We're spending 30 days digging into groceries—how to shop for them, where to shop for them, and what to do when the lady in front of you has more than 12 items in her basket. For the complete series,click here.
Here’s proof that the great Michelangelo was just like us: He keptgrocery lists.
One such list, ensconced in a museum in Florence, Italy, shows bread, fish, pasta, and wine, among other things. (The Renaissance master ate like us, too.)
Although his shopping list is now considered art (and rightly so) ours, jotted down on random scraps of paper, just seem quaint, and when accidentally left at home (or atop a pile of celery at the store), they’re worthless. Grocery apps, on the other hand, can offer so much more than just list-making capabilities.
Here’s a rundown of our favorites. All of the below are free and available for Apple and Android.
This rebate app, which covers all kinds of products, not just groceries, is like fish in a barrel. Scroll through and select rebates for your stores in the app, then go shopping and buy the products. You get the rebates within a day after scanning the bar codes or your receipt withIbotta. If you’ve linked your loyalty card in the app, you’ll get money back that way.
Check out what’s on sale at your favorite stores on this app and do price checks between stores. Or, search by item:Favadowill pull up any sales on that item, and then you can build your list and shopping trip accordingly. The app also shows if a product has any additional coupons. Tap on the coupon to e-mail and print it.
Enter your rewards card information for the stores you frequent intoCellfire, then scroll through and select coupons. The discounts are applied when you use your card at checkout.
One of the more basic and easy-to-use list-making apps. Type or scan barcodes to build your pantry and grocery lists and move items between lists or check them off with one tap. There are coupons on the app but you have to print them out before shopping. A hi-tech touch: You can accessListEaseon your Apple Watch.
This app suggests specific brands as you type. You can also add items to a list by barcode or voice prompt.Grocery iQkeeps a history of what you buy, so you can easily tap those items back onto your current list, which is helpful if you tend to buy the same groceries. And it’s loaded with coupons (fromCoupons.com) that you can print, e-mail, or link to your loyalty cards.
You can store multiple lists on this app but even better, it’ll compare the prices of items on your list at stores near you and give you any available coupons (you print the coupons separately).Grocery Palalso keeps tabs on weekly sales at area stores.
This app stores all your loyalty cards, saving you wallet space. Load each card with the app’s scanner or by manually entering the information. You can browse store circulars and coupons and add items from there to a shopping list. At the register, pull upKey Ringto redeem the savings.
This is a companion to the recipe website (for when you're not using ours, of course). Browse through and tap the recipe you want. The ingredients get added to a shopping list that’s easy to edit, and you’ll see if any items are on sale at nearby stores.The appworks in reverse, too. In the “Stores” tab, scroll through what’s on sale, then search for recipes using that item and build your list that way.
text in callout
BagIQis like that friend who’s always looking out for you and your questionable decisions. Scan receipts and barcodes of your groceries. The app will keep tabs on how much you spend at each store and will “score” your groceries based on nutrition labels and suggest healthier alternatives, all of which you can use to create new, better-for-you grocery lists.
You could just Google it, but it’s handier withthis app from the Specialty Produce Association, which stores a ton of information—from flavor to history to storage tips—about dozens of varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices, and other foods.
This shows you sales and coupons at Whole Foods for the current week. Add those items directly to your shopping lists, which you can share via text or e-mail. There’s a recipe section for menu-planning on the fly; tap to add any or all ingredients to your list. At checkout, openthe appand show the barcode, which automatically deducts any coupons.
The app keeps a running tally of your estimated bill as you add items to your list. You can browse what’s on sale by categories such as "organic" and "ready to cook" and store and share multiple lists, adding items via scanner or by tapping on a recipe in the database. You can even fill prescriptions throughthe app.
Check out the retailer’s deals for the current week and the week ahead, make lists of the items you want and set reminders for when they go on sale.The Aldi appalso lists specials according to food category, new items, and upcoming holidays, making searches easier.
