Before I get into the 3 apps that save you money at the grocery store, I want to share a feature on my blog that you most likely do not know exists. It's a simple Search bar. I say this today because if all of these apps are new to you, it's going to be information overload. Sometimes when I get too much information at one time, I can't take it all in, and I have to go back later when I have more time.
So, in case you ever want to look anything up at a later time, click on the big words at the very top of the page that say Art Fashion Fun. This will take you to the Welcome page, and you can scroll down right below my picture to find the search bar. Then you can type in specific words that can lead you to a post. This will be MUCH easier and faster than trying to scroll all the way back to find a post, especially if it is a post I wrote a while ago.
For example, if you want to find any information from one of my Old Navy posts, type Old Navy into the search bar, and you will find a list of all the posts where I have mentioned Old Navy.
When my sister sent me a text that said a friend was asking where I got a pair of pink earrings, I typed earrings into the search bar, and I was able to click on a post and send her a direct link to the earrings her friend was asking about.
Also, I couldn't come up with a relevant photo to use on this saving-money-on-groceries post, so why not share this rockin' bikini bod shot? That's Ebie and me at Dauphin Island. She informed me about the first app I'm sharing and she LOVES to save money, so there's the relevance.
Alright, back to these apps that will save you money. If you haven't heard of them, get ready to be super excited! You can click on the 3 bold headings to sign up for the apps I will be telling you about.
Ibotta App
Ibotta is my newest app of the 3 that I am sharing with you today. It is also the one that gives you back the most money. I was a little hesitant to try it out at first because I had never heard anything about it. However, my sister (who is the biggest money-saver I know) insisted I try it out. So I downloaded it and then didn't use it. Then I started getting emails saying I wouldn't get the $10 welcome bonus if I didn't use it, so I decided to figure out how it works. I'm not trying to miss out on 10 free dollars.
Once you download the app, you choose some stores where you like to shop. I chose Target, Walmart, CVS, Amazon, Best Buy, Uber, Sam's Club, Kroger, and Whole Foods. These places will pop up when you click on the magnifying glass at the bottom of the app that says Find Rebates. BEFORE I go to one of these stores, I go through the rebates they offer.
The photo below shows some of the items below that Target has rebates for.
To provide a personal example, I went to Walmart yesterday, and before I left my house, I added some products to my app. Sometimes you do have to watch very short videos or answer brief questions, but it is worth it. When I was at Walmart, I made sure to pull the app back up (yay for free Wifi) and look at my specific products. You have to buy the exact products they have in the app in order to get your rebate. When I was walking out of Walmart, I clicked redeem, chose Walmart, scanned the QR code on my receipt, and earned $3.75 by purchasing salsa, tape, and laundry pods. If your products don't pop up when you scan your receipt, scan the barcode on the individual items. Also, if you haven't tried this restaurant style salsa, you should! Ibotta taught my family about it, and we now love it!
Click here to use my referral code and sign up. You will receive a $10 welcome bonus. This is where I got confused. I didn't know how I was supposed to get my bonus. You have to shop at one of the places you have chosen and scan your receipt in order for the $10 to come through.
I was a little wordy because I'm trying to make it easier for you than it was for me! Here are the quick directions:
I've only used it 3 times and have earned $23 so far! I'm letting it build up for a little while before I cash out with either PayPal, Venmo, or a gift card. Hope you love it as much as I have!
Walmart Savings Catcher
Walmart is where I do 98% of our grocery shopping. This app has given me back $94.23 since I got it a couple years ago, and it's really easy to use. I totally recommend it if you ever shop at Walmart. I will walk you through it step by step*** to show you how to use it.
But basically, Walmart compares prices with top competitors in the area, and they will give you the difference if a competitor is advertising a special deal for a lower price. For example, if Target has cashews on sale for $3.oo and Walmart is selling them for $3.50, they will give you back $0.50 for that item. So, you're basically getting free money that will eventually add up!
Another perk is that you don't have to keep up with your receipt once you scan it into the app. You can just show the people at Walmart your app if you ever have to return or exchange anything.
***In the app store, download the Walmart app. Once you do that and you tap on it, this will be the page that pops up. Scroll down and click on Savings Catcher under All Departments. The symbol is a green piggy bank.
***Once you click on Savings Catcher, the photo below is what pops up. After grocery shopping, make sure you save your receipt because you will scan it into the app. (You can throw it away AFTER you have scanned it into your app.) Tap the orange button that says Add a Walmart Receipt. Then you can scan the barcode or tap the blue button at the bottom of the screen and type in the recipe info. I have had to do this several times when the barcode was a little blurry. It does the same thing as scanning the barcode, just takes an extra minute.
***If you click Your Results, you can see the status of your purchases. You can see in the photo below that the receipt from my purchase yesterday has been received. Once they process it, I will be able to see how much I get back. I think it usually takes about 24 hours. You can see how much I got back from my other grocery shopping trips below that.
You will notice on one trip that I didn't get any money back. If you only buy a couple of things, there is a chance that you will not get any money back.
***It may look like just a little bit of money each time you shop. However, it builds up! As you can see below, I have acquired $94.23 lifetime accumulated rewards. This page pops up when you tap on Your Reward Dollars. I have redeemed some of them and currently have $21.44 to use. This is free money to spend at Walmart! Last time I cashed out, I used it as treat money and bought myself some things that I don't typically buy at Walmart. So fun!
***When you want to redeem your money, you simply click Transfer to eGift Card, like you can see right above this photo and Walmart sends you an email with a code that the cashier scans when you want to use your Reward Dollars! Once you download the app, you will see that it is actually very easy to use!
Kroger App
Kroger is another grocery store we have in Southaven. Like I said, I go to Walmart 98% of the time, but I will go to Kroger the other 2% of the time when I see really great deals. Or when I want something special that Walmart doesn't have.
I won't go into too much detail about the Kroger app in case you don't have a Kroger where you live. However, in this day and age, many grocery stores have apps that you can download to get good deals. I know Publix and Winn Dixie have apps where you can view your store's weekly ad and download digital coupons to your cards.
*** When you download the app, you can check out the weekly ads.
***You can go through items that the store offers and create your grocery list on the app. Although, honestly, I'm a pencil-paper kind of girl and don't use this feature.
***And here is the area of the app that helps you save money. You can go through the coupons on the app and load them onto your card. (Where it says Remove from Card below, it usually says Load to Card- unless you have already loaded them onto your card, like I have.) When you load your coupons to your card from your app, you don't have to physically bring any coupons with you. When the cashier swipes your card, these coupons are applied, and it is SO much fun to see your total shoot drastically down!
What do y'all think? I wanted to share some other apps that help you save money when shopping for fun. :) However, I shared so much info today that I decided I'd save the other apps for a different day. Do you use any apps that help you save money? Please share!