I started looking for grocery apps that work in Canada for the same reason I assume most people do: to save money.
In the Our Bill Pickle house, we spend an average of about $100-$120 a week on food. Yes. That’s for two adults without kids.
We aren’t eating extravagant meals or anything. In fact, most weeks, our grocery lists look fairly similar: a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, eggs, cheese and a few other odds and ends.
Sometimes, we’ll add meat of some kind for Jeff but for the most part, that’s it. We shop sales and I have been known to buy make-down items that I know can keep well in the freezer to save a couple bucks.
Yet, it is rare for us to cash out below $100.
So when I finally found two grocery apps that work in Canada, I jumped on board quick. Why not? It’s not like I had anything to lose.
(Disclaimer: This post does contain referral links. They’re clearly labelled. If you sign up for one of these apps using my link, I will receive a small bonus at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!)
Grocery apps in Canada: some context
One of the first things I learned when I started looking for grocery apps that work in Canada was that one of the most popular ones isn’t available for Canadians.
Of course, I’m talking about Ibotta. From what I can tell, this is the cash back program in the States, with lots of different offers from a variety of different stores. It is safe to say if Ibotta was available in Canada, I would be using and loving it.
But it’s not. So I wanted to see what else was out there.
That’s how I ended up finding Checkout 51 and Caddle.
Checkout 51
- Requirements: A phone that has a camera and is capable of installing an app.
- Offers: Several. Usually a few dozen, organized by category. They do a video offers, too, which basically involve watching the clip and getting a small reward for it.
- Cash-out amount: $20.
- How long does it take to the cash-out amount?: I find it takes me a couple months at least to reach that amount but again, it really depends on the offers.
- How long does it take for the cheque to arrive?: About three weeks on average for me.
- Referral program: Yup! Here is my referral link. If you join using my link, I’ll receive a small bonus at no cost to you.
My success with Checkout 51 has been hit or miss.
Ultimately, it comes down to the offers. Some weeks, we purchase a lot of items that have offers; other weeks, not so much. That said, the large number of offers alone is a good reason to check it out. More offers means more chances of having an item on your grocery list.
Caddle
- Requirements: A phone that has a camera and is capable of installing an app.
- Offers: About a dozen each week. Caddle has significantly fewer offers than Checkout 51. That said, while Caddle has fewer grocery offers, it does offer daily surveys. Most pay out $0.05, but they don’t take long to do. Additionally, offers in Caddle tend to run longer than they do in Checkout 51.
- Cash-out amount: $20.
- How long does it take to get to the cash-out amount?: Much like Checkout 51, it depends on what you’re buying and how often you do surveys.
- How long does it take for the cheque to arrive?: About three weeks.
- Referral program: Yup! Here’s my referral link. Again, if you sign up with my link, I’ll receive a small bonus at no cost to you.
Caddle doesn’t have as many offers as Checkout 51 but I would say I have had more success with it.
I tend to find more offers on things I buy on Caddle. Also, while the payout on the daily surveys is small — most are about $0.05 — doing them every day adds up pretty fast.
An important reminder
Of course, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to point out that the deals in these apps are only deals if you’re buying things you need.
It’s not a good deal if you’re buying something you don’t need, want or use for the purpose of getting the cash back. Cash back is only a benefit if you’re getting it on something you were going to be buying anyway.
Although I glance at these programs when I make my grocery list, I don’t give them too much power when it comes to guiding my decisions. And if I toss something on there to try out only to find it’s a little more pricey than I thought it would be? I don’t buy it. It’s as simple as that.
I can’t repeat it enough: a deal is only a good deal if you are buying something you need.
Final Thoughts
Much like Rakuten is great for online shopping, Checkout 51 and Caddle are great grocery apps that work in Canada and can save you a little money on your grocery bill. Both these apps are easy to use and offer deals on a variety of different products. You won’t get rich using these apps by any stretch of the imagination, but as the saying goes, every little bit adds up.
Do you know of any other grocery apps that work in Canada?
Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst
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