Savvy cross-border B.C. grocery shopper racks up TikTok views

With inflation hitting consumers on both sides of the border and the Loonie not exactly soaring against the U.S. dollar, cross-border shoppers have had a tougher time scooping up American deals lately.

But one B.C. shopper is racking up hundreds of thousands of views on social media with her savvy grocery trips south of the line.

Brandi Dustin — or @kade1613 on TikTok — lives in rural East Kootenay and says her closest grocery store is actually minutes away in Montana where, despite U.S. prices going up a lot, too, she still saves a bunch of money.

“I live out in the country, so 45 minutes away from the closest [Canadian supermarket]. However, I live next to the US border, and the closest grocery store there is 15 minutes, so that is where I do most of my grocery shopping even with the crappy exchange rate,” Dustin says in a video that has attracted more than 600,000 views.

@kade1613 Grocery prices in Canada have become crazy, so I go to the states to shop. Here's everything I got! #justinflation #trudeauneedstogo #inflation #savecanada #pierrepolievreforprimeminister ♬ original sound - Brandi Dustin

She goes on to show what she bought during a recent shopping trip in Eureka, Montana. It includes meat, dairy, produce, frozen convenience products, and children’s medication, which she says cost $85 USD.

“Two things of children’s pain reliever, I saved a ton on that, it was two for five dollars. I think I saved a total of $3.39 on each of those. Two large, full-fat cottage cheeses for my daughter were two for six dollars today. I believe each one of those tubs is $8.99 in Canada,” she said in the video.

Dustin says she also saved a lot of money in the meat aisle.

“I got a pack of pork chops at $4.76 — meat prices down there are insanely cheap — and a big thing of ground beef for $6.90. Keep in mind these prices that I’m telling you are all in U.S. dollars. Pork sausage for $3.74,” she adds.

Part of Brandi Dustin’s TikTok sharing the differences between Canadian and U.S. grocery prices (TikTok / @kade1613)

Dustin also purchased a small box of wine for less than $3.70 and two pre-mixed cocktails for $1.39 each.

“All of this for $85.04 U.S., which is not terrible.”

Dustin then compares prices on equivalent products at The Real Canadian Superstore and a Canadian liquor store.

“That total with the comparable brands … I would be paying $146 Canadian, and then add in the wine and the mud shakes, so like $160 Canadian. Keep in mind I paid $85 U.S. for all this and it went through at $117 Canadian.”

Her calculations show a savings of $43, which Dustin says makes a trip to the U.S. much more attractive to her.

“I know they say support local. But right now, everybody is suffering hugely, we are all trying to make it, and it is so much cheaper for me to go next door than it is to shop in my own country.”

Dustin admits it might not be worth it for everyone because US prices have risen so much relatively since before the pandemic, but careful shopping and close proximity to the border save her a significant amount of money on almost every trip.

“It’s still so much cheaper and worth it with our crappy dollar to go down there and get stuff.”