While being unemployed and on a super strict budget, I have been wanting to figure out this whole extreme couponing thing, but I have yet to have the patience. I do, however, like to know roughly how much I am going to spend before I go to the grocery store (probably more for my hubby’s peace of mind than my own lol). I am NOT good at looking at a list and knowing roughly how much. So I found an app on my iPhone called Grocery IQ (also available for iPad and Android) that also has a fully functional website (www.groceryiq.com) that will sync with your devices (easier for me to do it on the computer and then just use my phone while at the store). It is powered by Coupons.com. You can enter the items along with all pertinent information (Brand, Quantity, Price, etc.).
I do MOST of my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart, so I use their Grocery Beta website (http://grocery.walmart.com/usd-estore/index.jsp) to determine prices roughly. MOST of the items I have needed were on here. The rest of the items, I just guessed. The prices were VERY CLOSE to what I found in my local store, with most being exact.
I just went through the list on my phone while at the store and checked everything off as I grabbed it, checking and adjusting prices along the way. The app sorts everything by aisle (which you can adjust if you know your local store is arranged differently), so it makes navigating the store much easier. At the end, you have a VERY close estimate of what the total will be.
DID I MENTION YOU CAN SCAN BARCODES WITH THE APP? When you run out of something at home, you can just scan the barcode and then adjust the information as necessary. I scanned a box of Carnation Sugar-Free Instant Breakfast drink mix and only had to adjust the aisle and add the price. I also added a note that it was Sugar-Free because apparently both types scan the same. Alternately, if you are bopping along in the store and find an item that you missed on your list, you can scan it and enter the price, etc. and then toss it in your cart so that your total at the end will be closer to correct.
Another awesome feature is the History section, where you can find items that you have purchased before and add it to a new list. You can also have multiple lists for different stores. If you do not have a devise that supports the app, you can print your list and even email it to yourself. You can also sync your lists with other people’s accounts. Also, you can add coupons from Coupons.com if you use them to factor into your final totals. I LOVE IT!
