8 Crazy Grocery Store Tricks That Can Save You Over $100 Per Month

You don’t need to be a crazy coupon person to save money on groceries.  Technology has made it easier and easier to find great deals on your favorite items at the store. We’ve compiled some great tricks that will help you maximize the your shopping trip and earn cash back every time you go.

1.  Scan Your Receipts And Get Cash Back

There are a few new services that have become popular lately in which you scan your receipts on your phone and you get money back.  It’s that easy.

The most popular company right now is called Ibotta.  You just download their free app to your phone you earn cash by buying participating products.

For every friend that you get to sign-up using their referral program, you get $5 and they get $10.  Because that’s what friends are for.  That also means if you sign-up for Ibotta today, you will get $10 for free when you redeem your first rebate! 

In addition to Ibotta, you should also download Checkout 51.  This works similar to Ibotta and will include a different set of coupons and offers.

2. Get A Credit Card With Grocery Rewards

Some credit cards are better than others.  Especially when it comes to providing rewards for your shopping.  According to WiseBread, there are a few credit cards that can really help you save money on groceries.

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express offers a crazy 6% back on groceries!  According to the USDA, the average American family spends $890 a month on their groceries.  With 6% cash back, you could save $53 a month on groceries or $640 a year.  Keep in mind this credit card charges an annual fee of annual fee of $75, but if you have a large grocery budget then the card would easily pay for itself.

In addition to the Blue Cash Card, WiseBread also recommends the BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Credit Card. It offers 2% back at grocery stores, 3% back on gas, and 1% on other purchases.   There is no annual fee with this card.

3. Create Your Own Customized Circular

Circulars are great but who has time to search through all the various circulars and find just the products you actually are about. A service called Pirc makes that process much easier.  With Pirc, you select the brands or categories of products you normally buy, and it will create a free customized circular for you based upon your location.

It’s a great tool to use on a weekly basis to make sure you are getting the best deal on the items your typically buy or looking to buy something new.

4. Sign-Up For High Value Coupons

There are coupons and then there are coupons.  The good news is that some of the most popular manufacturers have lists that you can sign-up for and get high-value coupons emailed to you.  According to the Penny Hoarder, you can get over $250 in free coupons from each of these brands each year.

• Better Crocker 
• Pillsbury
• Tablespoon (General Mills) 

5.  Take Advantage Of All The Coupon Experts Out There

There are thousands of coupons available, but who has the time to go through them all?  The good news is that there are some amazing websites that do this work for you.  They will highlight the best coupons and teach you how to save a lot of money when shopping.  We regularly feature great tips and advice from these sites.

• The Krazy Coupon Lady 
• Passion For Savings 
• Hip 2 Save

6.  Give Feedback To The Food Companies

The food manufacturers really care what you think.  So much, that they will pay you take to surveys and give them feedback.   The Penny Hoarder recommends to try out the IPSOS Panel and MySurvey.   By doing these, you could generate an additional $15-30 a month and are perfect to do while watching TV.

The Penny Hoarder also says to check out local focus group panels that can pay up to $75.

7.  Use These Apps To Save A Lot Of Money

Over the past few years, a lot of new apps have popped up to help save you money.  Considering you are always on your phone and likely staring at it while at the grocery store anyway, why not try out some of the new grocery apps to help you save money.

The Krazy Coupon Lady has a list of recommended apps that will help you save.

8. Scan Your Groceries At Home

Nielsen is a company that’s focused on understanding how consumers spend their time and money. Nielsen will even pay you to better understand what you are buying. When you sign-up for the National Consumer Panel (NCP),  you will download their mobile app (iPhone | Android) and scan each item on your phone as you put it in your fridge or pantry.

For every item you scan, you earn points that can be redeemable for merchandise.  You also get entered into regular giveaways and sweepstakes.

Note:  Based upon your location and how you fill at the survey, you may not be eligible for the panel.  But its worth a shot!