Saving With Your Smartphone: Part 2 – Grocery Store Apps

By: Lucy Zemljic on November 12, 2014

You already know what to do to save money at the supermarket. But clipping coupons, flipping through flyers, and comparing prices the old fashioned way takes time – something that most people just don’t have. Luckily, there’s an easier way, and all it takes is some swiping and tapping.

To celebrate Financial Literacy Month, we’ve been bringing you the best money-saving apps on the market – while the first part in our series was a countdown of coupon apps, this time around, we're heading to the supermarket and bringing our smartphones along. From organizing shopping lists to getting cash back at the checkout, there’s a bevy of helpful smartphone apps out there that can make grocery shopping a breeze. So stop leafing through flyers and get digital on your groceries with these (totally free) money-and-time-saving apps!

Flipp

If you like the deals from weekly store flyers but can’t stand the inky fingers, whip out your smartphone or tablet and download Flipp. This powerhouse grocery app puts all those weekly circulars in the palm of your hand – just enter your postal code and Flipp will load up the latest deals from store flyers in your area. Browse through categories, clip items by tapping on them, and add stores to your favourites list. What’s more, Flipp even has a search feature – want to find Cheerios on the cheap? Just type it in the search bar and Flipp will find flyers with Cheerios on sale.

Get it: App Store – Google Play

Reebee

If you’re looking for something more bare bones than Flipp, check out Reebee. Just type in your postal code and it’ll stock your virtual shelf with flyers from stores in your area. There’s nothing complicated about this app – the flyers appear exactly as they do in real life. And although Reebee lacks a search function, flipping through these flyers is as easy as swiping left or right.

Get it: App Store – Google Play – Blackberry World

Snap

From the makers of Groupon comes Snap, a cash-back rebate app similar to Checkout51. Just download, get registered, then check out this week’s cash-back offers on everyday grocery items. When you’re done shopping, snap a photo of your receipt, and when you’ve earned $20 or more in rebates you can request a cheque. What makes Snap a great grocery app? According to online reviews, Snap offers weekly fresh produce rebates, so you can save on supermarket staples like lettuce, broccoli, carrots and more.

Get it: App Store – Google Play

PC Plus

The popular President’s Choice loyalty program has taken to the mobile world with the release of the PC Plus app. You don’t even need to be a PC Financial member to cash in – anyone can join the new program and earn points at their favourite supermarkets across the country. Plus, you can search for recipes, create shopping lists, and even get special weekly offers to earn extra points.

Get it: App Store – Google Play – Blackberry World

Grocery iQ

This aptly-named app is the ultimate grocery buddy, and boasts millions of downloads and plenty of satisfied customers. It’s more than a coupon clipper or a digital grocery list, it’s a lifestyle application. Craft your perfect to-buy list and sort products by aisles, clip coupons and find matching stores in your area, favourite frequently-purchased products and use voice search to find them later - Grocery iQ is the Swiss Army Knife of supermarket apps.

Get it: App Store – Google Play

Price Cruncher

We’ve all been there, face-to-face with two separate price tags, wondering which one is the better deal. With Price Cruncher, you’ll never have to wonder again: this app lets you price compare items to see which one is cheaper per unit, so that you can make sure you’re really getting the best deal. This one’s relatively new, but gaining in popularity – give it a shot next time you’re stumped at the supermarket.

Get it: Google Play

OurGroceries

If you’re sick of coordinating lists with your spouse or roommate the old fashioned way, then check out this clever app. OurGroceries brings the fridge grocery list into the 21st century and puts it on your smartphone. Just download it and get your grocery-list-buddy to do the same – when you add or remove items, OurGroceries will sync the changes across everyone’s lists.

Get it: App Store – Google Play

Red Laser and ShopSavvy

Turn your smartphone into a barcode scanner with these handy apps for iPhone, Android and Windows Phones. Red Laser and ShopSavvy make it easy to compare prices too. Wondering if you can get that milk any cheaper? Just scan it and these clever apps will point you to the nearby grocers that have lower-priced milk.

Get Red Laser: App Store – Google Play – Windows Phone

Get ShopSavvy: App Store – Google Play

Cookpad Recipes

If you’ve perfected your list and bought your groceries, but still aren’t sure what to make for dinner, Cookpad’s here to help. This unique cooking community app is a cookbook, food forum, and culinary gallery all in one. You can even search for recipes based on what you’ve got in the kitchen, so no more excuses to order pizza for the third night in a row!

Get it: App Store – Google Play

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