9 Things Most of Us Don’t Do At the Grocery Store but Could Save Us $100 or More
Want to slash your grocery tab? Saving money on groceries is easier than collecting binders of coupons and buying 455 rolls of toilet paper.
We’ve compiled a list of simple (and some unexpected) tips to help you maximize your grocery budget.
1. You Don’t Shop With A Calculator
This is one of the easiest ways to make sure you don’t overspend at the grocery store (besides shopping on a full stomach). Bring your old-school calculator with you, or use your phone. However you do it, set a limit for how much you plan to spend beforehand, then hold yourself to it.
Add up the price of each item as you toss it in your basket, and you’ll be surprised how much easier it is to stick to your budget.
Voila! No more wallet-gouging surprises at checkout.
2. You Don’t Get Paid Every Time You Buy Toilet Paper
Grocery shopping was never exactly pleasant. But these days, it’s a downright struggle. Fighting crowds; keeping six feet of space — just buying toilet paper is a feat. Shouldn’t you have something to show for it?
A free app called Fetch Rewards will reward you with gift cards just for sharing your grocery receipts. Yep, that includes toilet paper brands like Cottonelle and Scott, too.
Just upload the photos of your receipts to the app and Fetch will reward you with gift cards to places like Amazon, Walmart, Chipotle and dozens of other retailers.
And it’s perfect for those of us who don’t want to put a ton of work into this. All you have to do is send Fetch a photo of your receipt, and it does everything for you. No scanning barcodes or searching for offers — and you can use it with any grocery receipt.
When you download the app, use the code PENNY to automatically earn 2,000 points when you scan your first receipt. Then start snapping photos of your recent receipts to see how many points you can earn without a single trip to the store!
Not so bad for a useless receipt, right?
3. You Don’t Go Grocery Shopping in Your Pantry
Before heading to the grocery store, go shopping in your pantry and fridge.
What do we mean? Take inventory of what’s already in stock, then build your weekly meals around those items. This will not only help reduce your weekly grocery bill also cut your waste.
4. Add $225 to Your Wallet for Groceries While Watching Movie Previews
If we told you that you could get paid while watching videos on your computer, you’d probably laugh.
It’s too good to be true, right?
But we’re serious. By signing up for a free account with InboxDollars, you could add up to $225 a month to your pocket. They’ll send you short surveys every day, which you can fill out while you watch someone bake brownies or catch up on the latest Kardashian drama.
No, InboxDollars won’t replace your full-time job, but it’s something easy you can do while you’re already on the couch tonight, wasting time on your phone.
Unlike other sites, InboxDollars pays you in cash — no points or gift cards. It’s already paid its users more than $56 million.
Signing up takes about one minute, and you’ll immediately receive a $5 bonus to get you started.
5. You Don’t Print Your Own Coupons
We’ve used online coupons for online purchases, but if you’re not using online coupons for when you shop in real life, you could be missing out on tons of money-saving opportunities at the grocery store.
Instead of flipping through newspaper circulars on Sunday or pulling a coupon out of the dispenser on the grocery store shelves, you can print your own for exactly what you want to buy.
There are a number of sites that offer free printable coupons. It’s much more simple than breaking out the scissors and giant binder!
6. You Don’t Scan Your Groceries’ Barcodes For Free Gift Cards
Remember the Nielsen company? The one that’s always tracked TV ratings? Well, now it wants to know what’s in your fridge.
Once you sign up to be on the Nielsen Consumer Panel, you’ll gain access to the NCPMobile app. (If you don’t have a smartphone, Nielsen will send you a scanner.) As you unload your groceries after your next shopping trip, simply use the app to scan items’ barcodes.
Nielsen will reward you with points, which you can redeem for free gift cards, electronics (new TV, anyone?) and household items. The longer you stay on the panel, the more opportunities you have to earn.
Applying to become a panel member is straightforward. You’ll answer some basic questions about you and your household, then Nielsen reviews your application and will contact you when you’re eligible to join.
7. You’re Not Getting a Piece of This $236 Million
What did you think of the new Spiderman movie? Is a hot dog a sandwich? Who’s your favorite Real Housewife?
The research company, MyPoints, has paid people over $236 million to answer poll questions like that over the past 23 years.
And they’re currently recruiting new panelists. You can do it right on your phone, and you’ll even earn a $5 bonus when you sign up and complete your first five polls. You can redeem your rewards for cash or gift cards to popular grocery stores like Walmart and Target.
8. You Don’t Stay on the Couch and Get Your Groceries Delivered
Getting your groceries delivered to your door sounds like a luxury, but opting in for grocery delivery can actually help save you money.
How? You don’t cave in to impulse buys, you get to compare prices beforehand, you plan each meal (ideally) and you can find cheaper alternatives with the swipe of your thumb.
Easy!
