Inflation is hitting all of us hard and it’s clear in one place most of all, the grocery store. Eggs, milk, butter, and meat cost so much it feels like a joke. With no clear end in sight, it’s time to adapt and survive so you don’t go broke when it’s time to checkout each week.
 

Use Grocery Store Apps for Coupons
 

When thinking of coupons, you probably think of the old way, clipping them out of newspapers and ads and taking a handful to the store. But those days are behind us.

Today, most grocery stores use smartphone apps attached to your account for coupons and discounts. Rather than using scissors to collect coupons, you just open the app, tap what coupons you’ll want to use at the store, then go shopping. At checkout, depending on the store and the app, you either scan the coupons barcodes that show up on your phone or you just enter your account and the coupons are automatically redeemed on your purchases.

Grocery store apps often come with loyalty reward programs for shopping with them. Take advantage of these! Especially at a store you regularly shop at, you’ll be accumulating points like crazy and should redeem them for extra discounts or even gift cards to the store.
 

Buying in Bulk
 

Buying items in bulk can lead to a heavy initial purchase, but will save you money in the long run. For items that don’t expire quickly and you are positive you’ll use, buy them in bulk. Paper towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent, canned foods, meats, and more can all be bought in bulk and saved for later days.

Double this up with buying when things go on sale and you can really start saving money. Item prices fluctuate constantly, with the prices going up more often than down recently. If you can buy a year’s worth of paper towels on sale, you can ignore the inflation on it for a whole year.

Of course, the most popular bulk store is Costco. If you are considering getting a membership, which is not cheap, make sure you are shopping smart there and getting your value’s worth.
 

Stocking Up on Items
 

Alongside buying in bulk, don’t be afraid to stock up on items you know you’ll use, especially if those items are on sale. Anticipating your future needs lets you plan and shop deals rather than needing to buy something at a higher price because you ran out. 

For example, you see a good deal on mustard at the store. Rather than just buying one, buy three at the deal. Then as you start using the mustard and have gone through one bottle and are on your second, it goes on sale again. You can buy a new bottle to replenish your stock. In comparison, if you just buy one bottle of mustard on sale, when that runs out, you need to buy more, which just happens to be at full price. 

Anticipate your needs and wants and you can save money in the long run by shopping sales and keeping a healthy stock at home.
 

Earn Points or Cash Back
 

Get as much bang for your buck everytime you go grocery shopping. Use coupons, save money, buy in bulk, but when it comes to checking out, get a little something back.

Some grocery stores offer reward programs by either having a membership or a credit card with them. Use these to their fullest. Earn points, get discounts, or earn cash back when doing your weekly grocery shopping. Especially if you shop at one store almost exclusively, get back everytime you pay.

There are other ways to earn points too. Use a credit card like Pioneer’s VISA Platinum Credit Card and earn Rewards points everytime you shop. These points can be redeemed for gift cards, airfare, hotel stays and more. Not only are you saving money by following the advice above, you are earning something extra too.

But let’s say you are shopping at a grocery store that doesn’t accept credit cards, like Winco. Don’t worry, you can still get something back. Using the Pioneer Reward U or WOW Cash Back checking accounts, you still get perks using your debit card. The Reward U lets you earn Rewards points with every purchase and the WOW Cash Back nets you 1% cash back up to $15 on purchases each month!

Open a Rewards Checking Account