The National Post reports in its Monday, July 27, edition that people in Atlantic Canada are the most stressed grocery shoppers in the country, according to Interac's State of the Cart spending survey. Postmedia's Payge Woodward writes that Interac surveyed 1,500 Canadians between May 8 and 12. Eighty per cent of those surveyed in Atlantic Canada say the grocery bill keeps climbing no matter what they cut. Atlantic Canadians reported higher levels of stress than the national average, with 73 per cent saying grocery shopping feels more stressful than it used to. Nationally, that number was 60 per cent. East Coast grocery shoppers were also more likely to say they've been forced into food trade-offs, with 66 per cent saying they have had to make swaps, compared with 54 per cent nationally. While shoppers who live alone said they face disproportionately higher per-person costs than Canadians who split grocery expenses, the survey found food shopping is no picnic for couples. Twenty-eight per cent said grocery spending has been a source of strain in their relationship in the past six months. The survey found that Canadians are willing to indulge in small treats, with 50 per cent still buying snacks.