Home Economics: More workers living paycheque-to-paycheque; Most individuals altering grocery habits

Home Economics newsletter: More Canadians are living paycheque-to-paycheque; Most individuals are changing their grocery store habits; More people opting to rent over buying a home; Food prices rose at fastest pace since 1981.

Many Canadians are feeling the pressure of higher expenses as interest rates continue to rise. A survey released by the National Payroll Institute found that the number of individuals living paycheque-to-paycheque increased by 26 per cent compared to a year ago. There’s also an all-time high number of Canadians who are spending more than their paycheque (11 per cent), which is the highest number since the Annual National Payroll Institute Survey of Working Canadians was first started 14 years ago. BNN Bloomberg’s Hilary Punchard broke down the full report.

Most Canadians are changing their grocery store habits

If you’ve been having to take a closer look at your grocery bill these days, well you’re not alone. A report by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab found almost three-out-of-four Canadians are making lifestyle changes like using loyalty programs or reading weekly flyers in order to try and cope with higher food costs. Some Canadians are even taking the issue into their own hands, with 15.5 per cent reporting they’ve started growing their own food in the last year, while 4.5 per cent are raising their own livestock at home.