Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
The grocery store is often the place where you and your money are parted. Wouldn't it be nice to get a little of that cash back?
Here are three ways to put some of your grocery money back into your pocket.
Use an app
There is an app for everything, including grocery savings. These are four great apps that currently let you earn cash back on grocery purchases.
·Ibotta:Probably the best of the bunch in my opinion, Ibotta lets you earn cash rebates on everything from brand name products to staples such as milk and fruit. You do have to complete certain tasks ““ such as posting to Facebook or watching an ad ““ to unlock the rebate. Then you simply snap a photo of your receipt to claim it.
·Checkout 51:This app also gives you cash back for your purchases, but the number of eligible items is much smaller than that offered by Ibotta. On the plus side, you don't have to complete any tasks to unlock rebates. Simply purchase the item, snap a photo of the receipt and watch your account be credited.
·Shopmium:Like Checkout 51, you make purchases and receive a credit after uploading a photo of your receipt. The app encourages you to discover new brands so rebates are typically only available for brand name products.
·SavingStar:You don't need a smart phone to use SavingStar. They also have a website where you can open an account and clip e-coupons. Your SavingStar account is linked to your grocery rewards card, and you receive a credit whenever you meet certain purchasing requirements.
The great thing about these apps is they let you double or even triple dip on your savings. Combine them with manufacturer and store coupons to maximize your money back.
Pay with your rewards credit card
Another way to get cash back on your groceries is to use a rewards credit card. Depending on the card, you could get up to 5 percent cash back or even more with certain promotions.
However, using a cash back credit card comes with one very important caveat: you must pay off the balance every month! Your 5 percent cash back doesn't do you any good if you're paying 10 percent interest on the balance.
Look for moneymakers
Finally, you can earn cash back on your groceries by looking for moneymakers, even though those aren't as easy to find today as they were in the past.
Once upon a time, most grocery stores gave you overage. That meant if you had a $1.00 coupon and bought an item for 90 cents, you would get a 10 cent credit.
Then Extreme Couponing debuted on television, and retailers tightened their coupon policies. Most eliminated overages although you can still find it at some Walmart and Albertson stores. Instead of an overage, most stores will adjust the value of the coupon down to the price of the item you're purchasing. So your $1.00 coupon becomes a 90 cent coupon.
However, you can find moneymakers even without overage. At SavingsAngel.com, we find most of these moneymaker deals are found at drugstores such as Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens. You get them by combining a sale with a coupon and a reward from the store's loyalty program.
Earning cash back on your groceries isn't a dream. By using these three strategies, it can be a reality!
