Is it time to switch to a discount supermarket? We went shopping at No Frills, Metro and Farm Boy and found it might not be worth switching

You've noticed. The cost to feed yourself and your family is going up - and not just a little.

Inflation is at its highest level since 1991, hitting 6.7 per cent in March, as the price of food and gas ballooned.

Grocery store prices rose 8.7 per cent compared to March 2021, according to Statistics Canada, with dairy and egg prices seeing the biggest increases since 1983.

Cereal costs rose by 12.3 per cent, the fastest annual pace since 1990, and pasta was up almost 18 per cent year over year.

Beef has gone up by more than 14 per cent, while ham and bacon have gone up 15 per cent. And butter? A whopping 16 per cent.

The war in Ukraine is the main driver of the price hikes, according to Statistics Canada, with gas with oil embargoes against Russia impacting transportation costs, resulting in higher food prices.

And Canadians are feeling it, perhaps nowhere more so than at the grocery checkout.

So what, beyond price-matching and coupon-cutting, can you do to save at the checkout? Do the prices of staples vary widely from store to store?

We set out with a list of the basics - milk, eggs, butter, fresh produce, meat, pasta, bread, cereal and coffee - and hit three different grocery chains - No Frills, Metro and Farm Boy - to compare the cost of these items. While we strived to find equivalent items at all three grocers, there are some differences, as noted.

Nescafe coffee, a box of Barilla spaghetti, a pound of unsalted Gay Lea butter and two pounds of baby carrots were all a buck cheaper at No Frills than Metro. A loaf of Country Harvest bread was $1.20 less.

Meat, however, was less expensive at both Metro and Farm Boy. A pound of ground beef at Metro was almost $1.50 less compared with No Frills, and the savings on a pack of bacon was more than $2.

The grocery total for the most comparable food items came to $51.72 at No Frills, and $55.57 at Metro.

By comparison, at Farm Boy, to purchase all the items on the list, it was the most expensive, at $65.95, as cheaper comparable options weren't available for some items.

Because it's a specialty store, some brands for certain items aren't sold. For example, Nescafe's instant coffee wasn't available, and the next cheapest option - Tassimo coffee pods - clocked in at almost $9. At No Frills and Metro, the same Nescafe coffee was $3.99 and $4.99, respectively.

Farm Boy also didn't carry the Quaker Harvest Crunch purchased at Metro and No Frills. Jordans Morning Crisp, the cheapest comparable option, was almost $8 (Quaker was $4.49 at the other grocers).

Overall the best shopping experience was at Metro, with fully stocked shelves and plenty of selection. No Frills had a depleted butcher counter and fresh produce was limited. Farm Boy had the best customer service but the limited brands forced buying more unnecessarily expensive items.

Is saving just four bucks on the staples reason enough to shop at a discount store?

It appears it may well be.

Loblaw says more people are shifting to its discount stores, including No Frills and Maxi, which now account for 60 per cent of its grocery sales. And shoppers are spending less on average each time they visit.

If you're not careful as a consumer, you may be spending more on a product depending on the store," said Sylvain Charlebois, professor of food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.

It boils down to knowing the market and going to more than one grocery store, but who has the time?"

It's important for consumers to know there's a rapidly changing market each week depending on everything from weather, demand - and yes, supply chain issues. Because of this, shoppers need to stay on top of pricing, said Charlebois.

I would keep a log or chart to track prices, especially for staples," he said.

With food prices only expected to keep rising for the foreseeable future, planning and budgeting will be key to keeping your costs in check.

When people think about budget they think it's punitive and restrictive, but it doesn't have to be that way," said Janet Gray, a financial planner at Money Coaches Canada.

If you want your special pizza on a Friday night, go for it, she said. But it means having takeout twice a month instead of every week.

Cook from home and plan out meals for the week," Gray said.

Following a meal plan allows you to shop effectively and not buy items you don't really want or need, and using loyalty cards also allows you to earn more money with your purchases," she said.

And don't just toss away those grocery flyers, which help you to find the deals. Look at grocery store sales for the upcoming week," said Gray.

Going to a dollar store for pantry items like canned goods can also be a money-saver. And buying no name brands will almost always be the cheaper option, said Pamela George, financial literacy counsellor at Sand Dollar.

Buying in bulk can ultimately save you money even if it's more expensive upfront, but George recognizes it's not affordable for some.

I eat a lot of rice in my diet, so instead of buying small boxes I get a large bag of it and that saves me some money," she said.

George also uses truLOCAL, a third-party meat delivery company that matches you with a local farmer. She spends around $135 on meat every two weeks using the company.

It allows me to save $200 a month, which can go a long way," she said, especially for those with a meat heavy diet, she added.

George also suggested making meals with only items in the pantry to use up food that often goes to waste.

Ultimately, getting certain items from different stores can be a way to save, but it's important to factor in the cost of gas, said Dal's Charlebois.

If you want to go to a discount store but it's far away, you need to see if it's worth it with the cost of gas. I'm not sure it's that economical," said Charlebois.

Splitting your list between two stores might be the best way to go, he said. Sometimes, people have one primary grocery store and then a secondary one to buy items in bulk.

You really need to strategize and stay on top of the market."

With files from Rosa Saba

Clarrie Feinstein is a Toronto-based staff reporter for the Star. Reach Clarrie via email: clarriefeinstein@torstar.ca