Most Canadians are cutting back their food spending as inflation soars: poll

Four-fifths of respondents to the Leger poll had started or planned to buy cheaper items at the grocery store to save on food bills amid high inflation.

A new poll suggests Canadians are looking for ways to cut back on spending as their concerns about the cost of living rise alongside headline inflation rates.

Four-fifths of respondents to the Leger poll had started or planned to buy cheaper items at the grocery store to save on food bills, and cut back on how much food they throw out to stretch every dollar.

Some three-quarters of respondents told the firm they planned to cut spending on household items and eat from local restaurants less frequently.

About one in two were already using their vehicles less to save on gasoline as prices at the pumps get pushed ever higher and a further one in five respondents planned to do the same in the near future.

Almost one-third were looking at buying an electric vehicle.

Overall, four-fifths of respondents said inflation was having a serious impact on their households, and the financial squeeze may only worsen as inflation rates are expected to go even higher.

The poll of 1,515 Canadians was taken between March 11 and March 13, but cannot be assigned a margin of error because online panels are not considered truly random samples.