If you?re a recent arrival in Canada, there?s one thing you?ve realized by now: things here are (really) expensive!

It?s only natural that you?re thinking about how to find quality, affordable products in Canada. 

One thing you need to know is that in Canada, the cost of goods may not necessarily be linked to its quality: you just need to know where to look, and this article guides you on how to do just that.

Get a credit card that offers you cashback

Many credit cards available to customers offer cashback or points that you can redeem for goods and services that you need, Most cards in this category offer cashback on grocery, gas, and bill payments. Some examples of well-known credit cards are:

-CIBC?s standard dividend card, which offers you 2% cashback on groceries and 1% on gas.

-MasterCard?s MBNA rewards card, which offers you points to redeem, amounting to about 5% cashback when purchases are made on restaurants, groceries, memberships, and household utilities, among others.

-AMEX SimplyCash, which gives you 4% percent cashback on groceries and gas, and 2% cashback on everything else. You also have no spending limit.

-Neo World Elite, which offers you 5% back on grocery and 3% percent on gas, while remaining comfortably under monthly spending caps.

As with all credit cards, we ask that you make sure that you read the fine print, and pay your monthly/annual fees on time.

Discount stores offer you quality, affordable products

Canada is home to several discount stores that offer amazing essentials,, including kitchen supplies, dry goods, clothes, household products, crockery and cutlery, and more!

Two of the most well-known discount stores in Canada are Dollarama - a Canadian favourite - and Dollar Tree, which is originally from the US. Both of them offer you excellent value for money, with the latter offering you most goods for $1.75, at the time of writing.

Learning how to get the most out of your money and make it work for you is something we believe every newcomer coming to Canada should know. Click here to find out more.

Equipping you with the tools required for you to get the most value out of your money and invest wisely is what Finanzo is all about. Click here to find out more.

The money you gain from cashbacks are an excellent source of income to put into investments and make your money grow. At Finanzo, we teach you how. Click here to find out more.

Look up offers in your local stores

Search for flyers offered by businesses in your area and, where possible, build your shopping list around the items you need, and are available at a discount. A great way to look up flyers for different stores in one convenient location is Flipp, which provides you offers based on where you live.

Many larger supermarket chains also have goods that they offer at discounts of up to 50 percent. Although they are nearing their expiration date, items such as baked goods, fruits and vegetables, and staples are still very good for a few days after.

Subscribe to a loyalty program

Many local stores as well as supermarket chains do offer you loyalty programs or a loyalty card, where making purchases worth a certain amount gives you points that you can redeem for a discount, once you?ve crossed the required threshold. 

Keep an eye on local flyers that offer you increased points for certain items: these can add up pretty quickly, and sometimes, that feeling of getting $10 or $20 off your final grocery bill is quite welcome.

Go to a thrift store, look up ?buy nothing? groups, and visit yard sales in your area

All three are a product of people in Canada looking to downsize their possessions. Thrift stores are a great place to pick up gently used goods such as kitchen items, clothing, shoes, household goods, and more.

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Similarly, many neighbourhoods in Canada have ?buy nothing? groups on Facebook that you can search for by putting the name of the neighbourhood you live in after the words ?buy nothing?. Many members of these groups will offer items for free, you can come upon some excellent finds, especially if you?re a young family looking for toys and children?s clothes, or are furnishing your first home.

Lastly, a garage sale offers you amazing goods at rock-bottom prices: you?re likely to find some unbeatable bargains at these events, which are also great places to connect with your communities. You might come across a dining table in excellent condition, some rather sturdy jeans, a chest of drawers, and more hidden gems! 

Would you like to learn how to get the most out of your money and make it work for you? Click here to explore Finanzo?s free and paid courses.

Would you like to gain the tools required for you to get the most value out of your money and invest wisely? Click here to explore Finanzo?s free and paid courses..

Did you know that the money you gain from cashbacks are an excellent source of income to put into investments and make your money grow? At Finanzo, we teach you how. Click here to find out more.