After months of paying exorbitant amounts for groceries, people in Ontario and across Canada are finally taking a stand, with thousands planning to launch a full-on boycott of all Loblaw-owned retailers this spring.

Given the levels that food inflation has hit in the last few years across all of the limited few supermarkets we have to choose from, though, the currently unreasonable prices — which have skyrocketed from years past — are pretty unavoidable.

But, there are some foods that residents say they will simply just do without if prices rise, because they absolutely refuse to pay more than they already do for them.

At what point will the ridiculous cost increase of something immediately stop you from buying?
byu/UncrownedHayKing inontario

Rather than (or along with) boycotting specific stores, shoppers are vowing to boycott individual ingredients and items if they reach certain price levels, both to protect their wallets and to prove a point.

A new Reddit thread asked people in the province "At what point will the ridiculous cost increase of something immediately stop you from buying?" yielded more than 600 responses, most of them pretty understandable and relatable.

Many chimed in to say that they will soon be forgoing fast food across the board, including both drive-thru eats from big chains and the quick meals offered at grocery store hot counters.

The argument is that these products — though not always grocery products, exactly — have long existed only to be cheap and convenient, and given their low quality, do not warrant the prices people are paying for them at present.

(Tons of posts have abounded on social media lately comparing current prices for meals at McDonald's and similar restaurants to what they were just a few months ago, and the hikes are enough to make anyone lose their appetite.)

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byu/UncrownedHayKing from discussion
inontario

Other popular items that people will stop purchasing if they get any more expensive are pre-made, processed foods (especially "snacks"), frozen meals, and things like juices. 

Cereal was another one that made many lists and was also one of the things that people said they already only buy when it's on sale. Some already avoid buying the stuff, opting instead for rolled oats, toast and jam, or literally anything else for breakfast.

"Cereal is a bad buy considering how little it fills you up. Dollar for dollar there are much better breakfast options," one person noted.

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byu/UncrownedHayKing from discussion
inontario

Other things that aren't exactly basic staples, like candies, were also mentioned. One person cited Cadbury Mini Eggs specifically, noting that a 1 kg bag that was already a very pricey $14.99 has now risen more than $10 to $25.99 at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Other foods that got callouts: watermelons, which hit $12 at some local stores in recent years; butter, which we know has been overpriced for some time; bacon and other pre-cut meats; pop; and yogurt — just some of the things people are only buying on promotion or are cutting out altogether.

One person even said they make their own yogurt at home to cut costs and instructed others on how to do the same.

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byu/UncrownedHayKing from discussion
inontario

Some people just plan to... eat less, sadly, or already are. One person stated that intermittent fasting has helped lower their grocery bill, while others say they now stick to the bare bones basics with no "luxury items," the list of which now seems to encompass a lot of things that used to be seen as staples.

"My groceries are at bare minimum just enough to plan each meal efficiently using fresh ingredients, and we've cut our eating out to zero," one person said. "I find shopping around and not giving business to any of the Loblaws owned [stores] helps me save a pretty dime."