SavingStar – SnipSnap

SnipSnap SuperStar: Lyndsey Hood

April 4, 2013

Did you know one of the best places to SnipSnap is the pet store? There are dozens of coupons in the SnipSnap app for (sometimes free!) pet food and accessories at major pet store chain retailers. I love scoring free cat food for my little guy, Mario (he loves it too). Recently I got to chat with Lyndsey Hood, one of our experienced SnipSnap users from Haddock, Georgia, who regularly uses the app to save almost 50% on everything she buys for her pit bull puppy, Nugget. I asked her a few questions about her mobile couponing strategy. Here’s what she had to share:

Hi, Lyndsey! How did you start couponing?

I began couponing in Spring, 2011. I pretty much taught myself by going to the grocery store, studying store offers, and taking notes from www.southernsavers.com.
How did you learn about SnipSnap? What has your experience with the app been like?

I found SnipSnap by searching for coupon apps in the app store on my phone. My experience has been awesome so far! It is so convenient to search for the store you want to shop at when you’re planning a trip and it’s great when you see a good coupon.
What is the best/most memorable purchase you’ve made with SnipSnap?

I think the purchase I was most excited about was made at PetSmart. I saved 45% with the help of SnipSnap, store sales, and manufacturer coupons. I was excited because SnipSnap had a coupon for $2 off a pet tag purchase and that was one of the items I was going to get anyway!
How does traditional couponing compare to couponing with SnipSnap?

With traditional couponing, you have to devote a lot of time to cutting and clipping and searching for deals. But with SnipSnap, you just have to take a picture or search for a store/coupon and the work is done!

Do you have any tips or tricks to using SnipSnap that you could share? What is your SnipSnap strategy? Just make sure you have a full battery! I was Christmas shopping at the Gap Outlet and my battery nearly died before the cashier could scan my coupon! Also, don’t forget to search for the store you want before you go shopping. Nothing is worse than finding a coupon you could have used after you go shopping.

What stores do you use SnipSnap at most? I SnipSnap most at Rue 21, PetSmart and Gap.
Do you use any other mobile couponing apps? If so, which are your favorite and why? I use Ibotta, Endorse, and SavingStar. Ibotta is my favorite of these because Ibotta offers are easily matched with sales and coupons to save the most money!
How much money have you saved with SnipSnap and what do you plan to do with your savings? I have saved about $200 using the app so far. I put the money toward other things my boyfriend and I need.
What do you think about the future of couponing? Will we see a complete transition to mobile coupons, or will print coupons always have their place? I think there will always be print coupons but eventually more stores will begin using mobile or ecoupons as well. I prefer print coupons. I think that, with the popularity of Extreme Couponing, manufacturers have put more restrictions and limitations on their coupons but, hopefully, when the craze fades, the coupons will get better!

Ibotta Revamps Receipt Redemption for Faster Refunds

December 11, 2012

Great news, Ibotta shoppers! It’s now much easier to earn mobile manufacturer rebates at all Ibotta-supported retailers (Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Safeway, Vons, Publix, Ralphs, King Soopers, Duane Reade and more).

How does it work? You validate your purchases yourself.

In the old days, after earning your discounts, scanning items to make sure they’re qualifying, and making your purchase, you had to scan your receipt and wait for approval. Sometimes, that approval didn’t come right away, as in the case of the missing peanut butter. But the situation was always resolved by Ibotta’s fantastic customer service, and rightful rebates were always rewarded.

But Ibotta recently announced that, now, just as you can scan items with the app to make sure they qualify, you can also scan items after uploading your receipt to confirm the purchase yourself. This is extremely exciting, because it means that (if the new system works) my account will be credited much more quickly and there should be (in theory) less margin for error. I’ll be heading to my local Target tomorrow to test it out!

The BEST way to use Ibotta is by combining it with other mobile couponing methods. You should always use SnipSnapped store coupons to purchase items, for which you can’t earn manufacturer rebates, like store brand eggs, milk, and fresh baked bread. Depending on where you shop, you also might be able to combine SavingStar and Upromise mobile rebates with your Ibotta rebates.

I promise you: combining and (when you can) stacking your mobile couponing methods is essential for smart holiday menu planning and food shopping. Think it’s all too good to be true? Then check out how I saved more than 50% on my Thanksgiving grocery bill!

Stack and Save at Stop & Shop: 5 Ways to Slash Your Bill with Your Smart Phone

November 27, 2012

It’s holiday time! And, as part of my ongoing series of grocery store profiles, I’m breaking down all the mobile ways you can save at Stop & Shop, all year round.

(Don’t stop at Stop & Shop? Visit the Mo’ Money Mobile Store Guide to find out have to save with your smart phone at your local grocery store.)

Here’s how to save big bucks at Stop & Shop in 5 easy steps:

Sign up for My Stop & Shop to get access to in-store sales and savings. Your loyalty card is the foundation for all your savings, because store sales stack with all other methods of mobile saving. Even better? Your Stop & Shop loyalty card allows you to participate in the Stop & Shop Gas Rewards Program. Every thirty days, you’ll receive 1 point per dollar spent; for ever hundred points you earn, you’ll save ten cents per gallon at Stop & Shop gas stations.
Download the Stop & Shop app and always keep your store’s weekly circular at your fingertips. While the Stop & Shop app isn’t super-comprehensive, it will allow you to paperlessly plan your weekly shopping trips based on what’s on sale. Link your loyalty card, and you can keep track of how much you’ve saved.
Link your Stop & Shop card to your SavingStar and Upromise accounts and load manufacturer coupons to your account. You’ll be able to pair those offers with both Stop & Shop store sales and coupons.
SnipSnap Stop & Shop store coupons. The SnipSnap database is constantly being updated with new Stop & Shop store coupons, which can be stacked with store sales + Upromise and SavingStar offers. Check out this coupons for free ice cream!
Self Check-out with Scan it!. The Scan It! app lets you scan items as you load them into your grocery cart and self-check out with your smart phone. The app rewards you with exclusive offers as you shop, based on what you buy. Check out the demo video: