1.5 Tools for Saving on Groceries
Hey everyone! Get ready to dive into the world of essential tools for saving on groceries. We’re going to explore how using digital coupons and shopping apps can help you save a bunch of cash. Plus, we’ll show you how your loyalty cards are more than just plastic—they’re your ticket to exclusive discounts and points for cool rewards.
But that’s not all! We’ll also share some super handy tips on how to stay organized and make smart choices that’ll keep your wallet happy. So, let’s get started on this savings adventure together!
Key Takeaways
- Digital coupons and shopping apps offer a variety of ways to save money.
- Loyalty cards can unlock exclusive discounts and earn points towards rewards.
- Being organized and making smart purchasing decisions can lead to significant savings.
The Shift from Paper to Digital Coupons
Did you know that digital coupons are the new big thing? You might still find paper coupons in the newspaper, but they’re not as common as they used to be.
Today, you can find tons of coupons right on your phone with different apps. These apps give you cash back and digital coupons, so you can save money easily without needing to get the newspaper every week.
Not only will this save you the cost of buying a newspaper, but you can also now pull up coupons anytime you want!
Beneficial Shopping Apps
There are so many different apps available to download. Some of my favorites are Fetch, Dollar General, and Walmart. Let’s dig into why each of these are great to have.
Fetch
This app allows you to scan any of your recent receipts and collect points that can be used to get giftcards. Just this year I have been able to earn 65,000+ points.
Now before you get too excited, that come out to about $65 that can be use with giftcards to different retailers. I plan to use mine to help with my Christmas Savings Challenge.
Dollar General
I have mentioned in the past, that I rarely ever buy household items at the grocery store. One of the ways, I save on laundry soap, health & beauty products, and cleaning supplies is shopping at Dollar General on Saturdays.
On Saturdays you get an extra $5 off a $25 trip coupon, and I also add in other coupons directly from the app. This let’s me buy a lot of brand name items for super cheap.
Walmart
Since I live in a small town and generally Walmart is the cheapest on everyday prices, I use the Walmart app for on the spot price comparing.
If I see something on sale and I’m not quite sure if it is a good deal, I will pull it up in the app to see what the regular price is at Walmart.
Make sure to hit the “in store” button so you are getting the most accurate prices, but this is a great way to confirm a deal. This is one of my all time favorite tools for saving on groceries!
The Power of Loyalty Cards
As someone who loves to save, I always use loyalty cards at stores, especially at the grocery. These cards are super handy because they let you grab sale prices and special deals. If you don’t have the card, you might end up paying more.
Not just grocery stores, but also places like drug stores give out these free loyalty cards to help you save some cash. Sure, they keep track of what you buy to send you ads, but the savings you get are totally worth it.
I’m a big fan of the Kroger card myself. The more I shop with it, the more personalized coupons they send me based on what I already buy. Plus, these cards can give you points to save money on gas too.
Finding Coupons Everywhere
While paper coupons may not be as common as they once were, they can still be found in unexpected places. For example, I recently found a $2 off coupon for Springer Mountain chicken under the label of a free bottle of water.
I watched tons of people throwing away their bottles of water without ever noticing this super valuable coupon. No, I did not go digging in the trash, but I did make sure that we saved all the coupons off our drinks that day.
Chicken can get so expensive so having this coupon that had a very long expiration date was definitely a huge bonus in savings!
The Art of Stacking Discounts
As a bargain hunter, I have learned that stacking discounts is one of the most effective ways to save money. This strategy involves using multiple discounts like a paper coupon, a loyalty card discount, and an on-app offer all at the same time.
It may take some practice to get used to, but it can result in huge savings.
Those personalized coupons from Kroger, that I mentioned earlier are perfect for stacking. Most of those coupons can be paired up with sales pricing, and special in-app discounts too!
If you are interested in learning more about coupon stacking, I suggest checking out Facebook Groups for your local stores.
So many people will post deals that they have found, and after a while you will start to figure out how it can be done to get some huge savings!
Smart Purchasing Decisions
It is essential to be smart when using these tools. Only purchase items that you need or use, and not just because they are on sale or almost free.
I have a small confession about when sales are too good to pass by. I currently have a lifetime supply of razors under my bathroom sink because they were so cheap or almost free.
I know that I don’t need any more razors and in fact I give them away as much as possible, but sometimes see such a fantastic deal is hard to walk away.
It has been hard to not grab these deals lately, but I have to remind myself saving a huge amount on something I don’t actually need is not really saving money, is it?
Just because I saved $6, I still ended up spending $2 that could have been used towards something I actually needed. So please don’t fall into this “savings trap!”
These tools for saving on groceries or household supplies are supposed to reduce our spending, not make us spend more!
The Importance of Organization
As a budget shopper, I cannot stress enough the importance of being organized. Keeping track of your coupons, loyalty cards, and inventory can save you a lot of money in the long run. Here are some tips on how to I stay organized:
- Declutter your purse/wallet: By using the Fetch app, I regularly clean out my purse of old receipts. Once I scan them, I immediately throw them away, so now my purse has less clutter.
- Store paper coupons in your purse/wallet: I rarely have a bunch of paper coupons, so I keep them in a ziploc baggie in my purse, in case I find a deal for them.
- Start a Savings Binder: I keep a binder with items like inventories of my pantry, freezer, fridge, etc. I also keep in there my meal plans, recipes to try, and even paper copies of the weekly sales flyer. Then all my information is in one easy to access spot!
By staying organized, you can make the most out of your budget and become a master budget shopper. You may not think this skill falls under tools for saving on groceries, but this is highly effective in making savings happen!
Subscribing to Newsletters
Signing up for store newsletters can be a smart move to catch wind of special sales or deals. But remember, these emails are also a way for stores to advertise to you, and they might tempt you to buy stuff you don’t really need.
I stick to getting newsletters from my go-to stores or ones that give out special offers you can’t get anywhere else. Two of the stores in my area, send out weekly email offers and I have scored some great deals with them.
The smaller independent grocery store has recently started a “Free Item Friday” coupon that gets sent directly to me each week. I simply click the link, and the offer is loaded to my account.
Without the weekly reminder email, I would probably forget to do this step and miss out on some free deals.
The other store is Ingles Markets, and they send out special email only subscriber deals. No coupon needed, but if your email address is not subscribed you won’t get the price.
Homework
Now let’s work on what tools you will use for saving on groceries. I want you to check out the apps available for the stores that you frequently shop at that are local to you.
Get familiar with the app and learn how to clip coupons. Some will even allow you to check prices at the store and that is a great feature to have for price comparing.
Another thing I would like you to do, is check out your purse/wallet. Is it cluttered? I believe mine probably weighed another 5lbs with all the receipts I used to carry around. Set up a plan to declutter this regularly!
I hope you have a great week! Please let me know in the comments, where is the oddest place you have ever found a coupon?
