Here are the things Canadians are spending money on during GST holiday

With Canada’s GST holiday in full swing, Canadians are sharing what they’re purchasing to make the most of the two-month tax break.

In November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the GST cut on groceries and other items heading into the busy and costly gift-giving season.

“In just a few days, essential items will be tax-free in Canada,” he shared. “Takeout for dinner. Your morning coffee. Diapers and winter snow pants for your kids. All tax-free for the next two months.”

Some of the highlights from the list of products include groceries, beer and wine, restaurant meals (dine-in, takeout, or delivery), essential childcare items, and even Christmas trees. You can find the full list of items eligible for the GST cut here.

The tax break started on December 14 and will end on February 15.

With that in mind, Canadians took to Reddit, sharing ideas on how to truly take advantage of the GST break and save as much money as they can.

“I bought a couple cases of beer at the LCBO, which I can go through in the next couple months. My friend was able to buy a console and it was big savings for him,” the original poster shared.

Another Redditor said they stocked up on two years worth of diapers for their kid.

One person advised shoppers to buy shelf-stable school lunches and snacks like granola bars, chips, and pop, but only if they are on sale.

Others are making the most of the tax break by spending their adult money on childhood favourites like Pokémon cards and Lego sets.

One Redditor wants to stock their wine cellar for a discount. However, they acknowledge that wine is not essential and believe the GST cut is an “incredibly bad tax policy.”

Many in the thread questioned if the tax break would actually help them save on essential shopping. If you’re wondering how much this could realistically shave off your grocery bill, we calculated the estimated savings.

For example, a single person between the ages of 31 and 50 spends approximately between $310 and $350 a month on food.

With the two-month GST break, a single person would see savings of about $31 to $35 on their groceries.

Ultimately, one user reminded Canadians that the best way to save money is not to spend it at all.

How are you taking advantage of the GST holiday?