With soaring food prices in Canada, shoppers are looking for different ways to save on their grocery bills.
One Canadian revealed how she shaves off dollars on her grocery spending, which involves crossing the border.
Brandi Dustin, who goes by @kade1613 on TikTok, has gone viral after she posted a video showing how much more she saves on groceries by shopping in the US instead of Canada.
“Grocery prices in Canada have become crazy, so I go to the States to shop,” reads the caption of her TikTok, which has hit over 500,000 views.
The BC resident says she lives in a more rural part of the province, so the grocery closest to her within Canada is about 45 minutes away.
However, she lives next to the US border, where the closest supermarket on the other side is about 15 minutes away.
“So, that is usually where I do most of my grocery shopping, even with the crappy exchange,” said Dustin.
And it’s a blessing in disguise for the Canadian because even with the exchange rate, she has found that it’s still worth going to a different country to do her groceries.
In her first food haul, Dustin bought two packs of hot dog buns, two packets of shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, two bottles of children’s pain reliever, two tubs of cottage cheese, two boxes of Hamburger Helper, two boxes of waffles, two large bags of Doritos, two large bags of Chex Mix, pork chops, ground beef, pork sausage, alcohol and a handful of produce.
She breaks down the cost for each item in the video below.
@kade1613 Grocery prices in Canada have become crazy, so I go to the states to shop. Here’s everything I got! #justinflation #trudeauneedstogo #inflation #savecanada #pierrepolievreforprimeminister ♬ original sound – Brandi Dustin
All that came out to US$85.04, which she says was about C$117 when she bought it.
Dustin compared the prices of those items to their equivalent at the grocery store she would’ve shopped at in Canada.
The bill would come out to around C$180.
“I know they say support local, but right now, everybody is suffering hugely,” she said. “We’re all trying to make it, and it is so much cheaper for me to go next door than it is to shop in my own country.”
@kade1613 Here is the follow up to my other video of what I would have paid at Your Independent Grocer in Canada. #pierrepolievreforprimeminister #savecanada #inflation #trudeauneedstogo #justinflation #nothappy #canadiansaresuffering ♬ original sound – Brandi Dustin
And for anyone interested in trying this out, Dustin posted another video sharing her tips and tricks for grabbing groceries across the border.
“When I get to the US side of the border, I tell them exactly what I’m going down for, whether it’s groceries or gas,” she explained.
After she’s done shopping, Dustin says she adds all of her purchases up to the exact cent — she declares this amount at the border when re-entering Canada.
“If they bring you in for a secondary or search you in an inspection, they’re going to know that you were lying,” she said.
The BC resident says she’s been lucky and has not had to pay duties, even if she’s brought back $300 worth of groceries. That might not be the case for everyone, so check personal exemption limits here.
@kade1613 I tried to answer everyone’s question about crossing the border and why I’m grocery shopping in the US. #canadiansaresuffering #justinflation #trudeauneedstogo #inflation #savecanada #pierrepolievreforprimeminister ♬ original sound – Brandi Dustin
Dustin posted another US grocery haul, and the results were the same — she still saved more shopping down south.
@kade1613 I live 45 minutes to the closest grocery store in Canada, so I save money by driving the 15 minute trip to Watson’s Grocery store in Montana USA. I save on gas and save money on groceries. This doesn’t work for everyone where they are and for the prices, but it saves my family money. I’m just doing what I have to do to support my family with climbing prices in everything. If you’re going to do this, make sure you check the restrictions for your area.#struggling #usedtobeaproudcanadian #savings #putmoneybackinourpockets #groceryprices #corprategreed #canadiansaresuffering #pierrepolievreforprimeminister #justinflation #trudeauneedstogo #inflation #savecanada ♬ original sound – Brandi Dustin
She isn’t the only Canadian getting creative regarding grocery bill savings.
One Canadian software engineer saves up to $200 a month by dumpster diving.
What are you doing to save on food?
link