How to Save Money on Groceries and Other Essentials: An Organized Approach (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of my series on how to save money on groceries and other essentials. In this post the focus will be on digital savings. 

I'm not even going to pretend like I know every single app or extension available for saving digitally. Instead, I'm just going to share some apps and extensions that have worked well for me as well as some suggestions for how to use these tools in tandem to increase savings. 

Grocery Store Apps

---

Most grocery and pharmacy chains have a savings app. Some are definitely better than others (Kroger, Target, Walgreens), but each offers ways to save money on groceries and other essentials. To utilize the savings available on a store's app, you will have to have an account. When you sign up for an account, you will be issued a shopper's card, and it is generally through scanning your shopper's card that you are able to access available savings. 

My favorite local grocery store is a Kroger affiliate, and I LOVE their app. I'll share my favorite features, many of which are common across the best grocery store apps. If you have not done so, I encourage you to explore your store's app for these (and possibly other) features. 

Store App features to look for: 

• Digital coupons - Scroll through the coupon section of the app (usually listed under "savings") and "clip" the coupons of your choice.  This will download them to your shopper's card. Scan your shopper's card at checkout, and savings are automatically deducted on any items for which you have downloaded a coupon. It's that simple. NOTE: Some stores have a limit on the number of digital coupons you can redeem at one time (Kroger and its affiliates do not). 
• Weekly digital deals - These are special savings offered for a 7-day period that are only available by downloading the digital deal. To take advantage of the savings, "clip" the coupon for the deal in the savings section of the app exactly as you would any other type of coupon. Weekly digital deals are a Kroger thing, but the concept (and the actual deals) apply to all Kroger affiliates (of which there are at least 19 supermarket chains nationwide). 
• Cash back - This is a relatively new feature that I'm really excited about. The store offers cash back on certain items. Simply purchase qualifying items and see your cash back total increase. Transfer your rewards to your shopper's card by selecting "cash out" and they will automatically be applied toward your next purchase. I currently have $15.25 in cash back rewards on my shopper's card, and I have done absolutely nothing except shop my grocery list as usual. I only discovered my cash back total in researching this post, so it definitely doesn't take any extra effort to earn these rewards aside from signing up for an account. 
• Fuel Points - Many grocery store chains offer fuel points which can be applied either at the store's gas station or an affiliate. Our local store has a gas station, so that is where we purchase 99% of the fuel for our vehicles. Simply having a shopper's card automatically saves us three cents per gallon of gas at the store's station, but that is just the beginning of the available fuel savings. Every $100 spent in the store gives us 10 cents off per gallon of gas. The maximum amount of fuel points rewards that can be applied at one time is 1,000 points which translates to $1.00 off on up to 35 gallons of gas. I regularly have between 30 cents and $1 off per gallon based on my current fuel point level. The result is huge savings on gas! What's more, I can use my fuel points at any Kroger affiliate gas station across the country.

---

Utilizing Digital Coupons

---

In addition to your store's savings app, another source for digital coupons is the coupons.com app. Link it to your store's loyalty account, and load coupons directly onto your shopper's card. If you prefer paper coupons, you can print those as well. 

It is not uncommon for my grocery store savings app to have 300+ coupons available. That's a lot to look through, s0 I recommend utilizing the search and sorting features when downloading digital coupons. Use the search feature to look for coupons for specific items. Search by brand name (Tide, Kraft, Tostitos) or by the type of item (toothpaste, sour cream, peanut butter). Searching for coupons for the items you plan to buy is also a good way to avoid the temptation to buy something you normally wouldn't just because you have a coupon. 

When it comes to sorting, I like to begin by adjusting the settings to show me the newest coupons first. You can also sort for popular coupons, coupons that are expiring soon, and coupons that are deemed the best value. Additionally, I like to look at a category called "Special Savings" which includes the weekly digital deals and other special or limited offers. My favorite special offers include:

• Extra fuel points: Throughout August I earned an extra 200 fuel points every time I spent $50 and an extra 500 fuel points every time I spent $100. As a result, I have well over 2,000 fuel points which translates to $1 on 35 gallons of gas twice over. Sometimes the coupon is for as much as 4 times the fuel points when you purchase a gift card or 2 times the fuel points for shopping on a weekend. 
• Lump sum savings: Periodically my store offers $5, $10, or $20 off my entire order depending on how much I spend ($5 off of $50, $10 off of $100, and $20 off of $200). 
• 5 times savings: Look for coupons that allow you to apply the savings multiple times and buy as many as allowed to maximize your savings. 
• Buy multiples and save: My store frequently offers buy 5 and save $1 on each deals. 

Receipt Scanning Apps

---

Receipt scanning apps seem almost too good to be true. You use your phone's camera to snap a photo of your receipt and upload it to the app, and in return you get a reward in the form of a rebate or gift card. You may be wondering how these companies can afford to pay you for simply sharing your receipt with them. The answer is that they get paid for the information they collect. They're essentially conducting market research, and companies are interested in the demographic information and other pertinent data they randomly collect. Be assured that they are not collecting or sharing private information; they are tracking shopping trends.  ​

---

Team Up and Save

---

Several receipt scanning apps offer rewards for sharing the app with others. In such cases, both the sharer and the person signing up receive a bonus either in the form of cash or points (which can be redeemed for gift cards). In the section below, I will share my invite link where applicable. Should you choose to use my link to sign up for an app, I will receive a reward - and so will you! 

In my experience, receipt scanning apps take two basic forms: cash back and points apps. I have only tried a handful of these apps personally, so I'm just going to share the ones that have worked well for me. 

• ​Ibotta: Of the receipt scanning apps I've tried, Ibotta is one of my favorites. Here's how it works. Choose a store where you frequently shop. Review the cash back offers. Select the ones that appeal to you. Purchase the items on your list. Scan and submit your receipt and earn cash rebates. What I like about Ibotta is the volume of offers available - something for everyone, so to speak. In addition, they regularly have generic cash back offers available such as buy any brand of bread or milk. The payback on generic items is low - typically 25 cents - but they add up over time. When you're ready to cash in your rebates, you will receive a payment via PayPal. In the past six weeks, I've earned over $88 on Ibotta. 

---

Ibotta Referral Code: 
​gbuobim
Use the referral code when signing up and get $10 when you redeem your first offer:  ​

---

• Checkout 51: Like Ibotta, Checkout 51 offers rebates for purchasing specific products, but the number of products available for rebate is much lower. As with Ibotta, you have to add the product to your "shopping list" before scanning your receipt in order to get credit for your purchase, Once you've earned $20 in rebates, you can cash them out. 

• ​Fetch: I'm a big fan of this points-based app. It's similar to Ibotta and Checkout 51 in that certain products earn specific rewards. The difference is that you get points for every single receipt you scan, even if you don't purchase any of the bonus items. All receipts are worth 25 points. Bonus items can earn you anywhere from 19 points to 5,000 points! One thing I love about Fetch is that it gives you credit for all receipts, not just retail receipts. I've gotten points for receipts from the dentist, hotels, and more. ​

---

Fetch Referral Code:
NGYU5A
Use the referral code and receive a minimum of 2,000 additional points when you scan your first receipt.

---

• ReceiptJAR:  With ReceiptJAR, there are no special offers that earn you extra points, but they accept receipts from over 11,000 retailers. Points are based on the amount you spend. Receipts for less than $10 earn 5 points, between $11 and $50 earn 10 points, between $51 and $100 earn 15 points, and over $100 earn 20 points. Extra points are rewarded for syncing online accounts or for sharing the app with a friend. 

---

ReceiptJAR Referral Code: 
SHERS9H38
Use the referral code and receive an additional 200 points when you scan your first receipt.

---

• ​Shopkick: I am relatively new to Shopkick, but I am enjoying it. Shopkick is a points app, and points (or kicks as they are called) are earned in one of three ways (depending on the store). Some stores offer walk-in kicks simply for crossing their threshold. Additionally, you will find a selection of products when you click on a specific store. Scan the bar codes on those products, and you receive additional kicks. Purchase one of the products you've scanned, and you get even more kicks (lots more!). Kicks can be cashed in for gift cards. Using Shopkick is a little like doing a scavenger hunt. It's a great way to keep kids entertained while shopping - send them on a search to find and earn as many kicks as they can.   

---

Shopkick Referral Code: 
KIND185754
Use the referral code and receive 250 bonus kicks when you sign up for Shopkicks.

---

---

Scanning Receipts

---

If you're going to use multiple receipt scanning apps, you will want to develop a system for scanning receipts. I do it as soon as I get home from the store once I'm done putting my purchases away, but I have a friend who saves her receipts and scans them all once a week. Whatever method you choose, I recommend scanning them in a sort of assembly line.

​Start by lining up your receipts on the kitchen counter or some other flat surface. Open an app and scan all of the receipts to that app. Then open another app and scan all of the applicable receipts to the second app, and so forth. This makes it easy to keep track of which receipts you've scanned to which app. 

Price Comparison Apps

---

• Gas Buddy: Gas Buddy is a crowd sourced app that identifies gas prices across the country. Users earn points by entering current gas prices at specific stations. Because I have a favorite gas station and a consistent means for saving on gas locally, I will mostly use the app when traveling to identify the best place to fill up along my route, but there are other ways to save with Gas Buddy. One such method is by getting the free Gas Buddy card, linking it to your checking account, and using it to pay for gas. I haven't tried this, so I really can't speak to the benefits. You can read more about it here. 
• Flipp: The Flipp app allows you to view weekly ads for your local area, add items to your shopping list, compare prices, and download coupons to your loyalty cards. It's great way to see at a glance what's on sale in your area and plan your menu accordingly. 

Online Extensions

---

Online extensions are buttons you add to your browser's taskbar. 

• Rakuten: Formerly known as ebates, Rakuten is an app as well as an online extension which can be used to earn rebates for both online and in store purchases. Their online retail partners number in the thousands. In-store rebate programs are limited but ever-increasing. Install the cash back button to your browser's taskbar, and it will change color to indicate when you are shopping at a retailer that offers Rakuten rewards. In addition, a pop-up window will open asking you if you'd like to activate cash back for the site. Click activate and complete your shopping. Your account will automatically be credited with your cash back bonus. Additional savings are available through coupons which you can have Rakuten scan and apply for you. Every three months, you will receive a check in the mail for your accumulated cash back balance. I've been using Rakuten for years and have earned hundreds of dollars in cash back rewards. 

---

Rakuten Referral Link:
Use this link to join Rakuten, and we will both earn $30 when you make your first purchase of $30 or more using the app or online extension. 

---

• Honey, RetailMeNot, and CapitalOne all search the internet for coupon codes and automatically apply them for you at checkout. CapitolOne offers the added bonus of accruing shopping credits which can be applied toward gift cards. It also alerts you if there is a better price available from another retailer. 
• CamelCamelCamel is a price tracker specific to Amazon.com. It tracks millions of products and alerts you when the price drops. 

General Savings Tips

---

While any one of these digital savings tools will help you save money on groceries and other essentials, combining them can yield even more impressive results. My top three tips for maximizing savings are as follows: 

• Maximize offers: You might think that the more you buy, the more you are spending. While that is technically true, it is also true that the more items you buy at the sale price, the more you save. Better to buy five tubes of toothpaste this week when they are on sale for 99 cents (with a limit of 5 per customer) and store them for future use than to pay $3+ per tube as needed. If you see an amazing deal, stock up on the sale item. 
• Stack coupons: Stacking coupons means using two coupons for the same item. The way to do this is to combine a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon. Store coupons are issued by a specific store and can only be redeemed at the store issuing the coupon. Manufacturer's coupons can be redeemed at any store that accepts coupons. 
• Combine offers: This is my favorite (and most effective) way to save. Going back to my toothpaste example, Crest toothpaste was on sale at my local grocery store this past week for 99 cents. At the same time Ibotta was offering a 50-cent rebate on Crest toothpaste. By combining the two, I was able to get my toothpaste for 49 cents a tube. Last week I actually made money on Trident gum by combining offers. The gum was on sale for $1.29 per pack. Ibotta was offering a $1 rebate on two. This alone would have given me two packs of gum for $1.58, but because it was my sixth rebate that week, I earned a $3 bonus, so I actually made $1.42 on the gum! 

Maximizing your savings on groceries and other essentials using digital tools takes a bit of organization, but it is well worth the effort. I personally love finding new, effective ways to save money, and I get a real sense of satisfaction from getting a good deal. I hope you find these suggestions useful, and I invite you to share your favorite ways to save in the comments section below.