A Guide to Saving on Holiday Grocery Shopping with PC Financial®
Key Points
Beat the holiday rush by planning ahead (create your menu, check your pantry/fridge before shopping etc.)
Stretch your budget further and earn rewards while you shop by using a PC Financial® credit card
Maximize value with leftovers and stocking up on sale items that can go in the freezer
Skip long lines and enjoy convenient pickup or delivery with PC Express™ grocery pickup or delivery service
Whether you’re the type to break out in song or bust out the ugly holiday sweater, we all find our festive cheer in different ways. But one thing that will get just about anyone in the spirit—great food!
And since it’s never too early to start planning for holiday hosting, we’ve put together a handy list of tips for making the most of your time and budget, to help you simplify your holiday shopping and get rewarded while doing it!
Smart holiday grocery shopping tips (save time, stretch your budget)
Start early & shop in waves
Research shows some proactive Canadians start to plan their holiday hauls up to 3 months in advance. (opens in a new window) Organizing your shopping list by grocery section and even making dedicated trips can help you shop efficiently. Think pantry first, fresh last, to get maximum value out of every purchase.
Pro Tip: Last-minute recipe pivot? Order online! PC Express™ grocery delivery and pickup service offers unlimited free delivery on eligible orders of $30+. With the PC Insiders™ World Elite® Mastercard® (opens in a new window) you can get a Free PC Express™ pass ($99 annual value)*. Shop great deals with ease online then choose same-day or future delivery to as many addresses as you like.
Build a points plan
One way to make your budget go further and maximize your points earning is to take advantage of weekly flyers and in-app offers (like the personalized offers you can find every Thursday in the PC Optimum™ app). And with the PC® Mastercard®, you’ll earn even more points, faster! Keep reading to learn how.
Pro Tip: Planning a big shop during a promo or sale is a great way to be strategic with your budget, schedule, and points earning!
Consider leftovers
Festive feasts often mean abundance, but that doesn't have to mean waste. When planning your menus, think about how ingredients can be used in multiple dishes or how leftovers can be transformed into easy meals for the days following.
Pro Tip: Make strategic use of your freezer for extra ingredients bought on sale or for portions of prepared dishes. This not only stretches your budget by ensuring you use everything you buy but also saves you precious time cooking in the busy post-holiday period!
What makes a card “best” for grocery shopping?
Look at the benefits (and restrictions)
When choosing the right card, you want to ask yourself two questions. First, which perks will I take advantage of most? (Consider reward earn rates—especially on groceries, welcome bonuses, in-store and online redemption)?
Second, are there any catches I might want to avoid? This could include (hidden) fees, redemption ease (or difficulty) and minimum income requirements.
Find your everyday spending fit
Look for patterns in where you shop and how often you use pickup/delivery. This can point you toward a card that rewards the way you already shop!
The best grocery credit card—how PC Financial® helps you earn more, faster!
Earn everyday, everywhere
The PC® Mastercard® makes it easy to take advantage ofunlimited points earning on everyday essentials like groceries & gas. And with points that don’t expire, you can redeem on your terms.
Where you earn (Spoiler: everywhere)
You can turn everyday purchases into PC Optimum™ points anywhere with a PC® Mastercard®. Earn 1% back in points on dining, transit, and everywhere else you shop1, with additional earning potential at Loblaws®, Real Canadian® Superstore, No Frills®, Joe Fresh® and Shoppers Drug Mart®. If that weren’t enough, you can fill up on fuel AND points at participating Esso™and Mobil™ stations in Canada.
Pro Tip: Keep an eye out for points events and personalized offers with your online PC Financial® account, so you can earn even more points in-store and online.
Ready to start future-proofing your finances? Open a PC Money™ Account today.
Taking the first step forward is easy. Sign up today and join thousands of customers earning over $700 in value every year†.
Easy redemption
With a minimum redemption2 of just 10,000 points ($10 worth) towards purchases, it’s easy to turn PC Optimum™ points into free groceries (and more). And to give you even more flexibility in how you reward yourself, you can now pay down your monthly credit card balance (opens in a new window)with points.3
Pro Tip: Redeem your points at special Spend Your Points events to get even more value!
Award-winning
Don’t just take our word for it. The PC® World Elite® Mastercard® was named Rates.ca Best Family Card for Gas and Groceries (2024)! (opens in a new window)4
There are few things more rewarding than pulling off the perfect holiday get together. But rewarding yourself on every purchase feels pretty great, too!
So, before you dive into prepping for the holidays, remember that a little planning goes a long way. By thinking ahead, budgeting wisely, and choosing financial products that actively reward your spending, you can navigate the festive season with ease, letting you focus on what truly matters.
General information not about PC Financial® products is provided for your reference and interest only. The above content is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on matters of interest and is not a substitute for and should not be construed as the advice of an experienced professional. PC Financial® does not guarantee the currency, accuracy, applicability, or completeness of this content.
*PC Express™ Pass is a monthly or annual subscription plan that gives you $0 pickup or delivery on same-day or future PC Express™ online grocery orders of $30 or more for the duration of the plan. Annual subscription fee of $99.99, plus applicable taxes is waived for PC Insiders™ World Elite Mastercard® cardholders. Cannot be combined with any other PC Express™ Pass subscription promotional offer. Priority pickup and delivery are available with a PC Express™ Pass for $3. PC Express™ Rapid Delivery is available with a PC Express™ Pass for $3. PC Express™ online grocery orders require a $30 minimum spend (before taxes and fees) in order to receive free same-day or future pickup or delivery. Subscription may be automatically cancelled, and your benefits will end immediately if at any time your PC Insiders™ World Elite Mastercard® account is not in good standing, restricted, closed, or changed to a different President’s Choice Financial® credit card. Visit https://www.pcexpress.ca/pass (opens in a new window) for details on the program.
1Earn a minimum of 10 PC Optimum™ points per dollar on all of your purchases charged to the credit card. Any bonus PC Optimum™ points offers available to all PC Financial® Mastercard® customers are calculated based on the regular earnings rate of 10 PC Optimum™ points per dollar spent. This offer may be terminated or changed at any time.
2Our grocery stores means affiliated Loblaw banner grocery stores. Visit pcoptimum.ca (opens in a new window) for details on participating stores where the PC Optimum™ program is offered. Minimum redemption is 10,000 PC Optimum™ points (worth $10 in free rewards) and in increments of 10,000 PC Optimum™ points thereafter, at participating stores. You can redeem the PC Optimum™ points you earn for eligible purchases, or for any other purposes of which we may advise you from time to time. Some redemption restrictions apply. Visit pcoptimum.ca (opens in a new window) for details, participating stores and full loyalty terms and conditions.
3Statement credit redemptions are available to primary cardholders of an eligible PC® Mastercard® account ("Account") and holders of an eligible PC Optimum™ account, both of which must be open and in good standing at the time of redemption. With this offer, you may redeem PC Optimum™ points using your PC Financial® online account for a statement credit applied against the current balance on your Account. Statement credits are not applied against a specific purchase or other transaction. PC Optimum™ points may be redeemed solely in the increments set out in your PC Financial® online account and for redemption value up to the current balance of your Account, or an amount equal to 500,000 PC Optimum™ points, whichever is lower. The applicable redemption rate will be specified in your PC Financial® online account at the time of redemption. You acknowledge and understand that the PC Optimum™ points redemption rate applicable to this offer may vary from the redemption rate available for other redemption types or offers. For other redemption rates, please refer to your PC Optimum™ Program Terms & Conditions at the URL noted below, or the terms of the specific redemption offer. Once a redemption has been authorized pursuant to this offer, it cannot be changed, cancelled or reversed. Redemption credits from this offer will lower your Account balance, but a redemption is not considered to be a payment on your Account, and you will remain responsible for making a payment of the minimum payment amount specified on your statement by the due date indicated, even if your redemption has reduced your Account balance below your minimum payment amount (including reducing your Account balance to $0.00). Credits may take up to 3 business days to post to the Account. This offer is non-transferable, may not be combined with any other offer, and is subject to change or cancellation without notice to you. This offer and all redemptions pursuant to it are subject to the PC Optimum™ Program Terms & Conditions available online at www.pcoptimum.ca/company-policy/terms-and-conditions.
4Statement credit redemptions are available to primary cardholders of an eligible PC® Mastercard® account ("Account") and holders of an eligible PC Optimum™ account, both of which must be open and in good standing at the time of redemption. With this offer, you may redeem PC Optimum™ points using your PC Financial® online account for a statement credit applied against the current balance on your Account. Statement credits are not applied against a specific purchase or other transaction. PC Optimum™ points may be redeemed solely in the increments set out in your PC Financial® online account and for redemption value up to the current balance of your Account, or an amount equal to 500,000 PC Optimum™ points, whichever is lower. The applicable redemption rate will be specified in your PC Financial® online account at the time of redemption. You acknowledge and understand that the PC Optimum™ points redemption rate applicable to this offer may vary from the redemption rate available for other redemption types or offers. For other redemption rates, please refer to your PC Optimum™ Program Terms & Conditions at the URL noted below, or the terms of the specific redemption offer. Once a redemption has been authorized pursuant to this offer, it cannot be changed, cancelled or reversed. Redemption credits from this offer will lower your Account balance, but a redemption is not considered to be a payment on your Account, and you will remain responsible for making a payment of the minimum payment amount specified on your statement by the due date indicated, even if your redemption has reduced your Account balance below your minimum payment amount (including reducing your Account balance to $0.00). Credits may take up to 3 business days to post to the Account. This offer is non-transferable, may not be combined with any other offer, and is subject to change or cancellation without notice to you. This offer and all redemptions pursuant to it are subject to the PC Optimum™ Program Terms & Conditions available online at www.pcoptimum.ca/company-policy/terms-and-conditions.
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