The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for June revealed more bad news for Americans: the price category for "food at home" rose 12.2% between June 2021 and June 2022. Many people have been obliged to spend significantly more than usual on groceries due to the persistently high price of food. In fact, some people are using food banks for the first time.
The survey also mentioned that the cost of five out of the
six main food groups seen in grocery stores increased, including dairy, fruits,
and vegetables.
The financial burden of grocery shopping cannot be
completely eliminated by adding apps and couponing, but it can be reduced.
Since food prices aren't anticipated to decrease any time soon, you'll need to use wise buying tactics to stretch your grocery budget.
Consider implementing these seven wise shopping techniques if you're prepared to test out grocery apps that save money and other in-store tactics.
1. Useful E-Commerce Apps
The ability to combine food rebate applications with shop discounts is their main advantage. Digital and print coupons can be used in-store because the rebate is processed after the transaction, and you can submit a claim for the additional rebate once you get home.
You won't be successful with every mobile app you try. Some apps might provide discounts on items you don't regularly purchase. Start by experimenting with a few possibilities, then stick with one or two that best suit your way of life.
Remember that these apps are intended to encourage you to purchase a product and that they are funded through affiliate relationships. Don't let an app's refund induce you to purchase stuff you don't need.
Fetch.
When you purchase particular brands, Fetch immediately credits your account. You just need to take a picture of your receipt to use it. You may exchange your Fetch app points for gift cards to well-known merchants as they amass.
Fetch offers rewards on well-known brands that you can frequently get at your local supermarket, but it excludes generic brands, which are typically less expensive and sometimes more economical.
Ibotta.
With Ibotta, you can get cash back on the majority of grocery store transactions. Before you go shopping, you can add offers, and you can scan an item at the store to see if it qualifies for a rebate. After making your purchase, you upload a photo of your receipt to confirm it.
Watch for incentives of $3, $5, or $10 when you redeem a certain amount of offers within a certain time frame.
Once you have $20 in cash back, you may redeem it for a bank deposit, PayPal, or a gift card to a range of stores.
With Ibotta, you can also get cash back from other sizable retailers like Best Buy and Old Navy. To get cash back or a discount on your purchase, you can shop online, book travel, or even pay using an app.
Panel of National Consumers
The National Consumer Panel, or NCPMobile, calls for the most work. You are prompted to scan each item in your order and to provide more details about your payment method and any current store specials. Through the NCPMobile portal, points can be redeemed for gift cards and products.
Additionally, you will be required to do surveys in order to collect points and enter a contest.
Shopkick.
With Shopkick, you may scan anything at a store to collect "kicks," or points, without making a purchase. Then, Kicks can be exchanged for gift cards to well-known retailers like Walmart or Target.
Make sure you stick to your shopping list to prevent overspending. The purpose of this tactic is to entice you to spend more time in a store, look at products you might not typically buy, and possibly add those items to your cart.
Additionally, you may use the check-in feature to gain
points simply for entering the business.
2. Loyalty Cards for Grocery Stores
For the stores you visit most regularly, download the loyalty app. Instead of physically clipping coupons, you can apply discounts to your loyalty card. After that, savings are automatically applied at checkout. Your app might also customize your coupon offers based on the goods you've already bought.
The software can assist you in organizing your shopping to
take advantage of any combination discounts that your retailer may provide,
such as "buy five, save $5." If your grocery chain has a gas station
affiliate, you can also accumulate fuel points for cash back at the pump.
3. Arrange Dinners Using Sale Items
Purchase seasonal food and browse the bargain racks. Just prior to their expiration dates, items are sometimes discounted to sell. Generally speaking, these offers rotate, so it's unlikely that you'll get discounts on related things all in the same week.
Apps like Flipp or My Grocery Deals are great if you want to
plan your meals in advance. You may compare costs at home using these
applications instead of poring over paper circulars.
4. Make Smart Shopping Day Selections
While it may not be the case for all supermarket chains,
Wednesday frequently marks the beginning of the following week's sales and the
end of the previous week's sales.
You're more likely to find discounts on more items on your
list if you buy on Wednesday. To find out more about the rotation of their
sales, contact your favourite retailer.
5. Purchase Staples in Bulk
When an item you frequently purchase is on sale, buying two or three can really help. Stocking up on necessities comes with a warning: bigger isn't necessarily better, and you'll need space for the surplus.
Make sure to check the unit price before stocking up. In
fact, certain things are less expensive in smaller containers. Avoid stocking
up on products that might go to waste as well.
6. Commence Meal Planning
If you find it difficult to come up with menu ideas and find yourself making too many unplanned, expensive trips to the grocery store, meal planning may help you remain within your purchasing budget.
By creating a menu and planning a bulk grocery purchase for meals over several days, you may plan your meals around items that may be on sale, such as seasonal vegetables or particular types of meat.
There are apps that can make meal planning easier, despite the fact that it could appear complicated. For instance, Whisk enables you to design a unique weekly meal plan. The software builds an ingredient list that you can get online from the store directly using connections to major supermarkets like Walmart and Kroger (or you can save the list to reference while shopping in person).
You can minimize unforeseen expenses when doing last-minute
shopping during the week if you have a strategy for what you'll be eating in
advance.
7. Savings Stacking
Once you've used a few of these money-saving techniques, you
can combine them.
Watch out for products you frequently buy on grocery rebate apps. You might discover that other apps are offering comparable deals, and you can get paid for the same purchase on both applications. If you see a deal, pick the retailer with the greatest pricing and stock up if you frequently use this item. If your grocery store gives petrol points, be sure to use your loyalty card to earn them as well.
Make sure you have one of the finest cash back credit cards for supermarket shopping if you use credit to buy your groceries.
Is This Really Worth the Work?
None of these strategies, especially in the food store, can help you keep your budget safe from inflation on their own. But over time, little adjustments might add up.
Spending some effort clipping coupons, scanning receipts, or
assisting with market research can help Americans cope with the financial
strain of inflation. Everything depends on how much time you can and are
willing to put in.
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