14 apps to save money at the grocery store or elsewhere

In a world where everything goes too fast and everything costs more from year to year, we are all trying to gain new habits to save money and to find solutions to face this economic reality. Fortunately, there are apps to download for free on our smartphone which can help us to save money.

Also, did you know that more than a third of food from supermarkets and restaurants is thrown away each year? In Canada, 35.5 million tonnes of food are wasted each year. In addition, food waste represents 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, which far exceeds total emissions from the aviation sector. While these 2.5 gigatons of food are sent to landfills, an estimated 828 million people suffer from hunger every day in the world… And all of this, as if it wasn’t enough, creates costs of 1.2 billion dollars per year. Ouch!

To reduce these disastrous figures, applications to reduce food waste are at your disposal to not only take part in the movement by doing their part to help in the era of zero waste, but also to help you save money by purchasing, at a discount, these foods that are still good for consumption.

Here is 14 apps that will save you money on your grocery bills and at other stores.

1. Flipp and Reebee

Flipp And Reebee are 2 applications that allow you to consult current and upcoming circulars from your favorite retailers, but also to compare prices and therefore, to choose where you will do your grocery shopping this week or in the weeks to come, in order to save money.

In addition to coupons and special offers every week, you have the possibility of having prices matched at certain merchants, if, for example, you see a similar product cheaper elsewhere, you show the application to the clerk and they will apply it to you a discount.

These tools also allow you to save time thanks to the “Shopping List” tools and offer you pamphlets from the largest retailers, including Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Maxi, Walmart, Pharmaprix, etc.

Whether you have renovation projects or a trip of food at 9 p.m., check out the discount coupons section which will allow you to save a lot of money.

Learn more about Flip and Reebee and download the apps

2. Check Out 51

Couponing fans, this app is for you! Check Out 51 is a money back app when you shop your favorite brands. And it’s super simple too!

Every week, new products from top brands are added to the list, such as Tide, Cliff, Pringles, etc. and when you buy them, you get money! Then take a photo of your invoice, upload it to the tool and receive a check for each $20 accumulated.

Learn more about Check Out 51 and download the app

3. FlashFood

This app not only serves to save on your next grocery bill, but it also serves to reduce food waste. For what? It’s simple: merchants offer discounts on grocery items whose expiration date is approaching. Imagine paying $4.99 for a package of ground beef rather than $9.99!

With FlashFoodthese are substantial savings for you, but also for the merchant who will avoid throwing away this food.

Learn more about FlashFood and download the app

4. FoodHero

Save money by buying food that’s still fresh and help reduce food waste with FoodHero of which more than a hundred grocers are members and offer discounts of 25 to 60% off the displayed price.

Most of the IGAs are on the list of merchants, but also Bonichoix, Métro, Marché Tradition and some Rachelle-Béry.

Learn more about FoodHero and download the app

5. Too Good To Go

Just like FlashFood and FoodHero, Too Good to Go allows you to save the sad fate of unsold food from your favorite businesses. This application bridges the gap between merchants who have unsold products and consumers who can collect them in the form of a “surprise basket” offered at advantageous prices. The merchant introduces its offer to new customers, and they discover new products at low prices.

Available in more than 17 countries, this concept, which emerged in 2016, has saved millions of baskets and avoided throwing away more than 100,000 meals per day. It’s a win/win for everyone!

Learn more about Too Good To Go and download the app

6. Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog works the same way as Check Out 51, meaning you scan your receipt to receive rewards. Every week, small games are added to the mobile application giving you the opportunity to win even more. It’s simple: earn rewards every time you upload a receipt or complete a survey. You accumulate coins and spins on the wheel of virtual slot machines.

Redeemable for cash back or gift cards, points can be accumulated at the biggest brands, including Amazon, Heinz, Hershey, Purina, Doordash, etc.

Learn more about Receipt Hog and download the app

7. Receipt Jar

Get paid to shop: that’s the concept behind it Receipt Jar, available for download for your cell phones. Take a photo of your invoice from one of the 11,000 registered merchants, accumulate points for each receipt uploaded, or respond to surveys and collect even more points by playing Snakes and Ladders and participating in monthly competitions.

Then exchange these points for electronic cards that can be used at your favorite retailers. IGA, McDonald’s, H&M and IKEA are just a few of these retailers from Canada, Australia and the United States to power the Receipt Jar app.

Learn more about Receipt Jar and download the app

Also read: 7 simple ways to produce less waste at home

8. Supermarkets.ca

Supermarche.ca is not an application, you guessed it, but a website which lists the best offers in the food category every week.

Choose from the fish, pasta, organic, frozen, canned, meat, etc. sections. and compare prices at grocery markets in your area. Save money and stock your freezer when these low prices are worth it!

Learn more at supermarket.ca

9. Glutton

Glutton offers you‘Saver who scours the circulars every week to offer you recipes whose ingredients are offered at discounts in grocery stores. Track ingredients to know in which supermarket they are cheaper, and change the routine by concocting delicious meals at great prices!

Learn more about Glutton and the Saver and download the app

10. Rakuten

Here we save everywhere other than groceries, clothes, cosmetics, etc. Sephora, Dell, Old Navy, Simons, Canadian Tires… no less than 750 stores and up to 30% off your purchases will save you big. The app Rakuten helps you find the best brands with the best deals and cash back. Shop at your favorite merchants, collect points and get paid by check or PayPal.

Learn more about Rakuten and download the app

11. Ibotta

This app works the same as those asking you to upload receipts to get discounts, and it’s up to 30% off.Ibotta saves you money on clothing, sporting goods and even hotel rooms.

Learn more about Ibotta and download the app

12. Backup

The app Backup transforms surplus food into tempting offers. The application links local restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers with surplus food and consumers.

From St-Hubert rotisseries to Première Moisson bakeries, here is another great initiative to avoid food waste and a great way to save on your weekly food budget.

Learn more about Backup and download the app

13. Improve

Formerly known as Mission Salto, Improve offers you subscriptions to the weekly Anti-Waste basket, saving fruits and vegetables from food waste. Every week, they collect several hundred kilos of fruits and vegetables from producers and distributors in Montreal. They collect these surpluses to make them accessible to Montrealers to make a responsible box verified by Aliments du Québec.

The rest of these unsold items are distributed to organizations to help the most deprived and the other part will be transformed at OLAOLA, a food processor that fights against waste by offering vegan smoothies and popsicles.

Learn more about Improove and download the app

14. SecondLife Marketplace

Another application that comes to the rescue of fruits and vegetables that would normally be thrown away, because they are either misshapen or too small or simply because they are in surplus: SecondLife Marketplace. Depending on the number of people living under your roof, choose the basket that suits you, organic or not, with local or international products and get it at a reduced price. Between Quebec and Montreal, collect your basket whose freshness is guaranteed, by pick-up, or delivered directly to your home.

Learn more about SecondLife Marketplace and download the app

You now have plenty of tools to save money and better plan your budget!

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