DETROIT – Paper coupons are still around, but in many stores, the best discounts have gone digital! Consumer Reports breaks down how to use digital coupons to maximize your supermarket savings.
Coupons have been part of grocery shopping for generations. But today, the savings are often digital – loaded in the store’s app, which you can sometimes combine with other deals. If you are willing to take a few minutes and peruse those circulars or clip digital or paper coupons, those offers can shave hundreds of dollars off your grocery bill over time.
To see how much those savings can add up, Consumer Reports’ Brian Vines put coupons to the test. While at the grocery store, he noticed Breyers’ 48-ounce ice cream containers priced at $5.99 each. Because he was a member of the store’s rewards program, the ice cream was on sale: 2 for $8. Brian says, “I got further savings because I downloaded that store’s digital app, which gave me a dollar off that same ice cream deal.”
To unlock those digital deals, most stores require you to create an account and join a loyalty program. In exchange, retailers may collect data on your shopping habits. That information can be used to target ads and potentially to charge different prices to different shoppers, a practice known as surveillance pricing.
If you prefer not to rely on apps, some stores offer in-store kiosks where you can scan your physical rewards card or enter your phone number to load digital discounts. Other stores may apply discounts at checkout if you ask.
Another way to stay on top of what’s on sale is to watch a super-couponer like Star Smith, Super-Couponer @couponwithStar, who breaks down weekly deals on her YouTube channel. Star says, “We spend all of our time doing the work and finding the deals and doing the match-ups, so if you can watch a two-minute video, you can get plugged into those savings and just duplicate what they’re doing.”
Consumer Reports says you can access additional deals by signing up for email lists from your favorite brands or reaching out to them directly. Many of them will send high-value coupons, and sometimes even free product offers. The savings could mean keeping more money in your pocket.
Consumer Reports recommends sticking to a shopping list. A digital coupon only saves you money if it’s for something you were already planning to buy.
More: Consumer Reports