kpvxl Food editor Kristen Eppich shares five clever couponing apps she swears by.
With the price of food on the rise, price-matching and couponing has gone from feeling a bit gauche to the norm. They have become a part of my regular grocery shopping routine, and I rely on couponing apps to keep me organized. here are a few of my favorite free apps that are available on both Android and iOS.
Flipp: Flipp is a great cost-saving app for price-matching. Flipp allows you to build your grocery list directly into the app, and search for deals before you head to the grocery store. It scans all your local flyers by postal code to find the best deals possible, and adds them to your grocery list so you can show the cashier at checkout. The only catch is that it’s only valid at stores that honor price matching.
Reebee: Rebee is a similar app to Flipp, scanning local flyers to find the best deals out there. It allows you to generate your grocery list two ways, either by flipping through flyers and tapping on items you would like to add, or by searching specific items for the best price. simple and effective.
SnipSnap: The standout feature of this app is the interactive component, called ‘scout,’ that assists you in searching specific items and brand names through a series of automated text messages. This app is for the shopper looking for a deal on a specific item, rather than on a regular grocery store run.
Checkout 51: checkout 51 is a rebate or cash-back app. once you set up an account, it generates offers that will give you cash back. For example, checkout 51 will offer $.50 on a carton of eggs. You won’t receive that discount instantly at checkout, but will instead be mailed a check once your account has accumulated a certain number of rebates. The app requires you to photograph and upload your receipt, so the savings aren’t immediate — but it’s good for those disciplined enough to commit to the process.
Red Flag Deals: Red Flag deals is more of a resource than a functional app. They’re very good at locating great deals, but the app itself doesn’t save you the money – you’ll have to go to the specific store or site for that.
Tips for couponing and price-matching:
1. Do your research before you go shopping. having a prepared list is always good idea, but having your digital coupons connected to your list will speed things up even more.
2. give your teller a heads-up. Tellers have come to expect price-matching and couponing, but I’ve noticed that letting them know in advance helps things run more smoothly during check-out.
3. keep all your price matching items in a separate place in your cart. I like to save them all to the very end and then run through them quickly.
4. check the specifics of a coupon, particularly for items like produce. Make sure you’re cross checking the price per pound and specific details of the offer to make sure the deal applies to what you’re buying.