Hi friend – Food and money are two key components in our lives. We can’t live without food and we can’t really do much without money. More often than not, a significant amount of our income goes towards buying food and groceries. With nowadays inflation numbers, most of us are left to answer the question of: how can I save money on food and groceries?
For that reason, and knowing that reducing food and groceries expenses will likely lead to a better financial balance, I have compiled a list of the top 5 money-saving/cost-effective apps to use when buying food or grocery shopping.
By using these apps you’ll be able to save some cash on your trips to the grocery stores. When you are on a budget, use these apps to identify discount deals and earn cash back rewards on groceries, gas and other items.
Getting started with my personal favorite budget-friendly app …
App #1: [Too good to go]
Features
At a fraction of the price, this app lets you rescue surplus unsold food from restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores that would otherwise be thrown away or wasted.
Local businesses list fresh unsold food on the app for a faction of the original price for users to pick up.
The users reserve the bags of food that they’re interested in and then go and pick them up. It’s that simple yet very effective when it comes to saving money on meals.
The idea is to save money on food while also making an impact by preventing food from going to waste.
Good idea given that we waste roughly 30% of our food each year amounting to more than $900 Billion globally. So, saving some of that doesn’t seem like a bad idea!
The app is available in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and the US
Pros:
- Free and easy to use
- Good value
- Good for trying out new meals/places
Cons:
- You get the products just before the business closes
- The most popular places sell out fast
- With surprise bags you might get something you don’t tolerate/eat
User experience
This app has more than 10+ million downloads on play store alone. With 1.4+ million reviews it still managed to pull a 4.8 score on play store and 4.9 on app store indicating a great user experience.
Looking up what people have to say on independent forums like Reddit, there seemed to be a strong general sense of satisfaction with this app.
App #2: [Upside]
Features
Upside is an app that claims to offer the highest cash back rates of all other similar apps. Launched back in 2016, the app managed to partner with more than 50 000 businesses including gas stations like Chevron, RaceTrac, Marathon, Texaco, Exxon and Shell. So, chances are you will likely find offers from businesses in your area. Additionally, they claim to have had offered more than $250 million in cash back rewards ever since they started.
They also report that frequent users average $148 on cash back rewards per year. Which is a nice sum.
The way the app works is fairly simple. When you want to earn cash back rewards, just:
- Open the app and claim an offer near you (Claiming the offer is required for reward)
- Pay as usual with a credit or debit card
- Then tap Check-in or take a photo of your receipt
- Earn cash back and request a payout whenever you want.
Just note that there is a $1 fee for withdrawing small amounts. That is $1 fee for bank account withdrawals less than $10 and for PayPal withdrawals that are less than $15. However, that fee is waived once you pass those dollar amounts.
Pros:
- Free to use
- High cash back reward rates
- Can use it in gas stations
Cons:
- There is a $1 fee for withdrawing small amounts
- Some offer only available with in-app payment
- You have to claim the offer before purchasing in order to be rewarded
User experience
Looking up the user experience on independent sources came to the conclusion that the app is quite useful for most people. The only issue that I’ve noticed is that sometimes the rewards take longer than normal to be credited. Also, in particular areas, some cash-back rates offered on gas don’t always equate to the lowest price available.
Overall though, the app seems to offer a good experience. The ratings on app store and google play store also support that conclusion respectively scoring 4.8 and a 4.7 star reviews.
App #3: [ibotta]
Features
ibotta is a cash back reward app that features more than 2000 retail stores including Walmart, eBay Sam’s club and Kohl’s. Whether you shop at a grocery store or online, you can get cash back rewards on your groceries and gift-card purchases. The rewards can go from $0.10 up to $3+ depending on the offer listed.
When shopping in stores, you’ll have to snap and upload a picture of the receipts to the app within 7 days of purchase to qualify for the rewards. Alternatively, you can link up your favorite store loyalty card that way you won’t have to upload your receipts.
When you reach the $20 threshold, you can cash out your rewards via PayPal or bank account.
Pros:
- Free to use
- Features 2000+ retailers
- $5 – $10 sign up bonus
Cons:
- There are ads
- Online purchases must be made through the app
- 180 days’ inactivity fee deductible from account balance
User experience
When researching the feedback on different independent online forums, I came to the conclusion that users seem to have an overall good experience with ibotta.
The app also scores a 4.8-star review on app store and a 4.5-star on google play store with over 10 million downloads. Indicating good overall user experience.
App #4: [Receipt Hog]
Features
Receipt Hog is an app that rewards you for taking pictures of your grocery receipts and uploading them to the app. You read that right! Shopping online or in-store, you just have to take photos of your receipts and upload them to start earning some change.
Obviously, the rewarded cash will not pay any bills but, if you’re someone who shops a lot, this could mean an extra $5 a month which isn’t bad for doing something you’re going to be doing anyways.
The sum of points you’ll be earning for each receipt is proportional to the total amount of the receipt.
- Receipt total is less than $10 = 5 Coins
- Receipt total is $10 to $49.99 = 10 Coins
- Receipt total is $50 to $99.99 = 15 Coins
- Receipt total is $100+ = 20 Coins
In order for you to cash out your reward, you’ll have to pass the threshold of $5 which is equal to 1000 Coins.
But that’s not all you earn rewards for. The app also offers surveys, sweepstakes entries and a “Hog slot” spin for certain receipts.
Pros:
- Fee & easy to use
- Multiple payout options
- Accepts online and physical receipts
Cons:
- Your purchasing data is shared with consumer good brands
- Only accepts receipts from last 14 days
- No bonuses for more than $100 receipts
User experience
The app totals 5+ million downloads and is reviewed on Play Store and App Store at 4.5 and 4.7 respectively.
Looking the app on independent forums, there seem to be a sense of dissatisfaction with reward rates offered compared to other similar apps like Fetch but also, people tend to like the ease of use it come with.
App #5: [Flashfood]
Features
Similar to the “too good to go” app, Flashfood aims to reduce food waste while helping people afford groceries.
Grocery stores in your area list items that are nearing their best-before dates on the app for sale at a deep discount price.
That way, stores can recover some of their costs from groceries that would otherwise go to waste and, customers get to buy food while saving money and contributing in the waste reduction efforts.
Pros:
- Free to sign up
- Heavy discounts
- Good user interface/Easy to use
Cons:
- Might not be available in your area as it’s still relatively new
- Sometimes, item photos aren’t clear
- Refund can take time because you have to go through support
User experience
Users report good experiences for the most part. It seems that the more popular the app is in a given area, the better the experience. Which does make sense from the supply and demand perspective: The more popular it is, the more competitive the listings get.
Common complaints on independent forums include; unclear item photos, un-availability in the area and app glitches.
However, the app still scores a 4.8 review on app store and 4.3 on google play store indicating good overall experience with Flashfood.
How to Use Grocery-Saving Apps Effectively?
We all have half a dozen app on our phones. Some for communication other for entertainment. Why not have some to save some cash for a Christmas gift? By using the apps mentioned in this article we can maximize our saving rates on groceries.
However, apps are not the end all be all for saving. We should also know when and how to use them in order to avoid potential pitfalls.
For example, if an app offers a 5% cash back on a store item valued at $100 while that same item is value at $94 on another store with no cashback rewards, we’d be better off buying from the store that’s not offering cashback rewards.
Similarly, if you have to drive for a long distance to a gas station offering 10 cents a gallon cashback rewards while the one close by is 5 cents less per a gallon, better off not going that distance unless you’re going to anyways.
In addition to that, you should also be very aware of “shrinkflation”. That’s when the stores/brands reduce the size of the products while maintaining the same price tag. So you end up paying the same price for less.
You should also avoid buying things just because you like the deal. Make sure you actually need the items before you seek to purchase them. I actually fall for this one sometimes, I see a good deal on an app and I find myself very tempted to make the purchase.
Final thoughts
With inflation being as high as it currently is, saving some cash on grocery store trips only makes sense. Whether using apps or hunting for local deals a dollar saved is always a dollar earned.
Especially when you consider how fast you can compound those savings by investing them into a money generating asset like a dividend stock for example.
If you’re like me, I’m always excited to invest my savings into my favorite stocks and watch them grow into more. Might not look like much in the beginning but, trust me, those cents work wonders.
With that, I have finished my thoughts blog post
Thank so much for reading this far. I really appreciate you.
Please consider sharing this article with people that might find it helpful.
Also, I would love to know your thoughts on the subject of saving money and living below the means. Additionally, if you’ve used/are using any of these apps, please don’t hesitate to share your experience. Would love to hear from you. I mean it!
Alright, appreciate you, bye!
