries, frozen mixed vegetables, toilet paper, deodorant, toothpaste). I also find the boneless chicken breast excellent quality. I also found I nearly stopped drinking milk and rarely have cereal anymore ... so milk was going to waste. I now buy Soy Milk from Costco for cheap. It sits on the shelf for some time!
> 
> ...




incredibly smart shopping. The best.

the only thing i see missing are ultra-fresh preferably organic fruits & veggies. Straight out of the fields & orchards. These will have the highest mineral content, highest vitamin content, mostest enzymes, etc. Even if a person only sources these during the summer growing season, that would be enough to build strong bones & cardiovascular system for old age.

the poster here being resourceful Ag Driver, though, it wouldn't surprise if he doesn't start growing his own one of these days. Raspberry bushes are very easy to grow in canada, low maintenance, all one has to do is remember to prune out the stems that already berried, it's the new tiges that will bear fruit next year.


.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

Superstore, Walmart, or No Frills for most groceries and non-perishables including cat food and litter, except for most fresh produce I go to the small independent indoor/outdoor market grocers that are all over Vancouver and surrounding areas- their produce is about 1/2 price of the big chains and usually higher quality, as well as better selection of more interesting varieties of exotic fruits and vegetables. That's one thing I really like about living on the South Coast- we have warm enough winters to allow outdoor produce all year. For example, I can buy grapefruits for 50 cents each, where at Superstore they are currently $1.75 or so. Apples are under $1/lb as are tomatoes, red peppers usually about $1. 69/lb instead of $3.98 or whatever ridiculous amount Safeway et al can get away with.

Gas is always Superstore to build up PC points.

Clothes or homewares are usually Value Village or another second hand store.

Ikea for kitchen stuff and some other things like some furniture, LED bulbs (good quality and far cheaper then elsewhere).

Dollar stores for anything that doesn't need to be top quality (small tools, glue, electronics cables, stationery, etc)

London Drugs for occasional electronics.

The Bay if I need new clothes for work.

Craigslist for a lot of stuff.

Amazon or Ebay as well, for specialty items for my photography or musician needs.

Someone mentioned never stepping foot in Canadian Tire- they have some really amazing deals sometimes, especially on cleaning supplies etc. I remember last year they had 4L jugs of laundry detergent on for $2.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

Ag Driver said:


> Groceries:
> Costco for Bulk and Freezables, Fresh Berries and Flat Wraps (Frozen berries, frozen mixed vegetables, toilet paper, deodorant, toothpaste). I also find the boneless chicken breast excellent quality. I also found I nearly stopped drinking milk and rarely have cereal anymore ... so milk was going to waste. I now buy Soy Milk from Costco for cheap. It sits on the shelf for some time!
> Food Basics/Super Store: Food Basics is around the corner and has surprisingly good produce at my location. I started going for convenience and now I am sold on the good quality. Superstore never fails me and has some products that I like. I also use PC Points. Specifically, I buy Pork Tenderloin when it's dirt cheap and slice and wrap my own chops.
> Farm Boy when I'm feeling rich. Their meat is top notch.
> ...



I'll second the Darn Tough socks recommendation- they are amazing. So comfortable and just the best for any type of activity, and of course you'll never need to buy socks again in your lifetime with their warranty. Well worth the money. In fact, I'm wearing them right now!


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

The more shopping we do on line the more we want to do. And the less inclined I am to even visit the local mall. DW likes to shop in person but even she is now buying more on line -especially from on line stores that have a retail presence which facilitates easy returns.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

indexxx said:


> I'll second the Darn Tough socks recommendation- they are amazing. So comfortable and just the best for any type of activity, and of course you'll never need to buy socks again in your lifetime with their warranty. Well worth the money. In fact, I'm wearing them right now!


3rd

I actually first heard of them on CMF from Brad I think, scoffed at the prices, but then saw them being sold on US bases (they get a cash allowance to buy kit) They're immediately something magical to wear. I have like 5 new sets in the drawer now just in case I lose any.. I wasn't aware of the lifetime guarantee.. I can't imagine that on socks but after a year they are still like new



> In a nutshell, if you wear a hole in them, we will replace them free of charge, for life. Our socks are guaranteed to be the most comfortable, durable and best fitting socks you can buy. If for some reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, visit our Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee page to download our warranty form.


Amazon might hurt big box stores in the US this holiday season. Amazon has really taken off in the US, and with whole foods locations they may take over US fresh produce next. This would also give them the retail presence for returns as mentioned above. Canadian amazon lags quite a bit behind US but I would say in the next 5 years more Canadian retailers will go the way of Sears if not careful. Canadian Tire's app is horrendous for example


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

I did some more investigation at my local farmers market. I've been looking for information about pesticide use, and whether these "organic" fruits and vegetables use less pesticides.

What I've found is that most of the sellers say that they have normal pesticide use. They are *not* assuring me of less pesticide use than regular grocery stores.

I previously thought that produce from farmers markets would be healthier due to less pesticides, but it seems that's not true. I think the remaining benefits are supporting your local growers, and generally more tasty produce because it's fresher and hasn't been sitting in storage for so long.

This all confuses me, because I keep hearing the word "organic" thrown around, and the industry leads us to believe it means less pesticides. I don't think it's true.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

It seems to me that marketing produce as organic is a ploy the some use to enhance their product margins. Not really certain how a consumer can really ascertain this unless they have specific knowledge about the farmer who grew the crops. Who can say wheter the sign or claim in a grocer store or market is accurate? I certainly cannot. And in a few instances we have noticed no difference in taste between locally grown product and locally grown organic product. So how is a person to know??


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

Deleted


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