Want to shop local and support Canadian businesses? You’re in the right place! Buying Canadian made products means getting great quality while helping homegrown brands thrive. Whether you’re after clothing, beauty, home essentials, or food (hello, maple syrup!), this list has you covered.
From well-known brands to hidden gems, here’s your ultimate guide to Canadian made products. Let’s shop local and keep our dollars close to home!
Now, when you’re out and about shopping, I recommend you read labels and do a bit of research. Shopping Canadian can be incredibly nuanced. For example, Lay’s and General Mills are American companies, however, there are production plants in Canada employing Canadians. They also use Canadian ingredients. So my recommendation is to buy how you feel comfortable with what you know.
Here is how to tell if something was made in Canada:
From Vancouversun.com: Anything at the grocery store that is labelled as a ‘product of Canada’ means all of its major ingredients, where it was processed, and the labour used to produce it are Canadian or are located in Canada.
A product labelled “made in Canada” means just that: The item was last processed or had its “last substantial transformation” in Canada but its ingredients may be a mix of both domestic and imported ingredients.
As always, I appreciate your help in adding brands and retailers that I have missed. Canada has so many gems!
I mentioned above that buying Canadian can be incredibly nuanced. I firmly believe that you have to make the best shopping decisions for your family values. This might mean only buying from Canadian owned companies or brands. Or perhaps you feel comfortable buying from an American owned brand/company as long as products are produced in Canada and/or use Canadian ingredients and materials.
Also, it goes without saying, but supporting your local Mom & Pop shops, farmer’s markets and even buying from your neighbour is hugely beneficial.
All that said, here are a couple more places where you can support Canadian via American owned companies:
Shopping on Amazon is one of my favorite ways to save money. After all, I can find almost everything I need at competitive prices and enjoy the convenience of having it shipped right to my door. But wouldn’t saving even more money be great?
Take a look below at 7 tips on how to save big shopping on Amazon Canada to get your household essentials, books, clothing and more at even better prices.
1. Take Advantage of Amazon Resale Deals
A great way to save some money on Amazon Canada is to shop through Amazon Resale!
The Amazon Resale section (previously known as Amazon Warehouse) on Amazon.ca, offers great deals on quality used, pre-owned, or open box products.
With all the benefits of Amazon fulfilment, customer service, and returns rights, Amazon provides discounts on customer favorites such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, home & kitchen appliances, and thousands more.
For each used product they sell, they thoroughly test the condition of the item and provide detailed descriptions to make it easier for you to make a decision.
2. Become a Prime Member.
For $9.99 per month or $99 per year you can become an Amazon Prime memberand enjoy many money saving benefits!
With an Amazon Prime membership, you will enjoy:
FREE Two-Day Shipping on eligible items. Free standard shipping on other items.
Unlimited streaming of movies and TV episodes on Prime Video
Amazon Music
30-minute early access to Lightning Deals.
Prime Reading: Borrow books, magazines, and more. Read them on your Fire tablet, Kindle e-reader, or the Kindle reading apps for iOS and Android.
Secure unlimited photo storage, enhanced search, and organization features in Amazon Drive.
Access to exclusive Prime Day sales.
Free DashPass.
If you make a lot of Amazon purchases throughout the year, a Prime Membership will pay for itself in no time.
Are you a student? Check out the Prime Student membership to save even more.
3. Try the Subscribe & Save option.
Is there a product you use often? Toilet paper, dish soap or diapers perhaps? If so, try the Subscribe & Save option!
If you decide to do Subscribe & Save on certain products, you can save up to 15% off and have that product automatically delivered every 2 weeks to 6 months. Shipping is also free. You can cancel your Subscribe & Save at any time.
4. Look for Coupons & Promo Codes
My favourite deals on Amazon are those that are on sale AND have a coupon to apply or a promo code to redeem! Here are some screen shots of what I mean:
When available, these coupons and promo codes are found below the price of the item you’re looking at.
You can find available coupons by browsing this page on Amazon Canada. As for promo codes, as far as I know, there isn’t a specific page for these. Which leads me to my next tip…
5. Follow Me for Everyday Deals.
Every day I post deals over on Instagram and in Facebook stories. I like to post a variety of items that are actual good deals from Canadian retailers, including Amazon. You’ll see deals on everyday essentials, clothing, decor, household items, holiday items and more!
As I mentioned before, my favourite deals are those that are on sale and have a coupon and/or a promo code. You’ll find plenty of these over there!
Also, on Fridays I update my Simply Frugal Weekend Deals post. This is a great all-in-one article for easy deal browsing featuring only Canadian retailers.
6. Add an Item to Your Cart, But Don’t Buy
This is a trick I use time and time again. If you have your eye on a particular item and it’s currently not on sale, add it to your shopping cart, but don’t buy it! Amazon will save it in your shopping cart and let you know when the price changes.
Sometimes the price will increase first, but you will also see when the price decreases. To find if there has been any changes in the pricing, click on the “Cart” button in the top right corner. If there has been any changes to the pricing, you will see a message at the top of your shopping cart. Once the price drops low enough for me, I buy it!
7. Utilize Camel Camel Camel
Camel Camel Camel is an Amazon price tracker. It tracks the price history of products available on Amazon. You can also sign up for a free account and add items to a Price Watching list to get email alerts when the price drops on the items you’re watching.
See how simple it can be to save some extra cash with Amazon Canada? Give these tips a try and see how far you can stretch your Amazon bucks!
I’d love to know what your biggest deal was if you’ve shopped online at Amazon in the past. Let us know in the comments!
I love to read when I get the chance, but I don’t always love the price tag that goes along with reading. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to get books or digital books for Free!
Where to Find Free Paperback Books:
The Library: The library is the first place I check if there’s a particular book I want to read. The only downfall is that there’s usually a waiting list because the books I want to read are usually newer books. There’s been only a couple of occasions when I’m not able to find the book I want.
Friends: Often times friends of mine already own books that I want to read so I tend to ask around first before I buy. Of course, I return the favour if I own a book someone wants to read.
Facebook Groups: Check your local Buy Nothing group for people giving away free books. Or, you could even put in an ask and I’m sure other would be happy to pass on their books!
Swagbucks: While this is not an instant gratification method to getting free books because it takes time to earn Swag Bucks, it’s still worth a mention! I like to collect Swag Bucks and then redeem them for Amazon gift cards (and Starbucks cards…) There are plenty of ways to earn Swag Bucks. Searching the web, shopping online, daily polls, surveys, watching videos and more! Check out this post for 6 Ways to Earn More Swagbucks.
Where to Find Free eBooks:
eBooks are books too! They are a great alternative to physical books. There are so many ways to expand your library this way. Here’s how to get tons of Free eBooks:
Libby app: I have been loving the Libby app! With Libby, you can enjoy free ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your library. All you need is a library card.
eReaderGirl: Check daily for free ebooks, including Kobo, NOOK, and Kindle versions.
BookBub: BookBub alerts you to limited-time free and discounted ebooks matching your interests.
The Fussy Librarian – The Fussy Librarian offers two email newsletters catered to your particular interests: Bargain books or free ebooks! Pick one or both, delivered on the days you pick.
Amazon:Do a search for Free ebooks by either typing in “0.00” or “free kindle ebooks”.
BookRunes: Find a great selection of free & bargain books on BookRunes. Search by genre too!
Story Cartel: This one is neat and practically anyone can use Story Cartel! All books on Story Cartel are completely free, but in return you support authors by leaving your honest review, whether good or bad, of the book you downloaded.
Blog email newsletters: Follow your favourite blogs and sign up for their email newsletter if they offer any ebooks they’ve written for free! This is a great way to support those bloggers you love!
Openlibrary.org: has over 1 million ebook titles available for you to read!
Project Gutenberg: Project Gutenberg offers over 75,000 free ebooks: choose among free epub books, free kindle books, download them or read them online.
Kobo eBookstore: Visit the Kobo store for a list of Free ebooks
While I’m still a fan of paperback books, my love for eBooks has been growing. I purchased a Kindle ereader a few years ago and I’ve been loving it ever since. It’s not easy to carry around hundreds of books at the same time otherwise! 😉 Amazon also has a free app that will allow you to read Kindle books on your computer, smartphone or tablet.
I’d love to hear all your ideas on how you find free books and ebooks in the comments!
I’m must confess. If I could, I would buy all the pretty planners out there. Just the idea of having all my to-do’s and ideas in one place gets practical old me really excited. I’m currently using one like this, but it’s an academic one. Meaning it runs from July 2024 – June 2025. This suits my life because our summers are pretty unstructured. I can jot down my to-dos, appointments, reminders, menu plan, shopping list and even my ideas!
If you’re after a good planner, but haven’t quite found “the one” yet, this round up is sure to help you find one of the best planners that will work for you!
First of all, let’s take a look at some things to think about before purchasing a planner:
How to Pick the Best Planner
Purpose: Knowing what you wish to keep track of in your planner is key to finding the right one for your needs. Do you simply want to keep track of appointments? A monthly calendar might be great for you. If you want to keep a to-do list and appointments easily accessible, then a weekly planner could be the right fit. If you intend on keeping a to-do list, appointments, a meal plan, a shopping list and some thoughts or ideas, then a daily planner would be perfect!
Portability: Will you be carrying your planner around with you or will it just be sitting on your desk or counter? If you will be carrying it around, then the size of the planner matters. Make sure the size you choose fits into the bag or purse you will be using. I personally like the 8″ by 5″ size best.
The Best Monthly Planners:
WSBL Bohemian 2025 Monthly Planner– This one is pretty, a great price and includes some extra features like a back pocket, to-do lists, address and phone number pages, and password pages.
5 Year Monthly Planner – Because this is a 5 year planner, I think this would be great to use as a personal notebook, journal, or diary! Or, you can use it to set goals, important dates, or deadlines, as well as jotting down notes and ideas.
18 Month 2025 Monthly Planner – This is a beautiful lay-flat monthly calendar. This one has a pen loop, a storage pocket, goal setting pages and more.
Staples 2025 Monthly Planner – This is a smaller 6-7/8″ x 8-3/4″ basic monthly planner that includes telephone and address pages, dates to remember page and more.
High Note Weekly Planner – This one is so pretty! It is slightly larger than a typical weekly planner at 9″ x 10″. It includes some goal setting and project planning pages for every month. Also includes monthly tab dividers, a handy pocket and some stickers.
Aimpeak 2025 Weekly Planner – This planner includes monthly tabs, a pen loop, lots of writing space and goal planning pages.
Getink 2025 Weekly Planner – With lots of room for planning, this portable sized planner might be perfect for you!
Planberry Weekly Planner – This is a great undated weekly planner if you really want to hit some goals this year. Also unique to this planner, you will find built in budget planner sheets!
Paper Harbour Planner – This undated weekly planner is made and printed in Canada! Space for 12 months, 52 weeks, one bonus week, and lined journal pages.
Leuchtturm1917 2025 Weekly Planner – This one is unique in the way that it features an entire week on the left and an entire page for notes on the right. Perfect if you love a lot of room for thoughts and ideas or note taking.
Action Day Weekly Planner – Each day offers hourly scheduling from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Also includes a 12-page teaching tool to see yourself as the person you want to be, what values you want to live by, your goals and actions.
Blue Sky Laila Weekly Planner – This beautiful simple weekly planner is perfect for a clean look at your week or adding fun doodles or stickers!
Amy Knapp’s Family Organizer – A planner especially for moms! Includes a big space for a weekly to-do list, tear off grocery and menu plans, motivational quotes and stickers!
Polestar Family Weekly Planner – This one is unique and especially great for the person who wants to track appointments, meal plans and home tasks all in one spot!
Passion Planner – This one looks great for goal setting as well as keeping track of your weekly to-dos. Their Instagram page looks like it’s full of inspiration on how to use it.
Emily Ley Simplified Weekly Planner – I have used this in past years! I love the colours and simplicity of it. I also like how each day is separated into two parts: My Day and To-Do.
Legend Undated Weekly Planner – This one is great for the working person that wants to track work to-dos and personal to-dos. Looks fantastic for goal setting and creating a better you.
Wordsworth Undated Weekly Planner – This one reminds me of the Simplified planner, but with a heavy dose of goal setting pages that look helpful!
So Darling 2025 Weekly Planner 9.75″ x 9″ – This is the one I’m currently using and I love it! I love the tabbed dividers, reflection pages and notes pages. Has a pocket in the back and cute stickers!
The Best Daily Planners
Blueline 2025 Daily planner – This is the one I used for years, but then they added the times in 30 minute increments. I am personally not a fan of the times added, but that doesn’t mean it’s not perfect for you!
2025 Daily Simplified Planner – This is like a Weekly Planner that I have used in the past, but a daily version that includes time slots for each day.
Day Designer Daily Planner – The daily calendar view page contains hourly schedule in 30-minute increments, top 3 priority items, to-do list, notes section and an inspirational quote, as well as a dedicated gratitude section.
To Do List Undated Daily Planner – If you are looking for a way to track your daily to-dos, fitness, meal plan, and top priorities for each day, then this planner is worth looking at!
Clever Fox Daily Planner PRO – This undated planner is unique in the sense that it lasts just 3 months if used consistently. Perhaps a great way to test drive a planner! This planner has everything though: create a vision for your life, define and break down your goals, and incorporate these goals into your schedule. It has a separate page for each day of the week, with an hourly schedule, daily goal, priorities, to-do list, daily reflection, and plenty of space for extra notes.
Blueline NotePro Undated Daily Planner – This planner has an undated daily planner on left side and is ruled with margin on the right side for note taking.
Poprun 2025 Daily Planner – This daily planner presents spacious everyday planning with hourly schedules for your appointments, which makes your busy daily routines organized.
The Best Specialty Planners
The Meal Planner – This printable planner made by me, will help you plan every aspect of your meal planning!
52 Week Meal Planner – This planner contains space to plan a year’s worth of meal’s and grocery lists.
Weekly Meal Planner– This is like the meal planner above but has dedicated spaces for breakfast and lunch ideas too.
Travel Planner – For every trip, track your budget, list must-see attractions, map out shopping and dining spots, and keep tabs on your itinerary.
The Cleaning Planner – This printable, step by step plan will help take the overwhelm out of cleaning.
Weekly Budget Planner – Keep track of your spending, plan monthly budgets and set savings goals with this planner!
The Budget Planner – This printable, easy to follow planner takes the overwhelm out of budgeting.
Teacher’s Planner– This planner will help you keep track of weekly lessons, seating plans, attendance, and grades!
CREATE Blog and Editorial Calendar – A planning and editorial system designed for ambitious bloggers and biz owners to create intentional content, grow and nurture an audience, and build a business around their blog
Mega Homeschool Planner – Whether you homeschool 1 child or many, this planner will keep you organized, hold your important records, make planning a breeze, track anything, is portable and conveniently stores away.
Coupon Planner – 52 Weekly (undated) shopping pages to plan which stores to hit, keep track of sales, and organize your coupons to make the trip as smooth as possible.
There you have it, the best planners you can get in Canada. If you use a planner, do you purchase the same one year after year or do you like to switch it up?
Below, you’ll find an epic round-up of all the Canadian Boxing Day Deals for 2024! The list will be updated as new deals are discovered. Bookmark this page and enjoy some great savings at your favourite Canadian stores!
It’s gift-giving season, which means you’re either really excited about shopping for gifts, or in the beginning stages of holiday dread. 🙂
Gift-giving can be very overwhelming. Especially for the person who has everything! When I need a gift, the perfect gift in my mind, is something practical and memorable yet a bit extravagant (something they wouldn’t purchase themselves). Of course, my gift-giving has to be done within a budget, as I’m sure most of yours does too.
Finding a budget friendly and unique gift can be challenging, especially as more and more people may be added to your Christmas list. This year, I want to give you several gift guides that feature fabulous gift ideas that you can shop from!
I’m pretty darn excited about this year’s gift guides because I think you’ll find a lot of great gift ideas for everyone on your list. Plus, since you’re getting this from Simply Frugal, the gift guides feature frugal gift ideas that are separated into categories by price!
These frugal gift guides will help solve all of your gift-giving dilemmas by making it really easy to find that perfect gift for everyone on your list. All you have to do is click, order, and wrap!
