How to Get Free Groceries in Canada

Groceries are one of the largest household expenses for Canadians, but with the right combination of apps, programs, and strategies, you can significantly reduce your bill — and sometimes get groceries completely free. Here's how Canadian shoppers are slashing their food costs.

Cashback App Stacking

The foundation of free groceries is stacking multiple cashback apps. After every grocery trip, submit your receipt to Caddle and Checkout 51 for product-specific rebates. Scan the receipt with Fetch Rewards for general points. If you purchased any products with PC Optimum offers, those points accumulate automatically. A single grocery trip can earn cashback from four or more sources simultaneously.

Over a month, these combined rebates can cover the cost of a full grocery trip. Some savvy shoppers report earning fifty to one hundred dollars monthly in cashback on groceries they would have purchased anyway. The key is consistency — submit every receipt to every applicable app.

FlashFood and Too Good To Go

FlashFood partners with grocery stores to sell products approaching their best-before date at fifty percent or more off. The app shows available discounts at nearby stores. You purchase through the app and pick up at the store. Items include fresh produce, meat, dairy, and bakery products that are perfectly good but need to be consumed within a few days.

Too Good To Go offers surprise bags from grocery stores, bakeries, and restaurants at a fraction of the retail price. A typical grocery store surprise bag costs five to seven dollars and contains fifteen to twenty dollars worth of food. Both apps reduce food waste while saving you significant money on quality groceries.

Price Matching

Several Canadian grocery chains accept competitor price matching. Walmart Canada and select Real Canadian Superstore locations match flyer prices from competing stores. This means you can shop at one store while getting the lowest prices advertised across all competitors. Use the Flipp app to find the best prices and show the digital flyer at checkout.

Price matching eliminates the need to visit multiple stores for different sales. Plan your weekly shopping list around the best prices from various flyers, then purchase everything at one price-matching store. This saves both time and gas money.

Community Resources

Food banks across Canada have expanded their offerings and reduced stigma. If you're experiencing food insecurity, your local food bank provides groceries at no cost. Many food banks now offer choice-based shopping experiences rather than pre-made hampers, allowing you to select foods your family will actually eat.

Community fridges and free pantries have popped up in many Canadian neighbourhoods. These refrigerators and shelves are stocked by community members and local businesses with excess food. Anyone can take what they need. Good Food Box programs in many cities provide affordable boxes of fresh produce, often at half the retail price.

Growing Your Own

Community gardens across Canada provide free garden plots to residents. Growing herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens during the summer months can save hundreds on produce. Many communities also host seed libraries where you can borrow seeds for free. Window gardens work for apartment dwellers — herbs and salad greens grow well indoors year-round with minimal setup.