By Courtney Frazer, Bankrate.com (TNS)

Food costs make up a good portion of household budgets and rising food prices make strategic shopping essential. Even if savings will not be the one solution, smartphone apps can provide significant relief Food savings through cashback rewards, digital coupons, discounts and loyalty programs.

Here's a comprehensive guide to 10 effective grocery saving apps for each grocery shopping and dining out.

The best apps for saving groceries

1. Ibotta

Ibotta is one of the vital Popular cashback apps available. It is thought for offering cashback rewards on on a regular basis purchases at major retailers. The app allows users to pick offers before shopping and earn rewards by scanning receipts afterwards.

The browser extension enables cashback on online grocery purchases and partnerships with retailers offer exclusive deals on household essentials.

Advantages

• User-friendly interface
• Multiple redemption options including PayPal and gift cards
• Widely accepted by major retailers
• Bonus rewards for achieving certain goals, e.g. B. trying recent products or completing a certain variety of offers in a month

Disadvantages

• Requires a pre-selection of offers
• It takes a while to achieve the minimum payout
• The interface will be overwhelming with quite a few offers

2. Get rewards

Fetch Rewards allows users to earn points for each receipt at grocery stores, pharmacies, and even gas stations, making it a flexible option for shoppers.

Unlike other cashback apps, Fetch Rewards doesn’t require users to pick offers before purchasing. Instead, they will scan any eligible receipt and robotically earn points that will be redeemed Gift cards to large retailers.

Advantages

• No pre-selection of offers required
• Compatible with quite a few retailers
• Bonus points can be found through referrals

Disadvantages

• Limited revenue from generic brands
• Gift card redemption only
• No direct money rewards

3. Turn over

Flipp helps users save by compiling weekly ads and special offers from major retailers in a single easy-to-use app. The app allows users to go looking for specific items, compare prices across stores, and create shopping lists based on current promotions, making it priceless for strategic grocery planning.

Advantages

• Great on the market matching and easy accessibility to local deals and promotions
• Integrates with loyalty programs so users can clip digital coupons directly from ads
• Reduces the necessity for multiple apps by combining local deals and digital coupons in a single place

Disadvantages

• Focuses on weekly ads, with no cashback or rewards
• Not all local stores could also be included
• Offers are limited to certain weekly promotions

4. Cash register 51

Checkout 51 offers weekly cashback offers at various stores, just like Ibotta, but with a rather different number of offers. Users can upload their receipts to the app after purchasing select products to get money back. The app updates its offers every Thursday, giving users recent ways to save lots of every week.

Advantages

• Simple, user-friendly interface
• Works in multiple stores
• Seasonal promotions often increase the cashback percentage on select items

Disadvantages

• Limited fresh food cashback options
• High payout minimum
• Requires receipts to be uploaded immediately to avoid missing out on cashback opportunities on eligible items

5. Coupons.com

Coupons.com optimizes the usage of digital coupons by connecting with store loyalty cards to robotically save at checkout. The platform offers each digital and printable coupons for various brands and retailers. Coupons.com is a solid option if you wish to benefit from the simplicity of using coupons without the trouble of clipping.

Advantages

• Automatic discount application via loyalty programs
• Large number of ceaselessly updated coupons
• Convenient and simple to make use of without having for physical coupons at participating stores

Disadvantages

• Limited to certain partner stores
• Some vouchers have restrictions or expiration dates
• Requires tracking of voucher conditions

6. Kroger App

The Kroger app offers exclusive discounts, digital coupons and personalized savings offers to shoppers who frequently visit Kroger and its affiliated stores. The platform integrates with the shop's loyalty program and offers fuel rewards for extra savings.

Advantages

• Tailored offers based on purchasing patterns
• Integrated fuel rewards for extra savings
• Allows users to scan receipts to earn additional rewards on select items, increasing overall value

Disadvantages

• Limited to Kroger and affiliated stores
• Not all special offers can be found at every local store
• Some advantages could also be too business specific

7. Target circle

Target Circle combines the retailer's loyalty program with exclusive discounts and rewards. Members can lower your expenses on a wide range of groceries and other household essentials, and the app often offers special offers for members.

Advantages

• Seamless online and in-store integration
• Easy to make use of for each in-store and online shopping
• Allows users to take part in community support by voting on charities

Disadvantages

• Limited to Target stores
• Rewards may take time to build up
• Some offers have minimum order requirements

8. RetailMeNot

RetailMeNot offers a various number of coupons and cashback opportunities for groceries, restaurants and native services. The platform supports each in-store and online purchases.

Advantages

• Extensive discount offer in several categories
• In-store and online vouchers in addition to a cashback portal for extra savings
• User-friendly with easy accessibility to offerings for a wide range of needs and preferences

Disadvantages

• Voucher values ​​may vary and a few offers can have restrictions
• Limited cashback features
• Not all vouchers are guaranteed to work in every store

9. Dosh

Dosh is a cashback app that connects on to your debit or bank card and offers automatic cashback on purchases at participating stores. The app covers grocery stores and restaurants, eliminating the necessity to scan receipts or clip coupons.

Advantages

• Automatic savings tracking
• Allows you to mix rewards with other loyalty programs for max savings
• Regular bonus promotions

Disadvantages

• Only works with participating retailers
• Cashback percentages may vary and offers may change ceaselessly
• The redemption process could also be confusing for some users

10. Too good to remove

Too Good To Go is a singular app that helps users save on groceries by purchasing excess food from local restaurants and bakeries at a reduction. Users can pick up these excess meals at a reduced price, which is each budget-friendly and environmentally friendly.

Advantages

• Offers a singular savings model that focuses on reducing food waste while providing reasonably priced meals
• Environmentally friendly and contributes to sustainability efforts by reusing food that will otherwise be wasted
• Great number of meals from local businesses

Disadvantages

• Limited market availability
• Meal options will be unpredictable

The final result

Grocery saving apps offer multiple ways to scale back grocery and meal costs without compromising on quality or variety. You can work more effectively Manage your grocery budget by combining these tools with strategic purchasing habits. When selecting apps, consider your shopping preferences and habits and keep in mind that using multiple platforms can maximize savings potential.

Originally published: January 21, 2025 at 11:25 am PST

Local News

A judge dismissed a federal lawsuit filed by North End restaurateurs, ending a chapter within the neighborhood's years-long feud with Mayor Michelle Wu's administration over outdoor dining regulations.

U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin ruled Friday that the town of Boston didn’t exceed its authority when it created recent conditions for outdoor dining permits that barred North End restaurants from participating. The judge also said the restaurant owners had not shown that the town unfairly discriminated against them.

“Plaintiffs are understandably upset about the City’s policy that allows street dining in other neighborhoods while banning it in the North End,” Sorokin wrote. “However, plaintiffs’ dissatisfaction alone cannot give rise to a lawsuit against the city and open the door to an evidentiary hearing in federal court.”

In January, dozens of North End restaurateurs and the North End Chamber of Commerce filed a federal lawsuit over plans for outdoor dining within the North End neighborhood, whose restaurants haven’t been capable of offer outdoor dining for 2 years.

The North End was the one neighborhood in Boston last yr and this yr that was not allowed to supply outdoor dining due to its narrow streets and sidewalks, lack of parking and high foot traffic, the town previously said.

The restaurant owners argued that the town had unfairly discriminated against the neighborhood partially due to its Italian heritage. They claimed that the North End-specific fee in 2022 would only affect the neighborhood, while restaurants in other parts of the town wouldn’t must pay.

However, the judge found that the restaurants failed to indicate that the town's rules “lacked a rational basis” or were based on “bad faith” or “a desire to punish the neighborhood.”

“The city regulated street dining by neighborhood, just as it regulates many other matters by neighborhood,” Sorokin wrote, “and the plaintiffs themselves emphasize the uniqueness of the North End.”

The group representing the restaurants didn’t reply to a request for comment Sunday.

“We are glad that the problem has been resolved and wish everyone a happy holiday,” Wu said on Friday. accordingly .

The dining experience on cruises often advantages from the ship being at sea, because it has large windows or outdoor seating with views of the ocean beyond.

A brand new trend, nonetheless, is that cruise lines are investing in designs which are intended to lure guests away from the ship.

One of the newest projects involves putting them on a train. Royal Railway – Utopia Station is a restaurant coming aboard Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas when it debuts at Port Canaveral this summer.

Passengers board a simulated train and experience what it looks like to ride in a dining automobile, including passing by various landscape scenes projected onto digital screens.

Initial rides shall be limited to an American Wild West adventure, a 90-minute ride that recreates the sights, sounds and feel of a moving railroad automobile. Other themes being worked on shall be based on the Silk Road trains that traveled through Asia and 30-minute offerings.

Guests begin with an aperitif on a train platform after which, when the train whistle blows, board the dining automobile, where a solid of actors reenacts an interactive story involving outlaws attempting a train robbery. Royal Caribbean offered a trial version of the experience Thursday at its Miami headquarters.

The menu relies on ingredients from New Mexico and California. Alcoholic drinks are themed across the Old West (think pisco sour), as is the sarsaparilla soft drink served in a bottle. Main courses include river trout, braised short ribs and quail-style roasted poussin. Appetizers include corn chowder, a trio of empanadas and “fart & dart baked beans.”

Just a little childish humor finds its way into the performance, in addition to some dad jokes and jokes that the youngsters don't get right.

“It's like a cartoon. It's old-fashioned fun,” said Michael Bayley, president of Royal Caribbean, adding, nonetheless, that the performances and approach may rely on when passengers are seated.

“In the afternoon and early evening it will be more tailored to the children. Later in the evening it will be more challenging,” he said.

The important attraction of this experience is the continual digital screen projections that show border towns, desert and mountain landscapes that would have come straight out of an Albert Bierstadt painting.

The final product resolution shall be 4K, but even the digital renderings from the test run were impressive, except for a number of minor glitches, like a horse floating over the cliff.

Jay Schneider, chief product innovation officer at Royal Caribbean, said computer-generated videos proved to be a better option than real-world scenery videos, although teams visited actual railroad lines within the West for inspiration.

“Now we can flip a switch and make it winter and night,” he said. “It has definitely opened up a lot of possibilities.”

There's also the $200, three-hour-plus dining experience on the 38-seat Empire Supper Club, which debuted on the world's largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, which set sail from Miami in January.

It transports guests to the roaring 20s of New York City during an eight-course meal, with each course paired with a novel cocktail.

Guests enjoy music from the American Standards Trio with singer, piano and double bass.

Details just like the rotary phones within the lobby and the uniformed waiters and hostesses in sultry evening gowns add to the atmosphere. The menu also offers some not-so-common options like oysters Rockefeller and a rabbit leg duo. More traditional dishes are also offered, including steak, sea bass and Caesar salad.

The cocktail pairing will omit wine, which is fantastic for the venue, says Linken D'Souza, vice chairman of food and beverage at Royal Caribbean International.

“We tried a lot of variations on the cocktails to make sure they were well balanced. … They paired exceptionally well with the food,” he said. “So it's not for everyone. And that's OK. It's just a unique, niche experience, and we want people to be really adventurous.”

Royal isn’t the primary to enterprise down the theme dinner route. It has been experimented with in some ways through the years, including round dinner theaters on some Norwegian Cruise Line ships, resembling the short-lived magic-themed Illusionarium on Norwegian Getaway, or the John Hughes homage to Nineteen Eighties teen movies on Norwegian Escape.

And Disney Cruise Line's rotating menu has at all times offered a wide range of themed overlays. But the most recent ships have taken it to the following level.

This includes the Worlds of Marvel dining venue on the most recent ship Disney Wish and on the upcoming Disney Treasure, which can debut in December. Both will depart from Port Canaveral. Disney Wish has also unveiled Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, a large dining hall that takes similar approaches to Tangled and The Princess and the Frog-style dining on the older Disney Magic and Wonder ships.

Disney Treasure is putting “Frozen” on hold in favor of the Disney-Pixar film “Coco.” The latest offering features a five-course meal with a contemporary tackle traditional Mexican fare.

There shall be live actors telling the story of Miguel and his family. Seating will vary per trip, because the trip is tied to a seven-day cruise. On the primary night, guests will go to Mariachi Plaza with Miguel's parents Enrique and Luisa and Abuelita Elena. On the second night, guests will go to the town square in Santa Cecilia where Miguel and his ancestors, including his great-great grandparents Hector and Mama Imelda, will have fun Día de los Muertos.

“The adventure takes you through [those] “It really touches you and brings you back to family, right?” says Carlos Jimenez, executive producer at Disney Cruise Line Entertainment. “It doesn't matter if you're from Mexican culture or any other culture. Family is at the heart of it. So family is everything and we want to make sure we tell this beautiful story.”

Princess Cruises also introduced a suite-level guest offering called “360: An Extraordinary Experience” aboard Enchanted Princess and Discovery Princess.

The line created a small round constructing with two long, semicircular tables facing one another, at which twenty guests could enjoy a seven-course meal lasting one and a half hours that appealed to all of the senses.

Guests begin by sitting in a dark room with digital screenshots of Mediterranean destinations on the circular partitions. What follows is the narrative of a culinary journey from Greece to Italy and Spain to France, with actress Brooke Shields on the helm.

It is a narrative tool to inform the true stories, the source of the assorted culinary delights presented with first-class service from course to course, be it the Spanish divers ripening the red Grenache grape underwater or the French lavender farmer explaining where the distinctive honey taste comes from.

In addition, through an intense and detailed projection of the room and the plates, guests are invited to interact with the table setting before the actual food is presented. For example, they will virtually smash Greek tableware or dig up their very own Spanish truffle.

The smell of the food through the meal is likely to be enough, but here and there an exuberant olfactory accompaniment may be heard, resembling the aroma of lemon before the delicious Italian dish while its recipe is projected onto the screen.

“With 360°, you can be anywhere in the world and we put you in the Mediterranean,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises, on the experience's first event. “We have immersive video, storytelling, food and wine that complement the story.”