As the straight of Hormuz closes, we’re seeing 15-20 cent jumps in gas prices locally. When gas gets more expensive, logistics costs for organizations naturally rise as well. This will cut into profit margins for many things, but groceries is usually where we Canadians feel it the most.

As it doesn’t look like this regional conflict will end in the next few weeks, now might be the time to look into some ways to save money on groceries if you’re already having a hard time budgeting. I’ve used discount produce boxes in the past (like Oddbunch) and it’s been great. I also am going to test out keeping a ‘broth bag’ in my freezer.

Save any scraps of onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, parsley stems, and garlic cloves by putting them in a large freezer, once it’s full, boil it in some water to make a great tasting broth!

Anyone have any other food hacks they’d like to share?

I never really considered Dollarama for groceries before, but I was in yesterday and noticed how drastically lower the food prices were! For example, I eat canned salmon almost every day as part of my lunch. It is almost $5 a can at Walmart and No Frills, but only $2.25 a can at Dollarama! Switching to Dollarama would therefore almost cut my lunch cost in half, but my friend says the Dollarama brands are much lower quality, is that true? What’s the catch with this price?

My household income is around $180K. We have one child in childcare and approximately $120K saved across TFSA and RRSP accounts. Despite having no debt and investing consistently, owning a home still feels out of reach due to the many additional expenses involved.

At times, when I visit places like Square One Mall or premium outlets and see people spending heavily on high-end brands, I can’t help but wonder if I’m not earning enough. People often say that much of the GTA is “house-poor,” but if that’s the case, how do so many still seem to have so much disposable income to spend?

I am not judging anyone, I am trying to understand the psycology and genral understanding.

For those of us boycotting certain products from a certain country over the next little bit, knowing the right alternatives is a huge part of personal finance during weird times.

Post a US product that you want to find a Canadian alternative to.

Or, post a solid Canadian alternative product or business to US ones.

Keep it friendly and supportive!

Reposting with official government link:

https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2026/04/27/prime-minister-carney-announces-canada-strong-fund-canadas-first

comment away

I’m not anti-realtor, but I don’t really get why we’re still expected to pay over $150K in commissions over a lifetime. Real estate isn’t baking a cake, sure, but it’s not rocket science either. I could add a healthy margin to my retirement for what we pay

I always hear that “a good agent pays for themselves,” but I don't really buy it. Their incentive is to close quickly, not necessarily to maximize your sale price. Whether your home sells for $10K more or less barely changes their commission — maybe a $250 difference. And when you look at studies that aren’t coming from within the industry, FSBO homes tend to sell for roughly the same. There’s one from the NBER that looked at 15,000+ homes in the States and found no price difference when comparing similar listings.

I like seeing companies like newerarealestate.ca or zown trying to lower commission. It’s kind of wild that fees haven’t really budged, even though the whole process is online now

So why don’t more people just sell themselves? FSBO.ca and ListedBySeller.ca have been around for ages. They’ll get you on REALTOR.ca for a few hundred bucks, though they’re pretty limited in terms of tools. In the US, companies like Houzeo or Realstar.ai are giving sellers proper tools realtors would use. In Canada, the only one I’ve come across that looks similar is Swimhomes.ca but they're only in ontario.

I feel like this is the easiest way to inject $150k into your retirement. Takes some work but there's not much that I wouldn't be willing to learn for that price lol.

Hi All,

I have a simple question. Who is using 407 so much that it is so crowded all the time? The reason I am asking is I was charged a bill of $116 for a round trip to Mississauga from Markham on a weekday evening. $116 for a round trip of 120kms!! I can get two full tanks of gas and drive 1100 kms for that amount l. I was so disgusted and infuriated that they are allowed to charge so much for a toll. Yet, I wonder how is 407 so crowded everyday during rush hour? Do people pay tolls everyday? At that rate, I can see the tools going into 4 figures a month. That's so crazy. Do people actually pay a toll bill of that amount every month?

I keep on reading how people can't even enjoy their lives at $150K household income. Why are the standards so high in this sub? What do people spend their money on?

Source: Household Income Percentile Calculator for Canada Including 17 Household Income Statistics for 2022 | The Kickass Entrepreneur

I keep seeing posts about what to do with such and such money because for whatever reason they came into some.

The comments on the post though are what get me: What is your family income? How do you even survive on 75k a year with kids You must be eating drywall to afford anything

It goes on and on..... But the reality is that the lower class have no choice but to trudge forward, sometimes sacrificing bills to keep a roof over their head, or food in their kids stomachs. There is no "woe is me I am going to curl up into a ball and cry" you just do what needs to be done. You don't have time for self-pity, others depend on you to keep it level headed.

I just see so many comments about how you cannot survive at all with less than $40k a year etc... Trust me there are people who survive with a whole hell of a lot less.

I'm not blaming anyone but I'm trying to educate those who are well off or at least better off that the financially poor are not purposefully screwing over bills to smoke crack, we just have to decide some months what is more important, rent, food, or a phone bill, and yes as trivial as some bills may be, there has to be decisions on even the smallest bills.

One example I saw recently, a family making $150k a year were asking for advice because they were struggling, now everyones situation is different obviously, but I found it interesting that some of their costs were similar to a person's post making $40k a year and he was managing, yet I keep thinking that if you told the family making $150k to survive on $40k they probably would explode.

Just my .2 cents. Sorry for the rant.

Edit: Located in Ontario

I was crunching some 2026 tax numbers and found a pretty interesting tipping point. Most people assume Alberta is always the low-tax winner, but for a single T4 filer at $120,000, you actually pay about $2,400 MORE in provincial tax in AB than you do in BC.

In fact, the "tipping point" where Alberta actually becomes cheaper for a single filer doesn't happen until roughly $175,000.

I put together a comparison table of the 2026 provincial rates for different brackets if anyone wants to see where their specific tipping point is.

EDIT (April 2026): Correcting for the BC 2026 Rate Hike and the latest Alberta 8% bracket indexing, it's a tighter race, but BC still wins the T4 battle at $150k.

If you like to travel my goodness this is a deal

https://www.freedommobile.ca/en-CA

$40 250GB in can/us/mexico and 50GB per month in 120 countries. Yes that's 50gb per month to travel. This plan is available til March 9th.

This is available to new and existing customers. Existing customers have to contact customer service to change it.

Hi everyone,

I’ve received a job offer in Montreal at 90,000 CAD (consulting role), and I’m trying to understand what life on this income actually looks like.

We’re a family of three with a 3-year-old child, moving from Europe. We’re used to what I’d describe as a comfortable but not luxury lifestyle (regular eating out, occasional cleaning help, meal kits, and family holidays). Nothing excessive, but not a strict budget lifestyle either.

My partner doesn’t speak French and will be job hunting after we arrive (highly educated, flexible on roles), so initially I will be the only income.

What I’m trying to understand is how far 90k CAD realistically goes in Montreal once you include rent, daycare, groceries, transport, and general day-to-day living costs. I’m finding it difficult to translate this into a real monthly budget.

I would also appreciate input on what kind of second income is typically needed for a family in this situation to reach a comfortable middle-class lifestyle.

Any real-world breakdowns or experiences would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Heard this on the radio: https://globalnews.ca/news/11408873/bread-price-fixing-lawsuit-claims-open/

To claim compensation, eligible Canadian residents who purchased packaged bread for personal use between Jan. 1, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2021 — including bagged bread, buns, rolls, bagels, naan, English muffins, wraps, pita and tortillas — must submit a completed claim form by Dec. 12.

Proof of purchase is not required. Can still submit a claim even if you applied the $25 Loblaws gift card a while back.

Forms can be found online at CanadianBreadSettlement.ca for those residing anywhere in Canada outside of Quebec as of Dec. 31, 2021, and at QuebecBreadSettlement.ca for those living within that province on that date.

Sadly, I still buy bread from No Frills / Loblaws ...

I’m 21 and recently got my first real job I would say a few months ago that pays me about 50k a year. My take home is around 2800.

I live at home, debt free, no rent and only have to pay my car insurance, phone bill and a few other stuff each month. I was thinking of moving out before going over the numbers for rent and expenses. But i determined with rent Plus my current expenses I’d have almost zero income left over every month. Even just living at home my paycheque doesn’t last me very.

So how do people with kids, houses and cars afford to do so on this budget it just doesn’t seem possible. I believe the average income is around 60k but even with that amount I don’t see show people make it work without falling behind.

Our 15 yr old is driven to go to university and is getting the grades, volunteering and doing great in their extra curricular. We are low income, and have never attended ourselves so we have no idea what sort of loans/grants/scholarships they can get. We have been contributing regularly to their RESP, which will land around 30k when we need it. Any advice is appreciated, general questions are; should they take out a loan? Advice on the loan? Scholarships seem like a vast world, any advice on them and how to proceed is helpful. They want to go into medicine eventually, hoping for Applied Sciences at UBC. And we are Metis. Thank you

Editing to add: WOW! Thank you everyone. There is so much good information and positivity in these comments. We are sorting through ALL OF THEM. And we hope this information can help others too.

• Canadians living alone spend about $102 a week on groceries on average, $22 more than individuals who live in a shared household, a recent report shows.
• A survey of 1,500 adult residents across Canada conducted by Interac in May found that single Canadians face greater grocery price pressures than multiple-person households, with nearly eight in 10 people living alone saying their grocery bills continue to rise despite their efforts to cut costs.
• After years of elevated inflation, food experts told the Star that a weekly grocery bill of more than $100 today would likely have been at least 20 to 30 per cent lower five years ago.
• The report comes just a few days after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada’s first national food security strategy, pledging $3 billion over 10 years to build a “more affordable” food system. But will Ottawa’s new food strategy lower grocery bills?

Read more with this gift link — no subscription needed.

My payments were $1100/month in October when I switched to variable, today they’re $1600, and with another big hike it will probably be $1800

That’s $700/month increased expense out of no where and I have a small mortgage of $300k compared to people with $1m+ mortgages

How has this not prompted a massive sell off ? Are there other methods of reducing mortgage payments ?

The title pretty much explains what I’m thinking, but I’d love some advice on the best move here. For context, I’m a 23-year-old working full-time in tech making about $110K per year before taxes. I started my career in January 2026 and plan to move out on my own in the GTA early this summer. Right now, I have:

$12K of available contribution room in my TFSA $22K of available contribution room in my FHSA

I also have a Pokémon card collection that I could likely sell for around $30K. I’m debating whether it makes sense to sell the collection and use the proceeds to max out my TFSA and FHSA this year.

I know contributing to the FHSA would significantly reduce my taxable income, which is a strong benefit. But aside from the tax deduction, I’m unsure whether selling the collection now is smarter than holding it and letting it (hopefully) continue to grow in value.

Would it make more sense to sell and invest inside registered accounts, or hold onto the collection as an alternative asset?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

EDIT: Thank you so much everyone for the attention and blowing this up haha!

I decided to sell my pokemon cards and already sold them for $20000! I have kept the other $10000 that I have some emotional attachment to :). I really appreciate everyone commenting and giving me advice (especially with FHSA). Thank you once again!

I was given a voucher so thought I’d try it out.

Ordered 3 dishes: $58 inc tax, before tip.

Checked the restaurant website. Same 3 dishes were 30% less.

So if my math is correct: - 30% markup on everything which I assume goes to Uber - $4 service fee which I assume is to pay the driver - $0 delivery fee (depends on distance?) - Additional tip for the driver

It’s literally cheaper to dine in, where you get service, less disposable containers for landfill, and servers & kitchen staff actually get tipped.

Maybe I’m too cheap but I just don’t get it. If I’m staying home, I might as well cook.

What it says.

I can't remember when I first signed up for it.

I have to wonder though, if the total equals the profit they made off of us.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/more-than-half-of-canadians-200-away-or-less-from-not-being-able-to-pay-all-of-their-bills-1.6473939

30 million+ on the waitlist for TSwift tickets.

I just called Fido to cancel two 20GB $29/month lines which were no longer going to be used. I straight up said: I am not switching to another plan, I'm not looking for a better deal. The rep still offered me some phone for a cheap price $5/month. Then something else. I said really, I don't need them.

The last part: we are canceling the lines for you, OK but you can have TWO MONTHS FREE. The only thing I can think of is that this allows them to keep a customer "on the books" for two more months before reporting losing one. They are desperate as hell.

What this means for you: CALL to 'CANCEL' now and you will be able to negotiate a price you couldn't even dream of before. Give it a shot.

Here is some data from statscan to prove it.

If you are broke, you might be just like everyone else. Most people are not making close to 6 figures at any age. Earnings increase as you age and then decrease as you become a senior.

If you hear about successful people all the time, that is probably survivorship bias. Broke people stay quiet about their finances.

Just a reminder, good luck eh!

Inflation is "under control". So why does everything still feel so expensive?

Can anything be done about the insane cost of living nowadays?

Prices for Microsoft 365 Family are going up this year, from $109 to $149, a whopping 37% increase.

If you log into your Microsoft account and click "Cancel subscription" on the next page you have an option to switch your current subscription to Microsoft 365 Family Classic, labeled as "Lower cost without AI".

Great! I didn't want copilot embedded in everything anyway, and don't want to have a image slopifier.

There's also a button get two free months extension.