How to Use Apps to Stick to Your Grocery Budget

Grocery prices have risen significantly over recent years, and for many households food is now one of the largest monthly expenses after housing. The good news is that a handful of apps and strategies can make a real dent in what you spend at the store, without forcing you to eat less or shop at inconvenient places.

Start with the store apps you already have access to. Kroger, Publix, Safeway, H-E-B, Albertsons, and most other major chains have free loyalty apps with digital coupons that you clip inside the app and that apply automatically at checkout. Open the app once a week, clip everything relevant, and the savings stack up without any effort at the register.

Flipp is an app that aggregates the weekly sale flyers from all grocery stores near you in one place. Instead of sorting through a stack of paper circulars or visiting multiple websites, you can search for an item and see which store has it on sale this week.

Ibotta is a cashback app for groceries. Before you shop, browse offers inside the app and add the ones for products you plan to buy. After shopping, scan your receipt or link your store loyalty card, and Ibotta deposits cash into your account — typically $0.25 to $2 per item, which adds up over time. You can transfer the cash to PayPal or Venmo or use it as a gift card.

Fetch Rewards is simpler — scan any grocery receipt and earn points regardless of what you bought. Points eventually convert to gift cards.

Beyond apps, comparing unit prices (price per ounce or per pound) is one of the most effective budget strategies at any store. Store brands are almost always significantly cheaper than name brands, and in many cases the product is identical or comes from the same factory.

Meal planning before you shop means you only buy what you will use, which directly cuts the amount of food that ends up thrown away.