He scours the internet for the best grocery deals so you don't have to
Weekly Reddit posts much appreciated by those struggling with cost of food
Every Wednesday at 4:30 a.m., Donovan Burey sits down at his computer with a blank Excel spreadsheet and a mission to fill it with the best prices on groceries around Ottawa.
The hours-long process includes rooting through digital coupons and flyers on Flipp, an app that aggregates the latest sales from retailers across North America.
Though he doesn't own a vehicle and limits his shopping to two stores within walking distance of his home — Food Basics on Cyrville Road and Adonis on St. Laurent Boulevard — Burey doesn't let his research and analysis of food deals go to waste.
"I love a good price," he said with a grin.
"You know, when I see these like $0.99 pineapples at Walmart … I just have a little pang of regret that I can't access it," he said.
"But that doesn't mean I can't share it with others."
That's why, when Burey's satisfied with his findings, he posts his weekly roundup of all the best deals on the Ottawa subreddit.
He also adds helpful suggestions ("YESS!!!! Stock up!!") on particularly good markdowns, such as a deal for ground pork at $2.49 per lb. at Super C.
'If it's not on sale, don't buy it'
Burey attributes his passion for a good sale to his frugal upbringing.
"We were a big family, small income, so it was really important to shop smart," he recalls.
The family motto was "if it's not on sale, don't buy it."
"We basically geared a lot of our groceries and cooking around that, so if it's on sale, we're making that," he said.
Now in his mid-30s, navigating life as a new homeowner while the cost of living soars, he's grateful for the refrain and what he's learned as a result.
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"There's a sort of internal database in my own head of all the prices," he explained.
"An $0.80 cucumber is a really good deal ... $6 for cauliflower is really bad, $2 is really good," said Burey, who studied economics and currently works at Statistics Canada.
Burey's skillset is especially useful as the cost of food, in particular, continues to rise.
A new food industry report predicts overall food costs will rise between 2.5 and 4.5 per cent in 2024.
Burey likes to share a key tip: when you find something on sale, buy lots, even if it's not something you'd usually stock up on.
"I remember at the start of the pandemic butter was $1.88 a bar and I stocked up quite a bit. I still have, I think, some of that 2019 butter in my freezer right now."
An audience hungry for deals
Since he started posting his weekly savings roundups two months ago, they've started getting attention from the Ottawa subreddit community.
"Whoever you are, you're an awesome human being! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for devoting your time and effort to compile this list," wrote one Reddit user under a December post by Burey.
"My hero! Always look forward to your posts," another commented.
Others have shared the meals they've made and the best deals they've discovered.
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"Thank you so much! It's now our weekly routine to check your grocery reviews and you've definitely helped us save some money," reads another response.
Comments like those keep Burey going.
"There's some people that are struggling and they're thankful for being given just that little leg up."
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