With inflation on the rise, it’s getting harder and harder for everyone, especially seniors, to get good deals at the grocery store. Seniors are especially hit hard, paying nearly full price for food because of the lack of access to digital coupons that many grocery stores and retailers use to entice consumers to buy their products.
According to Pew Research, about 25% of older adults have limited to no Internet connection, and 39% have no smartphone or cell phone. This means many of them cannot score the deals offered through digital means. This leaves them paying full price for products like food, toiletries, etc.
Coupons have been a giant money saver for many individuals and families at the grocery store, gas pumps, and more.
How Seniors Can Save Money At The Register
Use Paper Coupons
While many companies prefer digital coupons, many stores still offer paper coupons. The Sunday paper also still gives out many coupons. Although the amount of coupons offered has shrunk in recent years due to the push to use digital coupons, many papers still provide them.
On top of that, many companies will send these paper discounts through snail mail. However, to get these coupons through snail mail, you may have to sign up on their website to get them. This is where a tech-savvy individual can help out.
You can also have someone visit an online bulk coupon website like Coupon Blender to help you snag these savings, turning digital coupons into paper ones (through printing).
Have Someone Shop For Them
One of the most significant ways for seniors to take advantage of digital coupon savings at a store is to have someone tech-savvy do the shopping for them. Seniors can go shopping with this person or give them a list of items to purchase for them. With more companies going digital and away from paper coupons, seniors often need someone who knows how to work a smartphone or use a computer for digital coupons.
Create A Grocery List and Menu Plan
The first way anybody, especially seniors, can save money is to create a list of needed grocery items. People often go in without a list and buy things they really don’t need or buy something on a whim (just because it looks good)). How do you create a grocery list of things you need?
Take a good stock of what items you have in the house already. From there, develop a menu plan of foods you’d like to eat that week. This will help you to know which foods should be on your grocery list. You can always add an inexpensive extra item or two, but no more than that if you are to save money at the store.
Buy Generic or Store-Branded Products
Another fantastic way to save money at the grocery store is to switch from buying brand-name items to store-branded products. Many of these products have the same, sometimes better, quality than the more expensive items. Some of the more popular store-branded items that can be found for cheaper include cereal, toilet paper, and bread.
If you’re concerned about the ingredients of these cheaper items, always compare the ingredients. You may find that they are actually healthier than their more expensive counterpart.
Sign Up For Loyalty Cards
When you use loyalty cards, the store will track your purchases and may send you paper coupons every month or two to use in the store. For instance, if you purchase a lot of peanut butter, the company may send you a coupon for a free jar of store-bought peanut butter or 50 cents for a name-brand one.
On top of that, some loyalty cards will reward you with points that can be used for gas savings. That’s two savings from a single card.
More and more stores are pushing digital coupons to cut costs and entice the younger generation to shop and save. However, seniors are being left out in the cold, even if stores do not mean to. However, by making a few changes to your shopping habits and having someone help you shop, you can take advantage of all the savings out there and keep more money in your pocket.
This article was written in cooperation with Coupon Blender