Saving money at Walmart doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, with a few simple tips, you can start saving right away. Keep reading to learn how to get the best deals at Walmart and save money on your groceries, household items, and more!
When it comes to saving money on groceries and things you need, Walmart is a top destination. However, there is more than just getting everyday low prices on the items you need. You need to know how to shop and to understand the top Walmart money-saving hacks and tips!
SMART TIPS FOR SHOPPING AT WALMART
It is not difficult to save money when you shop at Walmart. You just need to know the secrets to save more money! Here are some of the best proven strategies:
1. USE COUPONS (even those from competitors)
One of the simplest ways to save money at Walmart is to use coupons on the items you need. Walmart does not offer “Walmart coupons”, but you can use manufacturer’s coupons every day on thousands of products.
Keep in mind that you can’t redeem these coupons if you shop online, including Walmart Grocery Pick-Up service, but you can on any in-store purchases.
If you aren’t sure where to find coupons, our Coupon Database is the perfect place to start. You can find out if there were coupons in a weekly insert or even print those you want directly from home. It is the simplest way to find coupons for Walmart (or any store).
A few things you should know about using coupons at Walmart:
- If it does not scan, they will not accept it
- The coupon must be legible, include a valid remittance address, and have a valid expiration date on it.
- They accept Buy One Get One coupon (if printed from home, it must also include a price).
- Walmart will accept competitor store coupons – with some exceptions (review full coupon policy for restrictions).
- Store managers have the final say in coupon redemption.
Make sure you review the entire Walmart coupon policy and visit your local store manager for specific questions.
2. USE WALMART COUPON CODES
While rare, sometimes, Walmart will offer coupon codes. They also offer free shipping on $35 every day as well as daily values and continual rollbacks.
3. GET CASH BACK FROM COUPONS
When you use your coupons, watch the prices! If the value of your coupon happens to exceed the product price, you will get cash back!
For example, if the item is $0.97, but your coupon is valid for $1.00, you’ll not only get the product for free, but you’ll get $0.03 back!!
4. USE CASH BACK APPS
In addition to the Walmart Savings Catcher app, there are other ways to get paid to shop. Using an app, such as Ibotta, Coupons.com, or Checkout51, will pay you cash back! Remember that there aren’t too many coupons for Walmart, so using apps that pay you to shop is the next best thing.
IBOTTA
All you need to do is download the Ibotta app before you shop at Walmart. Review the available offers and claim the ones want. Then, shop as usual.
When you are down, upload a photo of your receipt. Once Ibotta can confirm you purchased the item listed in the offer, you’ll get cash back! Best of all, it arrives in your account within just a couple of days. Then, you can cash it out for either gift cards or even a PayPal Deposit.
Sign up with Ibotta and get a FREE $10 bonus!
CHECKOUT51
Another app that works in the same fashion as Ibotta is Checkout51. You too will look through the offers they have available and purchase the items you need.
Once you finish shopping, upload your receipt to this app, and you’ll also get cash back!
If you haven’t heard about this rebate site, learn more about Checkout 51 HERE.
5. SHOP EARLY
If you can, get to your store by 7 am. You’ll find that the meat from the prior day, as well as other items such as baked goods and even produce, are discounted for a quick sale.
The reduced price does not mean that these items are not any good. It is just that they have to clear things out to make room for today’s products.
6. USE THE STORE BRANDS
One of the simplest ways to save money at Walmart is to stick with their store brand – Great Value. Believe it or not, but nearly every store brand you see is the same product as the higher end items – just with a store label on it.
By shopping these brands, you may just find a better deal than you would otherwise (even if you are using a coupon). Such a simple money-saving idea!
7. PRICE MATCH AT WALMART.COM
If you’re looking for the best deal on an item, Walmart’s Price Match Guarantee is a great way to save money. Here’s how it works: if you find an item at a lower price at another store, simply bring in the competitor’s ad or show a price match request on your mobile device to a Walmart associate. The associate will then verify the pricing and give you the lower price. This guarantee applies to both online and in-store purchases, so you can always be sure you’re getting the best deal possible.
Walmart.com price matching rules:
- It must be an identical item (i.e., model, size, quantity, color, brand, etc.).
- It must be in stock at both the online retailer at the time of purchase.
- You can only price match one item per customer, per day (except if you live in New Mexico – unless you are going to resell it).
- They will not offer rain checks on items that are not in stock.
- They only match select online retailers:
Academy.com, Amazon.com, Autozone.com, Basspro.com, Bedbathandbeyond.com, Bestbuy.com, Cabelas.com, Chewy.com, Dickssportinggoods.com, Dollargeneral.com, Familydollar.com, Homedepot.com, Jcpenny.com, Kmart.com, Kohls.com, Lowes.com, Michaels.com, Newegg.com, Officedepot.com, Oreillyauto.com, Pepboys.com, Petco.com, Petsmart.com, Sears.com, SportsAuthority.com, Staples.com, Target.com, and Walgreens.com. - Price matching is not allowed from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday nor on clearance, special buys, value of the day or 1-hour guarantee pick-up items.
- Review the entire list of excluded items before price matching.
How do you price match online prices?
If you find a lower price, make sure you reach out to customer service before placing your order. They need to confirm that it is, in fact, eligible for price matching. Keep in mind that Walmart.com has the final say in price matching eligibility.
It is wise to you review the Walmart.com price matching policy in its entirety before you attempt to price match.
8. WATCH FOR FREE SHIPPING
Walmart.com offers free shipping on any purchases of $35 or more. Alternatively, you can also see if your item is eligible for free 2-day shipping, or if you can see if it is available for in-store store for pick-up. It is a simple way to get online deals without paying hefty shipping charges.
If you don’t find an item that qualifies, shipping will normally start at $5.99.
9. KNOW YOUR STORE’S CLEARANCE SECTION
Just like other stores, sometimes, the best deals can be found at the end of the aisles! There are also some locations in select stores where all clearance items end up.
Spend some time walking through your local store to find out where all the clearance items end up. Then, that can be one of the first places you visit each time you stop by the store. You just never know what you’ll find!
10. WATCH FOR ONLINE CLEARANCE DEALS
Walmart.com doesn’t advertise when items are discounted. Instead, they often roll into the clearance section on their site.
When you visit Walmart.com, make sure you always look for clearance items. You will not see this in the navigation menu. However, if you type “clearance” in the search bar and hit go, it will return all of the best clearance deals by the department.
11. WALMART SAVINGS CATCHER APP (DISCONTINUED IN 2019)
Gone are the days of price matching at Walmart. The retail giant has made it even easier to price match – without having to search the local ads for lower prices.
You need to use the Savings Catcher App. This easy-to-use app does the hard work for you. It compares the prices of the items you recently purchased with the current weekly ads for the stores near you. If it finds a lower price, you get cashback in your account!
BONUS TIPS!!!
12. SHOP USING DISCOUNT GIFT CARDS
Before you shop, purchase discounted gift cards. You can save as much as 4% and more on every single purchase. Visit Gift Card Granny to find gift cards at a discount to fit any budget.
12. JOIN THE PPM FACEBOOK GROUP
Did you know that we have a Facebook group dedicated to finding the best deals? Readers share their finds, and we also pass along any great deals we come across as well! It is the perfect way to find out if there is a discount on something you need at Walmart (or any other store for that matter).
Best of all, it is entirely free to join! Just pop on over and request membership. You will have to answer a couple of questions first (to ensure you are an honest person who is looking to save money). Then, when you are a part of the group, you can search and may find a fantastic deal on the things you need!
Saving money at Walmart is simple when you know some of these simple tips and tricks.
