How To Save Money at Walmart

*This post has been reviewed by an Illinois Registered CPA. However, when making important financial decisions, it's best to speak with your financial advisor.

Last Updated on September 7, 2022

Learn How To Save Money at Walmart

Is Walmart your favorite place to shop (or maybe it is Costco & Target)? Then, you might want to learn how to save money there. From regular discounts to the store’s branded products, Walmart offers plenty of ways to save money. To be effective, you should know a few tricks. Learn to save money at Walmart in this guide. We walk you through some of the best strategies to spend less each time you go shopping there.

How to Save Money at Walmart Using the App

There are many ways to save money at Walmart. Some are traditional, while others are more modern. Let’s start with the latter and see how you can save money with the Walmart App. This app is easy to find in the Apple Store or Google Play Store. It will provide the same features and functionality with either operating system. The Walmart app is free.

Here are three reasons why using it is helpful, especially if you’re a Walmart regular:

1. You get quick access to the latest deals.
2. You can check out Walmart’s products on your mobile.
3. It’s possible to get early-bird access to sales.

Using the app allows you to keep up to date with the store’s offers. Before you go shopping there, you will know what discounts are available. That can help you save a lot of time. For many, it is a more convenient way than checking out flyers.

Also, you can get early access to specific discounts as an app user. Some of these will probably be available during or before the holiday season. That way, you won’t miss the best deals on presents. You just need to log in and check the latest deals. The app also allows you to

• Create shopping lists
• Check prices
• Track your order
• Find out products’ aisle locations

How to Save Money at Walmart by Budgeting and Using the App

A great reason why you might want to use the app is to create a shopping list. The Walmart application allows you to browse for products. You can check to see if the items you need are in stock and see what new products arrive in store. The bottom line is that you can virtually walk through the store without going there. It enables you to get a clear understanding of what you want to buy and make a shopping list.

Do this directly in the app by adding products to see the price per item in real-time. You can budget for shopping and make sure you only use the amount you’ve had in mind.

A shopping list is one of the best ways to avoid wasting money. It also helps you save money. In the long run, shopping lists can help you make consistent savings. The savings can even help you fix your credit fast. Here are the main differences between shopping with versus without a list

Having a shopping list	Shopping without a list
Allows you to stay in budget	Prevents you from anticipating your expenses
Helps you save time	Can lead you to spend more time at the store
Can help you save money	May lead to frivolous, unnecessary spending
Enables you to better manage your finances	Can cause your monthly expenses to fluctuate

More Budgeting Tips to Save Money

Another way to save money while shopping at Walmart is to budget. You might not have a clear shopping list in mind, but you can set a maximum spending amount. That is a part of the budgeting process.

A sound strategy that promotes strict budget allocation is the digital envelope system. With this strategy, you set a clear maximum spending target. You can do this across all your expense categories (grocery, clothes, vacations, etc.).

Another way to budget for groceries is the 50-30-20 method. This strategy dedicates 50% of your budget to necessities. From the remaining amount, 30% is dedicated to wants and 20% to savings. It’s an excellent way to gain more control over your finances. This method can tackle the dilemma of why you can’t save money.

The 50% you allocate to necessities allows more room to budget. To make sure you don’t go beyond this percentage, set strict spending categories and limits. Here is an example:

Total budget available: $2,800
Spending category	Cost
Mortgage/Rent	$1,500
Groceries	$800
Bills and subscriptions	$300
Transportation	$200

A table like this will help you create a concrete spending plan. It will also allow you to see what expenses take the biggest toll on your budget.

Buy Clearance Products

Supermarkets like Walmart often have clearance sections. There, they sell products that are about to be removed from the store for various reasons. These can cost significantly less than their initial price. You can find all sorts of items sold at promotional clearance prices. Walmart makes it easy to spot these.

The clearance products have a yellow tag. On it, you will see the current price and the initial price. You can get good deals with clearance products, especially if you take your time to check out the offers. In some Walmart locations, there will be entire aisles with these discounts.

Save Money at Walmart with Delivery and Free Pickup

If you’re wondering how to save money at Walmart, one way is to shop online. This method might help you access more discounts and deals. It is also a strategy to avoid going into the Walmart supermarket. There are many reasons you might want to do this:

1. Shopping at the physical location takes a lot of time.
2. It is more tempting to spend on products you don’t need.
3. In-store shopping can be hectic and tiring as there are so many products and offers.

With online shopping, you buy the products from the virtual store. Then, the delivery service provider brings them to your door. It is a more convenient solution, and it helps save time. Yet, this means paying for the delivery. To avoid this extra cost, you can shop online, then go to the closest Walmart location to pick up your products.

There are also special discounts if you apply this strategy. They are part of the store’s free pickup service that incentivizes clients. Check them out in the Walmart app. Look for products that offer a pickup discount.

The cost of Walmart grocery delivery is not high. You would pay somewhere around $8-$10 per delivery. If you multiply this amount, in a month, you spend about $35 on four deliveries. With the Walmart free pickup service, that money stays in your pocket.

Buy the Store’s Brand More Often

Just like any other major store, Walmart has its own brand. If you’re a regular customer, you may have tried it. The brand is called Great Value, and for good reason. These products are cheaper compared to similar ones. They are not as popular as big-name brands, but that doesn’t mean they lack quality. Here are the main advantages to buying the store’s brand:

• The products cost less
• Some offer great value for their price
• They are available year-round

Unlike other products the store might run out of, their own brand is usually available. These products can cost up to 25% less than other name-brand products. You can try these for specific categories.

For example, if you don’t want to ditch your favorite food brands, buy Walmart cleaning products. Start by testing product categories where you don’t have specific preferences. It will introduce you to the store’s brand and you can determine if it offers the quality you desire.

Be on the Lookout for Products that Have Been Marked Down

An additional way to save money on groceries is to buy foods that will soon expire. That shouldn’t sound scary. These products are still good for consumption.

To avoid throwing these products away, stores mark them with special discounts. They are typically available for a short time. Sometimes only a day or two. After this time passes, the store has to get rid of those products. Why not take advantage and buy them before they are gone?

At Walmart, you can pay 30% less on marked down food products. These include fresh foods such as bakery or meat. The markdown items have a special yellow tag. These products don’t last long, so grab them before they’re gone.

Always Compare Prices

Walmart’s prices regularly change. A product you might like can cost 10% – 15% less if you wait and buy it a while after it first appeared on the Walmart shelf. You don’t have to wait for discounts to pay less on your favorite items. You can find lots of good deals by comparing online and in-store prices.

The same product can have different prices online vs. in-store. To enjoy the best deals, get the Walmart app or access the website. This will help you see the price differences. You will then be able to shop from the best location. Usually, products cost less online.

Get a Walmart+ Subscription

Walmart+ is the store’s subscription service. If you use Amazon Prime, you’re familiar with this type of subscription. It allows you to enjoy different advantages, such as

• Special deals
• Shipping discounts
• Same-day delivery

It’s easy to open a Walmart+ account by providing a few personal and contact details. You can activate and use your account on the same day. The subscription cost is less than $13 per month. If you want to pay less, you can get a yearly subscription. The price is $98 for this or $8.16 per month.

If you just want to tap into the subscription’s potential, use the 30-day free trial.

A Walmart+ subscription can help you cut grocery delivery costs. You can get free delivery as a member while non-members pay $7.95 – $9.95 per delivery. Over a year, this could mean savings of hundreds of dollars if you are a loyal customer. Remember, however, that you will need to have minimum orders of $35 to enjoy the home delivery discount.

Other shipping perks include free-next day shipping. You can also get free shipping two days after placing your order. Members can enjoy gas discounts at Walmart gas stations, too. You can also speed up the in-store shopping process with the smartphone checkout feature at self-checkout.

Use Coupons to Save Money

We’ve mentioned apps and online shopping, but there are more traditional ways to save money at Walmart, namely coupons. You can use coupons from different manufacturers. The store also accepts buy-one-get-one-free or BOGO coupons. Dollars- and cents-off coupons are also accepted, as well as print-at-home internet coupons.

Dollars- and cents-off coupons are meant to entice clients to purchase new products. They give buyers the right to a discount. Upon receiving the coupon from the buyer, the retailer sends it to the product’s manufacturer and then gets a reimbursement. Internet or online coupons are based on a code the buyer uses to access a discount.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can I save money on Walmart while grocery shopping?

To save money on grocery shopping, look for discounts. Walmart offers regular deals on different items. For example, fresh produce gets markdown discounts. You can find these discounts daily. The products have yellow tags.

How to set aside money for groceries?

To put aside money for groceries, you should create a monthly budget for these expenses. That means you need to know, more or less, your monthly grocery cost. After you determine this amount, use the half-payment method, a savings strategy. People use it for bills, but it can be tailored to any recurrent expenses. It involves putting aside money for 50% of your expenses from each paycheck.

What is the best way to save money at Walmart?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. It depends on your shopping style. If you love in-store shopping, use coupons. If you want to avoid frivolous spending, use the Walmart pickup service. If you want to save time, shop online. With the store’s membership, you will also get delivery discounts.

Sources:

Healthline Media. (n.d.). Walmart plus Grocery Delivery Review 2022. Healthline. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/walmart-grocery-delivery-review

Robot or human? (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.walmart.com/plus

Dun & Bradstreet. (n.d.). Definition of cents-off coupon. All Business. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.allbusiness.com/barrons_dictionary/dictionary-cents-off-coupon-4965071-1.html

Techopedia. (2011, November 1). What is an online coupon? – definition from Techopedia. Techopedia.com. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/26373/online-coupon#:~:text=An%20online%20coupon%20refers%20to%20a%20discount%20code,customers%20and%20increase%20the%20loyalty%20of%20new%20customers.

Kane, L. (2014, September 16). Here’s when you should buy store-Brand Food. Business Insider. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/when-to-buy-store-brand-food-2014-9#:~:text=By%20and%20large%2C%20Marks%20estimates%2C%20store%20brand%20grocery,sense%20for%20some%20products%20and%20less%20for%20others.

Robot or human? (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.walmart.com/help/article/pickup-and-delivery/d0d02a5f54e54592930f110aaf6a2f50

Keyes, D. (2017, November 15). Walmart is charging different prices online and in-store. Business Insider. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-is-charging-different-prices-online-and-in-store-2017-11

Quora. (2017, December 7). How do supermarkets dispose of expired food? HuffPost. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-do-supermarkets-dispo_b_1937395

Walmart mobile app. Walmart.com. (n.d.). Retrieved July 9, 2022, from https://www.walmart.com/cp/walmart-app/1087865

Ritterman, L. (2022, January 8). Walmart price Match & Price Adjustment Policy ” [updated 2022]. Price Match Guarantee. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from https://pricematchguarantee.net/walmart-price-match/#Walmart_In-Store_Price_Match

Solea, I. (August 23, 2022). Walmart + Details [Image, Screen Capture]. Retrieved from http://www.walmart.com/