11 ways to save on your grocery bill at Walmart

The Walmart app is crucial if you’re serious about your quest for savings. Download the app on your phone or tablet to receive exclusive offers and be among the first to get access to special items. You’ll get the most out of the app when you allow it to use your location, which gives you the ability to use in-store shopping tools, check in for store pickup and more.

Browse easy-to-navigate categories on the “Shop” page of the app, including best sellers in your area, fresh fruit and vegetables at your nearest store and featured items. If there is a big event or holiday coming up, the app conveniently has pages dedicated to food and supplies for everything from Valentine’s Day dessert to Thanksgiving feasts.

You can maximize the benefits of the Walmart app by setting up Walmart Pay.

You know that stress-inducing moment when you can’t find your credit card or your wallet has disappeared into the bottomless pit that is your purse? You start sweating because the person in line behind you is staring daggers and muttering, which only makes you clumsier as you fumble to pay. You can avoid that entire cringe-worthy situation by paying straight from your phone with Walmart Pay.

Open the app, tap “Services” on the bottom navigation bar and select “Walmart Pay” under the “Shopping” category. Sync your credit or debit card to your account and voila – you’re ready to check out quickly and securely using your phone. You can also add Walmart gift cards to Walmart Pay, which gives you the option to choose them during checkout.

Plus, electronic receipts are saved to your account automatically. If you need to make a return or just want to pat yourself on the back by seeing how much you saved, it’s just a tap away. And, if you accumulate extra money from your purchases through coupon overages or price matching, it will be saved in your Walmart Pay account for your next grocery shopping trip.

The best part about ordering grocery delivery straight to your house is… not having to leave your house. The second-best part is that delivery is absolutely free if you’re a Walmart+ member. As long as you meet the $35 minimum purchase amount, there are no extra charges to worry about.

Walmart+ membership costs $12.95 per month or $98 for a year. You can order your groceries for same-day delivery or schedule them for a later date. If you’re planning on getting your groceries through Walmart regularly, this is definitely worth considering.

If you are not a Walmart+ member, you can still take advantage of grocery delivery, with prices ranging from $7.95 to $9.95. You’ll still save time and money. And, you’ll reduce mental strain and stress, which we think is priceless.

When you’re short on time, it can be tempting to skip the grocery store trip and settle for unhealthy fast food or a meal scraped together from the weird stuff you have left in your fridge. In the end, that never feels good. Luckily, you can skip the self-recrimination by using Walmart’s same-day, contact-free curbside pickup.

With a few taps on your phone screen or clicks of your mouse, it’s easy to place your order and pull right up. You don’t even have to get out of your car. Walmart employees will load everything for you, all at no additional cost. Just think, you could take the time to shop for yourself or sit back, relax and let someone do it for you (for free!). Ahh, that’s nice.

The quickest way to save $10 right now is by signing up to receive Walmart Grocery email newsletters. To take advantage of this offer, you have to be a new customer, spend $50 or more and have a registered Walmart account. Instant gratification meets instant savings? Sign us up.

You know when a “friend” tries to get you to join their multi-level marketing business selling makeup or leggings and promises you’ll make tons of money? Smiley the mascot would not approve, so Walmart’s friend referral program offers real savings.

Simply enter your name and email address, and you’ll receive a unique link to share with your friends. When they sign up, they’ll receive $10 off for being a new customer, and you’ll get a code for $10 off your next order. The beauty of it is you can send your referral link to multiple people and combine your $10 off codes to add up to big savings.

Walmart has different coupon policies for in-store grocery purchases and pickup orders, so it pays to make sure you understand which coupons you can use before you fill up your cart in person or online.

In-store grocery shopping is where your precious coupons will shine. You can use paper or printed manufacturer’s coupons from a brand’s website, the newspaper or a grocery store receipt. Before you head to the store, print out coupons you find online, because employees won’t scan coupons from your phone. A major savings tip for Walmart shoppers, and one that isn’t widely known, is that the store allows coupon overages. If the discount on your coupon is greater than the price of the item, you’ll get credit for the difference. It will either be deducted from your total or saved to use on your next grocery purchase.

You can maximize your coupon savings by shopping in the store, but manufacturer coupons are not accepted when you use the website or app to pick up your groceries. You also can’t use gift cards on your pick-up purchases, so keep these exceptions in mind when ordering ahead. You can almost always find Walmart coupon codes to save on your grocery purchases.

Save every dollar you can with this tidbit of knowledge: Bakery, produce and meat items are marked down the night before their “best by” date. If you visit Walmart first thing in the morning, you’re likely to find some sweet deals on those perishable items. If you’re able to freeze bread or meat, you can even save on future meals.

The more you buy, the more rewards you’ll earn when you sign up for a Capital One Walmart Rewards Card. Cardholders receive amazing perks on grocery purchases, including 5% cash back at Walmart.com, for both pick up and delivery, and 2% cash back in Walmart stores.

There is no annual fee, and you can choose to use your rewards a few different ways, like redeeming them for cash, putting them toward a purchase, buying gift cards for Walmart or other retailers and redeeming them for flights, hotels and more.

Don’t let Walmart’s Great Value store brand fool you. These items are the same quality as comparable name-brand items and can be much less expensive than their pricier competitors. From sandwich bags to salsa, you can save on nearly everything on your shopping list when you keep your eyes peeled for the Great Value brand logo.

The cool thing about Walmart is they’re on your side when it comes to shopping for groceries and will match the price of in-store items with comparable items on the website. So, if you’re shopping in the store and see that the price is higher than it is for the same item online, Walmart will match the online price, every time. Walmart will even match a price when you schedule an order for pick up. If you place your order and the price of an item changes between the time you place the order and when you arrive to pick it up, Walmart will honor that price change as well.

We highly recommend taking advantage of all the savings opportunities we covered to get even more bang for your buck when buying groceries at Walmart. Our goal is to help you to embody Smiley’s simple mission – to save money with a smile on your face.