Food is one of our biggest expenses. Luckily, shopping smart can make a huge impact on your food budget. Students at MacEwan University’s City Centre Campus have easy access to two main grocery stores: Safeway on 104 Avenue and 114 Street, and Save-On-Foods on 109 Street, just north of Jasper Avenue.

We wanted to compare prices at these two stores to find out which one, in the grand scheme, is more affordable. We focused on staples such as milk, bread, and coffee, which means you can use this chart as a basic shopping list if you’re living on your own for the first time and you want to fill your cupboards with more than Kraft Dinner and Ichiban noodles. (Don’t worry, though — we’ve compared prices on Kraft Dinner, too.) In the list that follows, you’ll find brand name and in-house products compared between stores. Some clear winners emerged: Safeway has cheaper prices on snacks and condiments, and Save-On-Foods has better deals on dairy and spices. If saving money is a priority for you, you may even want to change your shopping habits to reduce your spending. We looked at regular prices because sales are so variable and temporary, but don’t forget that the best way to save money on groceries is to buy items when they’re on sale! There are also two Dollarama locations near campus — one in Edmonton City Centre mall, and one in Oliver Square — and you can find a lot of grocery basics there, such as canned tomatoes and pasta. Feel like having a fridge is a big responsibility? Find you’re spending more than you need to on the foods you buy most? Read on to find out where you can get the best deals on groceries.

Photos by Madison Kerr