Swore I'd never clip grocery coupons until I saw a mom save $47 at checkout in Seattle

Watching her scan digital coupons from her phone in front of me at the register made me realize I was just being lazy about saving money, so now I spend 10 minutes on the app before shopping (how often do you all actually remember to use those things?)

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_palmer441d ago

Felt like I was getting away with something" is exactly the problem. You're not getting away with anything, you're letting the store win. They design those digital coupons to make you feel smart while you buy stuff you wouldn't have grabbed otherwise. I did the phone reminder thing for two months and ended up spending an extra $20 per trip because I'd see a coupon for "buy one get one free" on some snack I never eat and suddenly it's in my cart. Savings of $32 mean nothing if you've added $40 in impulse purchases. Honestly, I'd rather just buy what I actually need and not play their little game at all.

avery_flores171d ago

Digital coupons have actually been around longer than most people realize, some stores had them integrated into loyalty cards back in 2011. The key is setting a reminder on your phone right after you finish shopping for the next trip. That way you don't have to remember the day of, you just do it when the notification pops up.

lewis.finley1d ago

Right there with you on the phone reminder trick. I set mine for Saturday mornings while I'm still in bed (coffee in hand, half awake), and it actually works. The app notifications alone would just get swiped away without me thinking. What really sold me was the first time I saved $32 on a trip I'd normally spend full price on - felt like I was getting away with something. Now I even check for store-specific coupons on top of the brand ones, which can stack sometimes if you're lucky. It makes you wonder why we all fought it for so long when it's just a couple extra taps before walking in.