Don't Overlook Grocery Store Apps And Miss Out On Some Serious Rewards
Every consumer-facing product and service has a rewards program these days. Whether you are flying, taking a train, renting a car, buying coffee at your favorite coffee spot you frequent, or shopping at your grocery store of choice, there are savings to be had and there are points to rack up for a future benefit. The bottom line is grocery store loyalty programs are worth it; however, if you are part of one and have neglected to download the app, you could be missing out on lower prices and daily deals.
This could be budget critical when you consider the Consumer Price Index is showing that some of our favorite foods like cereal, chicken, and eggs have all increased in price from the previous year. That should be reason enough to want to use grocery store apps and save, but Consumer World founder Edgar Dworsky revealed to The Washington Post that wannabe supermarket savers who don't use these rewards apps are shelling out between two and three times more for those coveted sale items. Of course, some might argue that grocery stores don't make it easy to clip digital savings.
You need to plan ahead
To really benefit from the digital savings, you need to plan ahead or risk spending an inordinate amount of time on the app while you are in store trying to find a coupon. But these digital savings aren't just for the Whole Foods, Giants, Publix, and Harris Teeters of the world. Be sure to take a look at apps for Costco and Sam's Club to add some additional savings to your monthly budget.
Additionally, it's important to remember that these loyalty programs also offer rewards for the supermarkets as well. These businesses are able to profile your shopping habits and tailor savings specifically towards your spending habits to entice you to shop with them even more so. Many people accept this as common practice, while others consider it to be a little too much of an invasion of privacy.
If you really want to maximize your savings, grocery reward programs aren't the only shopping apps you should consider using for your weekly household needs. Apps like Ibotta and Mealime can help you with meal planning and find discounts on specific items.