SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Grocery shoppers can save money by being flexible with their choices and taking advantage of loyalty programs and cash-back apps.
"I bought the Nancy's cottage cheese. If you look at the ingredients they're exactly the same, this one's $2 cheaper," said Bre Golden, one shopper at Jensen's in Point Loma.
"We have the regular Oreos which are not on sale, but the Oreo thins are on sale so if you can be a little bit flexible you can save some money," said Adam Zack, Jensen's owner.
Zack explains that flexibility allows shoppers to choose items on sale or products that qualify for discounts through loyalty programs.
"The more you spend, the more you rack up with a discount, so I had an ongoing discount attached to my phone number," another shopper said.
Loyalty programs and their points systems vary significantly between grocery chains. Points earned at Albertsons and Vons allow customers to receive discounts on groceries and monthly free items.
At Ralphs and Food 4 Less, points go toward fuel savings at Ralphs and Shell gas stations. Members at these stores get discounts mainly through digital coupons and weekly online deals.
"We do have a loyalty club also where the customers earn money back, based on what you spend you get money back. That adds up too," Zack said.
Jensen's offers a free item every week and other discounts for consistent customers. Whole Foods only gives special deals to Amazon Prime members, while Sprouts doesn't offer a loyalty program in California, and Trader Joe's doesn't have one at all.
"At any point we have thousands of offers floating around," said Rich Donahue, Ibotta's Chief Marketing Officer.
For shoppers not committed to specific stores, the Ibotta app offers cash back for certain items at various grocers.
"Pick a couple stores you're most interested in. Roll through the gallery of offers and you can see the cash back associated with each one," Donahue said.
At the end of a grocery trip, shoppers can take a picture of their receipt and send it through the app for cash back that can be transferred to their bank account. Donahue says curating shopping toward items in the Ibotta app can save shoppers 5 to 10% every time.
All of those dollars add up when paying bills at the end of the month.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
