Consumer Reports Finds New Tools To Cut Food Bills
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Grocery bills are soaring with prices for staples like bread, eggs and coffee up more than 30 percent in the last five years, and that's why it's more important than ever to sniff out savings.
Consumer Reports ShopSmart has lots of new and easier ways to save.
Jeanne Coppola is a 21st century bargainista. She's able to check apps on her smartphone for coupons that help her save big at the grocery store.
"It really is easier because I always have my phone," said Coppola.
Consumer Reports ShopSmart dug deep to find new tools that can help you cut your food bills.
"If you've got a smartphone, you can download apps from local grocery stores," said Lisa Lee Freeman, of Consumer Reports ShopSmart. "You can have circulars from those stores right at your fingertips, so you'll know what the daily and weekly deals are."
Grocery IQ is another helpful app. You can make your grocery list on it and search for coupons, too.
"Even if you don't have a smartphone, some stores have kiosks where you can scan your loyalty card and get extra savings," Freeman said.
Or before you go shopping, download coupons from a store's website directly onto your loyalty card. That way you just swipe your card at checkout to get deals.
Shopping with loyalty cards can help you save at the pump, too. Points earned at some grocery stores can translate into money saved per gallon of gas.
Now, Coppola finds with so many new ways to save that she's not just saving money, she's also saving time.
"I don't have to sit down with all the coupons," she said. "I just pull it up on my phone, and whatever store I'm in I can see if they have the sale," said Coppola.
If you find you can't locate coupons for the products you like, ShopSmart suggests you try emailing companies directly to ask for coupons on your favorite items.
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