Saving money, a universal mantra, has become even more critical in the current economic climate than it ever was. Statistics from January 2023 revealed a striking increase in grocery store prices, with a leap of over 10 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. Factors such as inflation and residual issues in the supply chain have not only complicated our daily lives but have also escalated the cost of procuring everyday necessities. Traditional methods like couponing can offer some relief in lowering your monthly expenditure, yet there is a more convenient and contemporary approach to frugality. Did you know there are a variety of apps available for download on your smartphone designed specifically to aid in slashing your grocery bills? These digital tools can be a game changer in your pursuit of cost-effective grocery shopping.
Indeed, a plethora of innovative apps are available at the fingertips of discerning shoppers who are keen on economizing their grocery expenditures. Each app offers unique features that cater to varied consumer preferences. Some apps operate on a cash-back model, where you simply scan your receipts post-purchase to receive rewarding bonuses. Others offer exclusive discounts on particular brands or products, providing an incentive to experiment with new items while simultaneously reducing costs.
Moreover, several apps offer the convenience of digital coupons, allowing you to clip and apply them directly during your shopping sessions, bypassing the need for physical ones. In addition, there are apps designed to aid in price comparison across local grocery stores, empowering you to make informed decisions about where you can secure the best deals. By leveraging these diverse tools, you can strategize your shopping for maximum savings and efficacy.
1. Ibotta
Ibotta stands as one of the go-to apps for thrifty shoppers, earning considerable popularity for its efficacy in facilitating grocery savings. This app has amassed high acclaim with a stellar 4.8-star rating from over 1.6 million reviews on the Apple App Store, and a 4.5-star rating on the Google Play Store.
For physical shopping, Ibotta provides a broad list of retailers, allowing users to pick their preferred local grocery chains and explore a wide range of cash-back offers on particular items and brands. To leverage these offers, users simply need to submit their shopping receipt via the app, and the cash back is credited to their account, typically within 24 hours.
For those with loyalty accounts with their grocery store, Ibotta allows you to link your account. Once this is done, any offers you select will be automatically credited to your account shortly after your shopping checkout.
Moreover, Ibotta extends its utility to online shopping, providing an easy way to earn cash back for those who prefer ordering groceries for pickup or delivery without the hassle of submitting a receipt. Its services aren't limited to grocery stores - restaurants and other online retailers also feature prominently.
Ibotta periodically introduces special offers that provide opportunities for users to earn even more cash back from various retailers. Referring friends or family to the app can also result in additional bonuses. After accruing cash back, users can simply link their bank account to the app for easy redemption, giving them the flexibility to spend their savings as they see fit.
2. Makeena
For health-conscious consumers who prioritize wholesome foods over highly processed alternatives, the cost can be substantial. Makeena, an app explicitly designed to provide savings on healthy and eco-friendly products, is a game-changer in this respect. Its creators developed Makeena with a mission to foster positive change, deeply understanding the significant impact small alterations in purchasing behavior can have on personal health and the environment.
Utilizing Makeena to secure savings is a straightforward process. Begin by browsing through the wide array of available offers, which include an expansive variety of brands such as Cabot, Barilla, Arm & Hammer, Beanitos, Jai Ho, Dole, Worthington, and Paleo Powder Foods. After selecting and adding the desired offers to your account, proceed to your grocery store and purchase the selected items.
Upon returning home, simply scan the barcodes of the items and upload a copy of your receipt through the app. In no time, the rewards get credited to your account, simplifying the path to a healthier lifestyle and environmental consciousness while also saving you money.
3. Fetch
Fetch is another stellar app, perfect for those looking to trim their grocery expenditures. With its unique point-accumulating system, Fetch allows users to earn and redeem points for a variety of free gift cards. The process is simple: after each shopping expedition, take a snapshot of your receipts to start accruing points. Additional points can be earned when your receipts feature specific brands or items that are currently promoted within the app.
To maximize your point-earning potential, check out the ongoing offers and consider adding the promoted items to your upcoming shopping list. Once your point tally reaches 5,000, you'll be eligible to redeem them for a $5 gift card, applicable to a myriad of popular retailers like Amazon, Starbucks, Target, Uber, and Airbnb. If these are places you frequent, the gift cards can be akin to hard cash, making your shopping ventures more cost-effective.
Fetch also provides other methods to bolster your points. It features exclusive Fetch Clubs within the app, each dedicated to a different brand. By joining these clubs, users can earn extra points each time they submit relevant receipts. Furthermore, Fetch encourages user referrals: if you share the app with your friends and family, you'll be awarded bonus points, further accelerating your journey towards savings.
4. CoinOut
CoinOut, an app featured on the popular television show Shark Tank, sets itself apart from other cash back grocery store apps with its unique earning process. This app allows you to earn cash back for every grocery store receipt you get. Simply preserve your receipts, then log into the CoinOut app, capture an image of your receipt, and upload it to receive a cash back amount in your account. Do remember to submit your receipts promptly, as those older than two weeks will not be accepted.
Unlike many other apps, CoinOut doesn't have pre-determined criteria dictating how much cash back you'll earn for each receipt. Instead of being tied to specific brands or a certain spending threshold, the cash back amounts are more random. The payouts may not be as high as those from some other apps, but it also eliminates the need to load any specific offers, saving you time.
There are, however, additional methods to boost your cash back earnings. These include signing up for special services or offers, shopping via selected retailers, or earning badges for completing various challenges through the app.
When it comes to redeeming your accumulated cash back, CoinOut offers several options. Choose between an Amazon gift card, PayPal cash, or a direct deposit to your bank account. While payouts can be requested at any time for Amazon gift cards or direct deposits, a minimum balance of $10 is required to cash out via PayPal.
5. Dosh
Earning cash back during shopping is indeed an appealing prospect, but if you're strapped for time, keeping up with receipt scanning can become cumbersome. Dosh provides an alternative approach that's easier and automatic. You can effortlessly earn cash back from several of your preferred grocery stores, as well as other retailers, hotels, and restaurants. To get started, download the Dosh app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, set up your account, and link your credit cards.
With Dosh, whenever you use your linked credit cards for shopping at featured retailers, the app automatically credits your account with cash back. Dosh has affiliations with several renowned retailers, such as Walmart, Instacart, Thrive Market, and Dunkin'. Once your rewards balance hits the $15 mark, you have the option to transfer the money directly to your bank account. Alternatively, payments can also be issued through Venmo and PayPal. In the spirit of giving, Dosh even allows you to direct your cash back rewards to a charity of your choice as a donation.
6. Checkout 51
Checkout 51 operates on a model similar to several other grocery store saving apps, allowing you to save on your routine shopping. After installing the app and configuring your account, you can sift through a myriad of available offers. The app updates its offers every Thursday, ensuring a steady stream of fresh saving opportunities.
When you spot an offer on an item you typically use, simply select it to add to your grocery list. Post-shopping, you'll need to click "redeem" adjacent to the items you've purchased from your list, and upload a snapshot of your receipt. The cash back corresponding to any qualifying offers will be promptly credited to your account. Once your rewards accrue to a minimum of $20, you're eligible to cash out.
It's worth noting that the potential savings through Checkout 51 can vary week by week. Many offers provide between $0.50 and $2.00 cash back for the purchase of specific products. Make sure to scrutinize the offers carefully, as some may necessitate the purchase of multiple items to qualify. Moreover, Checkout 51 has recently expanded its scope to include cash back on gas purchases, further enhancing its value to users.
7. Flipp
Flipp serves as an organized hub for browsing through weekly local grocery store ads, identifying sale items you need, and adding them to your shopping list. The app offers easy access to local ads from a range of retailers in your area in one handy place, saving you the hassle of hopping between different accounts to compare deals for the week. If you're after a particular item, Flipp's search feature allows you to check which stores have it on sale and who's offering the lowest price.
Once you've linked your store loyalty cards, Flipp further enables you to peruse a broad selection of digital coupons from various retailers. Spot something you regularly use? A simple click will have Flipp automatically adding it to your account. For those who never want to pay full price for specific products, Flipp's watch list feature is a blessing. You can set the app to notify you whenever your watch-listed items go on sale.
8. Receipt Hog
Receipt Hog presents an opportunity to earn cash back not only from grocery store receipts but also from numerous other retail outlets. After downloading the free app and registering for an account, all you need to do is save your shopping receipts and upload them onto the app using its in-built camera. Your spending amount will determine the number of 'coins' Receipt Hog credits to your account.
Certain types of receipts qualify as 'spin receipts.' Scanning these allows you to spin the "Hog Slots" machine, potentially earning you extra coins. You could even hit the jackpot and win coins matching the total amount of your last shopping trip, a substantial reward granted to just one Receipt Hog customer each day.
Receipt Hog also conducts monthly sweepstakes, offering another avenue to bolster your coin total. There are also other ways to earn coins, such as participating in surveys, scanning receipts weekly, and more.
Once you amass at least 1,000 coins, you can redeem your rewards. While 1,000 coins equate to a $5 reward, holding onto your coins a bit longer can fetch a higher return. For instance, 2,900 coins can be redeemed for a $15 reward, and 6,500 coins translate to a $40 reward. When you're ready to cash out, you can convert your coins into PayPal cash, a Visa e-gift card, or an Amazon e-gift card.
9. Coupons.com
Coupons.com app offers a dual approach to earning cash back on your grocery purchases. First, you can upload the receipts from your in-store purchases to your account. Alternatively, if you find keeping track of receipts tedious, you can link the loyalty cards of the various stores you frequent. This way, your rewards will automatically be credited to your account.
When browsing the offers available on the app, make sure to select those that interest you. The cash back offer will then be added to your account post shopping (with a linked loyalty card), or after you upload your receipt and scan the item's barcode. One notable advantage of the Coupons.com app is its multi-retailer offers.
This feature means you don't have to trawl through pages of offers from each retailer. Once you add an offer to your account, it patiently waits until you locate the item at your preferred retailer. Another appealing aspect of the Coupons.com app is the absence of a minimum payout limit. This flexibility allows you to cash out your balance frequently, ensuring a constant inflow of money into your bank account, or you can let it accumulate for a sizeable future payout.
10. Rakuten
Rakuten provides a straightforward way to earn cash back when you do your grocery shopping online. Moreover, it offers cash back opportunities with numerous online retailers, thereby allowing you to maximize your savings. The process is simple - browse through the different stores offering cash back via the app and then follow the link within the app to complete your purchases. Once you finish shopping, the cash back will be automatically credited to your account.
The percentage of cash back offered can vary between retailers and even change from day to day. Although the cash back is often between 1 percent and 3 percent, you may sometimes find offers that give you up to 20 percent back from some retailers (though this typically doesn't apply to grocery stores). Nevertheless, it's free money for purchasing things you were already planning to buy. You also won't need to stress about scanning or uploading any receipts, or sifting through numerous offers for specific products.
Rakuten issues payments automatically every three months. When setting up your account, you'll need to specify whether you'd prefer to receive your payments via a physical check in the mail or through PayPal. If you're an American Express credit cardholder and collect Membership Rewards points, you can also opt to have your cash back converted into rewards points for your AMEX account. As an added bonus, Rakuten will reward you for each friend you refer.
Conclusion
There are myriad ways to save money on your grocery shopping thanks to a wide range of cash back and coupon apps available. These apps, such as Ibotta, Fetch, Makeena, CoinOut, Checkout 51, Dosh, Flipp, Receipt Hog, Coupons.com, and Rakuten, all offer unique methods for you to earn rewards and save on your purchases. Whether it's through scanning your receipts, linking your credit cards for automatic rewards, browsing through local grocery store ads for best deals, or earning cash back through online purchases, the choice is yours.
Each app has its unique features, so it's best to try out a few to see which ones suit your shopping habits and needs the most. Remember, these apps offer more than just savings on groceries; they also provide opportunities for cash back and savings from other retailers, both online and in physical stores. This means that savvy shoppers can compound their savings across multiple platforms. The key is to remain consistent, stay aware of available offers, and make these apps a regular part of your shopping routine.
Fact Section
Ibotta is a popular app for saving money at the grocery store, with high ratings on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It offers cash back on specific products and brands at numerous retailers.
Fetch rewards you with points redeemable for gift cards by simply submitting pictures of your receipts.
Makeena is designed to help you save on healthy and eco-friendly products from a wide variety of brands.
CoinOut an app featured on Shark Tank, lets you earn cash back for every receipt you upload, with random payout amounts.
Checkout 51 adds new cashback offers every Thursday and lets you cash out after you've earned at least $20 in rewards.
Dosh links directly to your credit cards, enabling automatic cash back at several popular retailers when you use these cards for shopping.
Flipp provides access to local ads from various retailers, helping you find the best deals for your shopping list.
Receipt Hog gives you coins, which can be redeemed for rewards, for uploading your shopping receipts.
The Coupons.com app offers cash back when you save and upload receipts from purchases or link loyalty cards from various stores.
Rakuten offers cash back on online grocery shopping and numerous other online retailers, with automatic cash back credited to your account.
All these apps offer unique methods to earn rewards and save on your purchases, including scanning your receipts, linking your credit cards, browsing through local grocery store ads, and earning cash back on online purchases. Many of these apps also offer referral bonuses, encouraging you to share the app with friends and family to help them save on their grocery bills and earn you additional rewards.