What cost of living crisis? This Alberta family of 7 spends just $700/month on groceries, gas — here’s how they save bundles of cash (and how you can too)

Chad Koch is the sole income earner of a family of seven and knows how pricy food can be.

According to the 2025 Food Price Report, the average Canadian family of four spent more than $16,000 on groceries in 2024.

On the other hand, Chad Koch spends up to $350 every two weeks on food and gas, (roughly $9,100 for the entire year), a much lower amount than the national average.

The St. Albert resident told CTV News Edmonton, “Having as many kids as we've had, we've had to always try to make sure that we're doing the most cost-efficient grocery shopping we could." Here's how he is able to accomplish this spectacular feat against all odds.

“It’s not easy out there”

Having worked in retail since he was 14, Koch has been able to pick up a ton of tips on how to save money at the grocery store.

With a large family of seven and kids aged between five and 18, Koch knows that unit cost instead of total price makes a big difference in budgeting.

"If something's $5, it'll tell you in the bottom corner (that) maybe it costs $0.99 per 100 grams. You can really figure out what is the best value – it could be a smaller size or it could be a club pack," he said.

Koch also recommends stocking up when one of your pantry staples is on sale or clearance and skipping items that cost more than your budget.

He uses grocery store points to earn more groceries, "Between the money that we spend and then the points … it's about $400 every two weeks or so."

"It's not easy out there. I see people saying that they spend $1,000 a week for four people … you don't have to do that," Koch said.

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How to stretch your budget dollars

With inflation and cost of living top of mind for Canadians, Koch’s tips on how to save are extremely timely.

One way Koch stays on top of sales is by scoping out the deals online where he can easily compare prices across different stores before heading out to shop.

Clipping paper coupons may be a thing of the past, but it’s easy to keep an app on your phone to help you with budgeting. Koch uses Flipp and there are others like Checkout51 and WebSaver.

Remember to sign up for your favourite grocery store’s loyalty program to earn points toward groceries. Every time you spend, you’re earning towards more groceries in the future.

Buying in bulk when things are on sale is a good way to stock up if you have the space in your home to store items, just be sure to keep an eye on the expiration date.

If you're concerned about spending less on nutrient-dense items, consider buying frozen vegetables and fruits as an alternative to fresh. They cost less than their fresh counterparts and have the same nutritional value.

Also, try store-brand versus brand-name products, since they often come in larger quantities and lower pricing. In fact, wholesale juggernaut Costco's in-houe brand, Kirkland, sources its products and recipes from brands like Starbucks, BeeMaid and others.

For even more savings, Canadians are also travelling a bit further and going to more than one store to get the best prices instead of doing a one-stop shop.

However, home economist, Jodie Kachkar, told CTV News Edmonton that people can try to reduce the number of trips to the grocery store and suggested people shop online to save on impulse purchases. It can also save on having to make an additional trip to the gas pump

"When you shop online, you don't wander the aisles and look at things," said Kachkar. "I'm buying the things and I'm looking at the choices online, but I'm not hitting the potato chip aisle or the candy aisle."

As for Koch, he recommends having a base budget to stick to and says, "I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do things.”

Sources

1. Dalhousie University: Canada’s food price report 2025

2. Government of Canada: 10 reasons to buy frozen vegetables and fruits

3. Canadian Grocer: Flyers, price-matching, local stores: How Canadians' grocery habits have changed, by Rosa Saba (Jul 26, 2024)