We all know money does not seem to stretch as far as it used to. I remember being a kid and thinking about all the amazing stuff I would do with $100. It seemed like the possibilities were endless. Now, I can use most of that just by filling up my gas and grabbing some snacks at gas station.
I’m not sure what the actual statistics are, but I think it’s safe to say that the cost of living has increased at a much faster rate than any increase in wages. As a result, we’ve gotta get creative and come up with new ways to save money on groceries.
For many people, groceries can be one of the biggest monthly expenses aside from their mortgage/rent. I live in a house with my husband and four boys ranging from 14 to 19 so food cost is definitely a huge monthly expense for us.
I wanted to share a few of my favorite FREE apps that I use all the time to save money on groceries. Not only are these apps free, but they are also super easy to use. Several of these apps can also be used to earn some extra cash.
Free Cashback With Your Receipts
Ibotta – Ibotta is definitely my #1 favorite money saving app. It’s a cash back rewards app and it’s super easy to use. I use it every single time I shop. IBotta is setup to be used with major retailers around the world. It is very similar to using coupons, but you do not have to print anything and take them to the store with you.
Once you download the app you can login and checkout the participating stores near you. It will show you all the items that are currently available with cashback options. After you go shopping, you simply select the items that you purchased from the offers available and scan your receipt.
Ibotta will verify that you purchased a participating item and then it will upload that credit to your account. The credit is typically loaded into your account within a couple of minutes. Once you have $20 in credit you can request a cash out.
I have cashed out several times and currently have another $78 to cash out. Not bad for products you are going to buy anyways. You can even find participating convenience stores near you. You can even score cashback on alcohol purchases.
You can click the image below to download the free app. By using my link, you can get up to a $20 Welcome Bonus.
This will also create a referral code for you to share with your friends and family. When your friends sign up with your referral code, you will earn a referral bonus, this is typically $5.
Checkout 51 – This app is very similar to Ibotta. It’s super easy to use. You can scroll through the current available offers and if you purchase any, are planning on purchasing any of those items (there are TONS available) simply upload a copy of your receipt to the app to earn your Cash Back.
Right now Checkout 51 is currently offering 3,000 bonus points ($3) to get you started when you sign up through a referral link. Just like Ibotta, once you sign up you will be given your own referral link that you can share with friends and family.
For each person that you get to sign up with your referral link, you will earn 3,000 bonus points. Fetch Rewards requires a $20 balance in order to cash out but this is not hard to reach. They even make it easy to share your link on social media so you can use the app to save money but also as a little side hustle if you want to earn some extra cash.
Fetch Rewards – Fetch rewards works a little different than the rebate apps listed above. With Fetch Rewards you can turn any grocery receipt into savings, regardless of the items you purchase. Fetch Rewards, does offer bonus points for specific items on their list which are changed out frequently.
Fetch Rewards does NOT payout directly to a bank account like the other apps do. With Fetch rewards you can exchange your points for gift cards (instant online gift cards) and you can cash out with as little as $5 in points (this is equivalent to 5,000 points).
Points can add up very quickly. There are currently a ton of items that pay out thousands of points at a time. I like to save up throughout the year and then cashout for an Amazon gift card to spend on Christmas gifts.
You can sign up through my referral link below to score a signup bonus of 3,000 points ($3) to get you started. Like the other apps, you will then get your own referral link to share with friends and family.
Each time someone uses your referral link, you will earn an additional 3,000 points. Fetch Rewards often runs promos where they will increase the referral points, which is a great time to share your referral link with everyone who you think can benefit from it.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. This means I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through one of my links. This is at no additional cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more information.
Save Automatically When You Shop
Dosh – This is an amazing free app that I absolutely love, and it is totally different than the others. Once you download the Dosh app, you will be asked to link your credit and/or debit cards to your account. If you have multiple cards you frequently use, you can link them all, so you know you won’t miss out on any cashback offers.
Once you have linked a card to your account, Dosh will automatically look for cashback offers on any item you purchase with a linked card. With Dosh you do not have to search for any specific items or upload any receipts. Just use your card as you normally would. Dosh will do the rest of the work for you.
Just like the other apps, Dosh has a really good referral program. Currently they are offering a $5 bonus when you sign up through a referral link. ONce you have created your account and linked a card, Dosh will create a personal referral link for you to share with your friends and family.
Dosh frequently runs promotions to help you earn some extra cash. Around the holidays Dosh was running a promotion where they offered a $15 referral bonus. The person who made the referral and the person who signed up and registered there card each received $15.
Watch for these promos and you can earn some serious cash while you are saving money. Click on the image below to get started with Dosh today.
Drop – Drop is very similar to Dosh. You simply download the free app and link your debit and/or credit card to your account. Just like Dosh you just make purchases as you normally would. Drop will automatically search for cashback offers at participating retailers. It takes no further effort on your part.
As an example, I took my kids to Burger King the other day. Shortly after that I got a notification on my phone that 683 points had been added to my account. It really is effortless and I would highly suggest it. The great thing about this app and Dosh is that you can be earning points on both of them at the same time for the exact same purchases.
Drop’s referral program offers a $5 bonus when you sign up through a referral link. Once you have created your account and linked a card, Drop will create your personal referral link for you to share with your friends and family. You will then start receiving a $5 bonus for each person you refer who signs up using your referral link.
Walmart Grocery Pickup
Walmart Grocery Pickup App –Initially I was really skeptical about ordering my groceries online and picking them up at the store. The thought of a stranger picking out my produce kinda freaked me out, but I decided I would give it a try and I LOVE it.
Not only is it super convenient but it is a really good way to stick to your list and to know what the final cost will be before you checkout. The app keeps a running total as you add or remove items from your cart. This app has helped me stay within my budget.
The WalMart Grocery app also makes it easy to look at all the items that Ibotta and Checkout 51 are offering rebates on to see if you may want to pick some of those items up while they are offering a rebate.
Currently if you sign up through my referral link, you and I will both get $10.00 off our next order. Once you download the app and create your free account, you will be given a referral code to share with your friends and family. You can earn $10 discounts on all your future orders up to $200.
We all need groceries, why not save $10 on each trip.
Find The Best Deals On Groceries
Krazy Coupon Lady – First, I am NOT someone who carries around a big binder full of organized coupons. If you are that organized and can do it, more power to you. You can score some seriously amazing deals. If you want to learn more about couponing, I cannot think of a better person to learn from than The Krazy Coupon Lady.
Even if you have absolutely no desire to get into couponing, I still highly suggest downloading the app. When it comes to finding amazing deals, she finds them and shares them to her website. She also shares great information about when and how retailers mark down items and the best times to shop for different items.
If you would like to check out the Krazy Coupon Lady, you can find her website HERE.
If you have some great free apps that you like to use to save on your groceries, please comment below and share the details.
