How to Find the Best Deals in Alberta

Times are tough – even in Alberta, where the cost of living is known to be more affordable than in other provinces. Just a few months ago, Statistics Canada deemed Alberta to have the biggest increase in inflation over the past year among all territories and provinces. So, there’s no better time than the present to start penny-pinching and search for deals where you can. Even for those who are comfortable, there’s nothing like snagging a good discount on something you’ve had your eye on for a while. In this guide, we’ll give you the insights you need to become a seasoned deal hunter, whether it’s on travel, food, entertainment, or products and services.

Browse City-Specific Websites

If you’ve ever wondered what’s happening in the city, what events you could attend on the weekend, or what new restaurants there are to try, city-specific websites are a great way to get a rundown of it all. Often posting multiple times a week, sites like Curiocity, Daily Hive, and Narcity keep you in the know on just about everything, including important news, weird happenings, and, most importantly, deals.

You might come across an article on the best restaurants for a cheap meal under $20, free activities to take advantage of, and cheap accommodation for a fun getaway. Occasionally, they might get more on the nose with their deals and promote a specific business that is hosting a temporary sale or offer. Just recently, Narcity Calgary posted an article on Sephora’s spring sale and how to access the best discounts.

Use Comparison Sites

Comparison sites can help you figure out where you can get certain items for the best price on the market. Perhaps you’re looking at a smart pet feeder at Best Buy, but you feel as though the $249.97 price tag is a little steep. Shopbot, PriceFinder, and other similar sites can provide a quick overview of all other retailers that sell that product and the price they’re going for. Search up the pet feeder on one of these sites, and you might find that Amazon sells the same item for much cheaper.

Rather than do your own price comparison, these sites condense that task into a few clicks instead. Not all comparison sites are made equal, though, as some sites will feature more retailers than others, and some might not update their pricing data as frequently as you might like.

Go the Traditional Route

While there are countless ways to search for deals using the internet, traditional methods still exist for good reason. Many neighbourhoods, towns, and cities still circulate flyers and mailers that advertise a variety of deals and sales for local businesses and chains in the area. There might be deals on spa packages, meal deals, discounts on home services like roofing and cleaning, and other useful offers.

If you don’t have physical mailers delivered to your mailbox, you could always join email mailing lists online. Many businesses give customers the option to sign up to receive updates on exclusive promotions right to their inbox, just as convenient as a physical counterpart would go to your mailbox.

Look for Province-Specific Online Gambling Promotions

For those who have hopped on the online gaming or sports betting trend, you’ll know that deals and welcome promotions are a natural part of the experience. The province is well ahead of the pack with its online gambling laws and legalization but only offers online gambling through its government-owned site, PlayAlberta, to keep revenue within the province. On the other hand, there’s no shortage of anticipation as legislators are soon to welcome a variety of other online casinos and sportsbooks like FanDuel, DraftKings, and bet365.

PlayAlberta constantly boasts weekly, monthly, and new player offers on free spins, free bets, odd boosts, credit, and other offers. But if you’re eagerly waiting for other online gambling options to arrive in the province, you can amp up the excitement by checking out all the casino bonuses on bonus.ca.

Scour Deals Websites

From group-based buying sites like Groupon to genre-specific ones like Travel Alberta, deal sites give you a much better alternative to paying full price. Travel Alberta is a fantastic place to look for offers on game-changing experiences like white water rafting on the Upper Red Deer River, a scramble on Mount Temple, a hike on the Icefields, a horse-riding activity in the Rocky Mountains, and more for very reasonable prices. Meanwhile, on Travelzoo, you can plan affordable date nights and celebrations for special events with discounts on shows, set dinners, and concerts.

Looking to cut costs on everyday items? While there might not be a way to convince your landlord to lower your monthly rent, Flipp can tell you about the best savings and deals on medication and pet supplies and help you stay within your grocery budget. It’s a platform that brings together a ton of flyers from popular retailers like Walmart, Safeway, Real Canadian Superstore, Home Depot, PetSmart, and more, so you can keep track of all the best items on sale to purchase weekly.

Join Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs are ideal if you’re a frequent shopper or traveller, as you can rack up points and redeem them for future use. Although you won’t get these perks all the time or right away, demonstrating your commitment to a business will pay off in the long run. Canadian bookstore chain Indigo has its very own plum points program where shoppers can earn plum points on every purchase – 2,500 for a $5 reward to apply on in-store and online purchases, 4,500 for a $10 reward, and so on. Local stores might also have their own stamp cards, where you can accumulate stamps and get a free item or perk after a certain number of purchases.