Smart Spending: Consumer Guides for Canadians

Smart spending is mostly about knowing what a purchase really costs and when a deal is real. These guides cover the everyday decisions Canadian households make: whether a membership pays for itself, where groceries cost less, how coupons and price matching work, when the big sales happen, how to pay and send money, and what home energy upgrades cost.

Loyalty programs have their own guides in the rewards section: PC Optimum for Loblaw and Shoppers stores, Scene+ for Sobeys, FreshCo and Cineplex, and BMO Blue Rewards (formerly Air Miles).

Memberships and groceries

Is a Costco membership worth it? The break-even spend for Gold Star and Executive, and what to buy or skip.
Is Amazon Prime worth it? How many orders it takes to cover the fee, and Prime Student.
The best-value grocery stores in Canada, chain by chain.

Coupons, cashback and deals

Coupon sites and apps: promo-code extensions, digital flyers and mailed coupons.
Cashback apps and how to stack them with store offers.
Price matching in Canada: which stores match, the rules, and how to ask at checkout.
Black Friday in Canada: spotting real deals versus inflated “was” prices.
Boxing Day and Boxing Week sales.
Cross-border shopping: duty-free limits and what to declare.
When to book flights from Canada for a lower fare.

Phone and internet bills

Paying and sending money

Digital wallets: Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Wallet, and which banks support them.
Money transfer apps for sending money in Canada and abroad. For what a transfer costs and the reporting rules on international transfers, see sending money internationally from Canada.
How much to tip in Canada, by service, with a tip calculator.

Home energy costs

Energy rebates by province: the programs open in each province.
Electric vs. gas heating costs, compared by province.
What a heat pump costs to install, and the grants that apply.
Home insulation costs by type and R-value.
EV charging costs at home and in public, by province.

Travel documents

How to get a passport in Canada: documents, guarantors and processing times. The fees are covered in what a Canadian passport costs.

Ways to save on groceries and Christmas and holiday budgeting
Back-to-school shopping and student discounts
The best time to buy a car
Gig economy apps for earning extra money
Statutory holidays in Canada