by As a college student in southern Ontario, Kathleen Cassidy was looking for a way to stretch her dollar. While shopping at a local grocery store, she found coupons and began a long-term commitment to rarely paying full price.
Now 10 years later, she’s built a huge following on social media, helping Canadians plan their way to more affordable grocery bills.
Cassidy started with the Instagram profile “Living on a Loonie” before expanding her presence to TikTok.
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According to the Ipsos survey, 72 percent of families with children are worried about the acceleration of food inflation
“I think couponing and saving money is really what you do, and it looks really different for every family because you have different circumstances,” she explained.
“Everything from meal planning to checking your cupboard, making a shopping list, matching prices, using physical coupons or cashback apps – all of these can save you money.”
Why loyalty pays off
Another option Cassidy points to is a loyalty points or rewards program at your grocery store. Registering for loyalty programs is often easy, and points are accumulated quickly.
For example, the PC Optimum program allows members to earn points for purchases at participating stores and redeem points to lower their bills.
Since many Canadians want to curb their spending, Cassidy adds that points can also be used to help with vacation expenses.
One of the questions he is often asked is where to find coupons – he says many can be found in the aisles of Ruokakauppa.
“It’s a bit of a scavenger hunt, but you have to keep an eye out,” he says. But you can also find them online.
“There are many websites where you can actually print coupons, or some will even ship them right to your home for free.”
Cassidy also compiles links to coupons and makes them available online.
“I’ve had the opportunity to connect with thousands of Canadians, and it’s been very heartwarming to get messages like, ‘You’ve really helped my family,’ or ‘I’ve saved $100 a month,’ or ‘Now I can go on this vacation I’ve been saving for, that’s really cool,'” she says.
Why reduce consumption?
Written by Melissa Leong Happy Go Money: Spend smart, save right and enjoy life. When it comes to saving, she recommends taking a hard look at your total expenses.
According to him, the best and easiest starting area is discretionary spending. It includes entertainment, dining out and membership fees.
Then there is the question of fixed costs, such as mobile phone and internet contracts.
“See if you can call your service providers and ask for a better deal,” Leong encourages Canadians.
While the idea of any kind of negotiation may seem daunting to some, he adds that self-advocacy is crucial.
“This is hard-earned money that you should try to keep as much as possible,” he adds. “Approach it with the attitude that if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
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Leong suggests contacting customer service at any of your providers to explain your financial situation and what you need. And to gain more leverage, he recommends finding out what the competition has to offer.
“When a storm is coming, you want to make sure you cover the holes in your boats. This means that paying off debts, as well as a lifeboat, is very important. And so the emergency fund – three months’ living expenses in cash in an easily accessible place.”
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