Saskatoon mother Tammy Gale is worried about healthy food for her family as prices rise.
“It’s getting more and more expensive to go shopping every day,” Gale said.
“Common foods like cauliflower and broccoli had just gone up in price and were hard to find and get at a good price.”
Gale cooks more, checks ads for the latest deals, and drives less.
Many Saskatchewan residents are feeling price cuts at grocery stores and gas stations.
A new study found that about seven out of ten respondents are concerned about their ability to pay for everything they need in the next six months.
“That’s a pretty large proportion of Saskatchewan residents who are sounding the alarm,” said Jason Disano, director of the Canadian Center for Applied and Social Research (CHASR).
In collaboration with CBC Saskatchewan, CHASR at the University of Saskatchewan conducted a survey of 400 people from June 1-10. The poll has an error of plus or minus 4.9%, 19 times out of 20.
The survey found that people cope with inflation by changing their transportation habits, cutting back on leisure and hobbies, remortgaging their homes or moving to less expensive housing, and using food banks and public refrigerators.
Youth disproportionately affected
The survey found that people aged 18 to 34 are disproportionately affected by high inflation.
They are more likely than any other age group to change vacation plans, take out a loan, delay paying bills, take other jobs and sell personal property.
“We found that for young people who are just settling down, entering the labor market, buying a house, inflation adds more problems,” Disano said.
Jesse Bolton, 19, who works for a Saskatoon truck company, said her groceries bills have doubled.
“I work nine to five, but it’s hard for me to keep up,” she said.
- Rising food prices are forcing some Canadians to cut spending
- Sask. gasoline prices are over $2 a liter and city budgets are struggling
Prime Minister Scott Mo has hinted at the possibility of providing residents with consumer discounts if natural resource prices remain high.
“We’ll be looking at ways to get that back potentially in one way or another, maybe by reducing debt, maybe by funneling some dollars to the people of Saskatchewan,” Moe said on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Treasury Secretary Chrystia Freeland recently provided $8.9 billion in financial support to help Canadians cope with rising inflation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland rejected calls for new measures to curb inflation, instead highlighting $8.9 billion in funding already announced to help Canadians.