Grocery prices in the downtown Toronto area...

[roseofblack25]

...Are 3x higher than what they are in the boonies!!! Seriously! Pitas 3.49 a package, well I could have gotten them back home in the boonies for .99 a package! Chips were "on sale" 2 for $7. HOW IS THAT A SALE???? I'm not even going to begin to start on the so called "fresh produce" sections of the stores. Do people not actually buy veggies here in the city or what??? All the ones I looked at were ROTTEN or about half way there. I'm not paying 2.99 for something that is already rotting in the store. UGHHH!

Okay, so now with that rant out of the way and I feel slightly better (not), where can I get cheap and reasonably priced groceries in the downtown area on a student budget??? I would prefer to not eat everything prepackaged which it seems like the stores near me all cater to people who can't or are too lazy to cook. I mean I don't mind prepackaged convenience once in awhile (used my coupons and got Buitoni pizzas that were on sale today YUM), but I would really like some fresh and cheap produce to eat as well like fruits/veggies etc.

I already know there is no Walmart or No Frills close to me unfortunately (thanks to google maps). I'm near the waterfront area for reference. I've never actually gone grocery shopping here before since I just moved, so I really don't know the places to go for good deals. Would I be better off shopping at small stores or vendors at the market? How do you shop cheaply in the downtown area?

[Chimmi]

...Are 3x higher than what they are in the boonies!!! Seriously! Pitas 3.49 a package, well I could have gotten them back home in the boonies for .99 a package! Chips were "on sale" 2 for $7. HOW IS THAT A SALE???? I'm not even going to begin to start on the so called "fresh produce" sections of the stores. Do people not actually buy veggies here in the city or what??? All the ones I looked at were ROTTEN or about half way there. I'm not paying 2.99 for something that is already rotting in the store. UGHHH!

Okay, so now with that rant out of the way and I feel slightly better (not), where can I get cheap and reasonably priced groceries in the downtown area on a student budget??? I would prefer to not eat everything prepackaged which it seems like the stores near me all cater to people who can't or are too lazy to cook. I mean I don't mind prepackaged convenience once in awhile (used my coupons and got Buitoni pizzas that were on sale today YUM), but I would really like some fresh and cheap produce to eat as well like fruits/veggies etc.

I already know there is no Walmart or No Frills close to me unfortunately (thanks to google maps). I'm near the waterfront area for reference. I've never actually gone grocery shopping here before since I just moved, so I really don't know the places to go for good deals. Would I be better off shopping at small stores or vendors at the market? How do you shop cheaply in the downtown area?

I am not sure where you are along the waterfront but if you are "downtown" like you say there are plenty of grocery stores to shop at. There is a Sobey's right on Queen's Quay at York (it is small and tiny but can be good in a pinch) another Sobey's a little further west at Spadina (closer to Front Street). There is a huge Loblaws at Lower Jarvis and Queens Quay, a Longo's at York and Bremner (just a few blocks north of Queens Quay) and there is also a metro, no frills and another Sobey's if you walk further east on Front Street. The Metro is at Church and the Sobey's and No Frills are just past Sherbourne. When people refer to downtown on the waterfront it means Queen's Quay so hopefully that is where you are living. Just look out for the sales and you can get great prices. You can walk to all of the stores.

Welcome to Toronto!

The best produce is at The St Lawrence Market (it comes directly from the farmers) but it is not cheap. The market is at Front and Jarvis. It is open Tuesdays thru Saturdays. Hope that helps!

[Shwa Girl]

Underground.
There is The Path system.
http://www.toronto.ca/path/
Near Dundas subway/Eaton Centre and near TD Bank Tower, there are actual grocery stores underground. Not big- but enough for fruits and veggies that you can use.
It's a chain - Kitchen Table Grocery Store.

At the Dundas subway, I have bought strawberries and blueberries for a reasonable price. It's at least one "cheap" fruit or veggie per week.

Here are more grocery vendors in THE PATH. I don't know how reasonable they are, but there is a Longo's.
http://www.torontopath.com/Search.aspx?CategoryID=11

[roseofblack25]

I am not sure where you are along the waterfront but if you are "downtown" like you say there are plenty of grocery stores to shop at. There is a Sobey's right on Queen's Quay at York (it is small and tiny but can be good in a pinch) another Sobey's a little further west at Spadina (closer to Front Street). There is a huge Loblaws at Lower Jarvis and Queens Quay, a Longo's at York and Bremner (just a few blocks north of Queens Quay) and there is also a metro, no frills and another Sobey's if you walk further east on Front Street. The Metro is at Church and the Sobey's and No Frills are just past Sherbourne. When people refer to downtown on the waterfront it means Queen's Quay so hopefully that is where you are living. Just look out for the sales and you can get great prices. You can walk to all of the stores.

Welcome to Toronto!

The best produce is at The St Lawrence Market (it comes directly from the farmers) but it is not cheap. The market is at Front and Jarvis. It is open Tuesdays thru Saturdays. Hope that helps!

Thanks! I was at the Longos store today (that was where I got the pizza) but they were completely out of the cheap on sale .99 pitas so I went to the Sobeys on Spadina and they wanted $3.49 a package! Yeah no LOL! Plus all the veggies I checked out there looked terrible all the salad stuff was just completely going bad in the store. I found Longos really hard to navigate it's like a puzzle and nothing is in a logical place LOL!

I want to go to No Frills since that is where I am used to shopping, but google maps tells me I'm almost a 40min walk from that one so I'm not sure I want to venture there in the heat. Unless google maps is wrong.

I'm going to have to try and find the Loblaws and see what they have for deals. Maybe it's a bit closer to me than No Frills? I'm pretty much a block east from Spadina.

[nightlite]

When we lived downtown we would go shop at the Price Chopper on Eastern Ave (731 Eastern Ave). Before that I had almost no choice but to go the Loblaws on Queens Quay where I practically handed over my paycheque to eat. PC saved my ass. They have great prices there. And this is coming from someone who now lives in the 'burbs after a decade + downtown.

[roseofblack25]

Underground.
There is The Path system.
http://www.toronto.ca/path/
Near Dundas subway/Eaton Centre and near TD Bank Tower, there are actual grocery stores underground. Not big- but enough for fruits and veggies that you can use.
It's a chain - Kitchen Table Grocery Store.

At the Dundas subway, I have bought strawberries and blueberries for a reasonable price. It's at least one "cheap" fruit or veggie per week.

Here are more grocery vendors in THE PATH. I don't know how reasonable they are, but there is a Longo's.
http://www.torontopath.com/Search.aspx?CategoryID=11

Thanks I've been to Longos today...Didn't know about the other places in path though!
I wish I could have a garden here LOL! I miss the one we have in the summer time at home Never have to buy lettuce or veggies for salads just get it from the garden. *sigh*
I mean I still love the city more, but I always like the almost free summer foods since packages of seeds we buy are like .99 and then we can eat all summer from the garden.

[roseofblack25]

When we lived downtown we would go shop at the Price Chopper on Eastern Ave (731 Eastern Ave). Before that I had almost no choice but to go the Loblaws on Queens Quay where I practically handed over my paycheque to eat. PC saved my ass. They have great prices there. And this is coming from someone who now lives in the 'burbs after a decade + downtown.

I've just come from a tiny town to the city. Everything at the grocery store is at least 3x cheaper there compared to here. I should have written down prices before I moved and made better comparisions. I pretty much had heart failure looking at the prices in the stores and only left with my pizzas, dish soap, and a package of japanese type noodles to make soups. I always thought it would be cheaper here since there are so many people buying grocery items and they would have a better turn around compared to in the country with a much smaller population and less turn around.

[anastasia1009]

I thought the same a few weeks ago looking for some salmon, bread, cat food and a few others. I have family downtown Toronto so we go every week or so and I went to the Loblaws on the Lakeshore Rd near Leslie. We went in & went out after seeing how much everything was and I even had coupons for things. We waited until Sobey's in Hamilton eventhough I find them $$$ but its 24hrs. I like the Price Chopper at Leslie/Lakeshore.

[Chimmi]

Thanks! I was at the Longos store today (that was where I got the pizza) but they were completely out of the cheap on sale .99 pitas so I went to the Sobeys on Spadina and they wanted $3.49 a package! Yeah no LOL! Plus all the veggies I checked out there looked terrible all the salad stuff was just completely going bad in the store. I found Longos really hard to navigate it's like a puzzle and nothing is in a logical place LOL!

I want to go to No Frills since that is where I am used to shopping, but google maps tells me I'm almost a 40min walk from that one so I'm not sure I want to venture there in the heat. Unless google maps is wrong.

I'm going to have to try and find the Loblaws and see what they have for deals. Maybe it's a bit closer to me than No Frills? I'm pretty much a block east from Spadina.

Yes Longo's is set up strangely. I have been going there since it opened - and I still hate the layout - it does not grow on you. I believe it was designed the way it was to ensure you walk through the whole store. It is annoying. Longo's in general is expensive though - I generally just shop there if there is a good sale.

Sorry to hear that the Sobey's closest to you has bad produce I find that chain of stores to be hit and miss. Maybe you could chat with the produce manager to find when new shipments come in - that way you can get the fresh stuff.

The Loblaws will be closer than the No Frills - if you are close to Spadina I would say it will take you around 20 -25 minutes to walk there. It depends how fast you walk. The advantage is that this location is 24 hours - so you could go after or before work when it is a bit cooler. I shop at this location when there is a great sale - otherwise prices can add up.

If you have a metropass walk up to King Street and take the streetcar across to the No Frills - it has only been open for a little over a year but for me the extra walking time is worth it for the money I save.

There is also a Loblaws at Queen St West and Portland - which is just north and west of where you are (but it is a high end one so you won't find any bargains there) It is a pretty store though

[torontogal12]

I also live on the Waterfront. The tiny Sobeys is a waste of time. There's often a lot of expired stuff in there too. I will go in there with a list of 10 items and come out with nothing because they have nothing on the list. Even simple things like pasta. The Longo's has so much stuff but is really expensive. The produce there is usually immaculate (and worth the extra $) so it's strange you saw bad quality produce there. They're good for their prepared food too but the hot table stuff can get expensive fast. They have a different food deal every night (pizza, stir fry, sushi depending on the day). The Loblaws isn't as bad pricewise as the Longo's and has better sales but it is an extra 20 mins walk.

When you're in Chinatown (take the 510 streetcar, which is a bus right now), shop there for produce. It's cheap but you'll have to eat it right away because its not as great as some of the high end places. Any independent fruit stands around the city are where you should buy your produce. There's lots of these on Danforth but you have to factor in the price of TTC. It's not worth spending $6 to get there if you only save $4.

Downtown pricing is so expensive that I end up getting all my groceries at a Freshco when I go visit my parents or friends in the my old hood (not downtown). If you're ever further out on the subway line bring those small foldy reusable bags with you and do small shops if you can! Keep your "A rotation" coupons in an envelope in your purse and use the flyers to do planning.

You can always take the King Streetcar westbound to Parliament street and go to the No Frills there near the Toronto Sun building. It's newly renovated and pretty nice. I would definitely not walk it with groceries. Trust me, I tried. Your shoulders get sore.

Good luck! Living down here is ridiculous expensive. The prices are higher than the towns because of the high rent. The stores gotta pay for their rent and property taxes through higher prices. Be very careful of St. Lawrence market. It's great stuff but you will pay out the nose. Don't know where you are going to school, but do NOT buy groceries near U of T. Arms and legs will get ripped off.

Do you have a balcony? We are growing a few tomato plants in pots

[GracieAnne]

I'm mentioning this more as something funny, but it could be worse.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily...192120869.html

$104.99 for a case of bottled water.


On another note, everything in Toronto is so overpriced, I could not ever imagine living there. :/

[Chimmi]

I'm mentioning this more as something funny, but it could be worse.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily...192120869.html

$104.99 for a case of bottled water.


On another note, everything in Toronto is so overpriced, I could not ever imagine living there. :/

This actually makes me sad - that is crazy to be charging that much.

I think Toronto groceries aren't that bad comparatively speaking. Our groceries are cheaper than Vancouver and I think we are cheaper than Montreal sometimes too. Just start looking at everyones flyers. To save money in TO you just have to wait for things to go on sale and use coupons. Then - stock up For fresh produce - buy what is in season, when it is on sale. You can stock up and freeze some things if you need to - or even can some items. Yes it is not cheap to live here but it isn't cheap to live in any city.

[roseofblack25]

I also live on the Waterfront. The tiny Sobeys is a waste of time. There's often a lot of expired stuff in there too. I will go in there with a list of 10 items and come out with nothing because they have nothing on the list. Even simple things like pasta. The Longo's has so much stuff but is really expensive. The produce there is usually immaculate (and worth the extra $) so it's strange you saw bad quality produce there. They're good for their prepared food too but the hot table stuff can get expensive fast. They have a different food deal every night (pizza, stir fry, sushi depending on the day). The Loblaws isn't as bad pricewise as the Longo's and has better sales but it is an extra 20 mins walk.

When you're in Chinatown (take the 510 streetcar, which is a bus right now), shop there for produce. It's cheap but you'll have to eat it right away because its not as great as some of the high end places. Any independent fruit stands around the city are where you should buy your produce. There's lots of these on Danforth but you have to factor in the price of TTC. It's not worth spending $6 to get there if you only save $4.

Downtown pricing is so expensive that I end up getting all my groceries at a Freshco when I go visit my parents or friends in the my old hood (not downtown). If you're ever further out on the subway line bring those small foldy reusable bags with you and do small shops if you can! Keep your "A rotation" coupons in an envelope in your purse and use the flyers to do planning.

You can always take the King Streetcar westbound to Parliament street and go to the No Frills there near the Toronto Sun building. It's newly renovated and pretty nice. I would definitely not walk it with groceries. Trust me, I tried. Your shoulders get sore.

Good luck! Living down here is ridiculous expensive. The prices are higher than the towns because of the high rent. The stores gotta pay for their rent and property taxes through higher prices. Be very careful of St. Lawrence market. It's great stuff but you will pay out the nose. Don't know where you are going to school, but do NOT buy groceries near U of T. Arms and legs will get ripped off.

Do you have a balcony? We are growing a few tomato plants in pots

It was Sobeys near me that had the nasty produce
Longos produce was fine but I was looking for specific stuff to make veggie and hummus pitas and they were out of the .99 pitas so figured no problem I'll just grab everything at Sobeys since it's closer to my place. Yeah I left empty handed LOL
I don't have a metro pass yet. Trying to hold out and only buy one when I need it to go to school. We have a tiny balcony that angles funny...I was thinking of trying to grow something out there but wasn't sure if it was too late to start since we put our garden in at home in May.

I'm couponing as much as possible, though most of the coupons are for packaged stuff and I usually only go for that stuff in the winter when I feel like comfort foods. I pretty much live off fresh fruits and veggies all summer so I need to scope out some deals on that stuff.

I'm mentioning this more as something funny, but it could be worse.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily...192120869.html

$104.99 for a case of bottled water.


On another note, everything in Toronto is so overpriced, I could not ever imagine living there. :/

ugh I wouldn't be able to afford to eat with those prices. I can barely manage to part with money for food now LOL! I hate that we have to spend so much money on things we actually need to survive. Like comparing prices today I could get a package of 3 peppers for the same price of the pizza I bought. The pizza will do me two meals. The peppers can't be eaten as a meal! It's like no wonder people buy junk food half the time. It's cheaper than healthy food!

[marstec]

rose,

I wish you luck finding an affordable grocery store, preferably one that is close to where you live. My brother moved to Toronto from Calgary last year and he's still trying to adjust to the prices! I think he tries to make it to Chinatown as much as possible for produce. I'll have to ask him where he shops. Is there an Oceans market near you? I've heard good things about it.

[roseofblack25]

rose,

I wish you luck finding an affordable grocery store, preferably one that is close to where you live. My brother moved to Toronto from Calgary last year and he's still trying to adjust to the prices! I think he tries to make it to Chinatown as much as possible for produce. I'll have to ask him where he shops. Is there an Oceans market near you? I've heard good things about it.

I've never heard of it but I tried google and it shows one in Mississauga so I don't think the downtown area has one. I am going to take a trip to China Town today actually and see what deals I can get for produce. I'm also going back to Longo's to see if they have any of the cheap pita's in yet. I want to make veggie and hummus pitas!