I enjoy the thrill of saving money using coupons. But what I don’t enjoy is how time consuming it can be. Finding, cutting, sorting, filing, etc. On top of that, I later realized that in order to save money on groceries I also needed a price tracking list.
How do you know if you are really saving money shopping if you don’t have a price point reference? I needed a grocery price tracking list.
Not just for couponers, but for everyone who wants to save money on groceries and improve our finances, knowing the lowest sale price of an item is essential, because it lets you determine if the item is worth getting and stocking up on, or wait for a better price.
Most people use a spreadsheet. But this is the age of technology. There’s gotta be an app for that!
So I started looking for shortcuts and I found a few apps that help me save time for tracking prices to save money.
Coupon Price List Database Apps
Grocery Tracker (GTracker)
This handy app is not your typical shopping list app. It is also a price comparison app that lets you customize and track prices between stores as well.
It has additional features for shopping, recipes, menus, tasks and coupon lists that are fully customizable.
For couponers with a stock pile, this app also allows you to keep track of your inventory.
Simply can scan the item’s upc bar to search an existing database of merchandise which then downloads to your phone or you can enter your own details.
Currently available only for android phones, it is free to download and also has a paid version.
How I use it:
I get the store ads and enter the price of items I buy that are on sale in the app. Brand, size, etc. As I purchase the items, I enter the store’s price and also enter what I pay after coupons. This way I keep track of the actual sale price and have a better snapshot of expenses for my budget.
For example, in this week’s ad at store X, there is a sale on toilet paper 18 count for 15.99. Normally it costs 18.99. However, because I kept track of prices, I know that the lowest sale price of this item is 13.99.
Thanks to GTracker, I know to wait for a better price and score a better deal.
This app does have a learning curve though. I like that GTracker has multiple uses, and I can customize it to what I need. So far it has also been very reliable, and haven’t lost my data. Above all, its on my cell phone, so it is always with me whenever I go shopping.
MobiDB Database Designer
MobiDB Database Designer – This is a database app available for android and windows PC. This app offers a free “Lite” version which is limited, but its enough for having a coupon database
I found this app when searching for a way to know what coupons I have in my accordion file.
When I first started using coupons I had a piece of paper in which I wrote all the coupons I had. This is a good method, but it was extremely time consuming when I had to update my file. So I started searching for a way to keep track of my coupons more efficiently.
When I first started using coupons I had a piece of paper in which I wrote all the coupons I had. This is a good method, but it was extremely time consuming when I had to update my file. So I started searching for a way to keep track of my coupons more efficiently.
I stumbled upon this database app and tailored it to my needs. The lite version lets you have one database to design, and you can customize it to show the information you want.
How I use it:
I customized the app to show the name of the product, face value of the coupon, expiration date, and whether it expired or not. By clicking on the ‘expired’ field, I can filter active and inactive coupons.
When I’m in the supermarket I open the app, and search for the product name. I can see if I have a coupon, it’s value, and how many I have. When coupons are available again, all I have to do is un-check the expired option to show that I have the coupon available.
Bluestack
From your PC or Mac, it merges with Windows or OSX, Android. It allows you to use apps made for cell phones on your PC.
This app is very popular with people who want to play mobile games on their PC.
After installing the app on your PC, you can sync with your cellphone’s app store account, and download the apps you want to use on your computer. This is also free to use.
How I use it: I open the apps listed above and do all my data entry with the comfort of a bigger keyboard. Quite simple to use and couponing is less time consuming.
I am on the look out for savings. Not just money, but also saving time. These apps have been great time savers for me. If you decide to give them a try, let me know how it works for you.
Happy Savings,
TaLis
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