1. The Walmart app is basically begging you to see if an item is cheaper at another store.
Download the Walmart Savings Catcher app, and it will dig to find you money. As soon as Lori Felix of More With Less Today gets home from a shopping trip, she'll scan her receipt into the Savings Catcher app. "If Savings Catcher finds a lower price at another retailer, then I get the difference back in an eCard," she says. This way, she's sure she's paying the lowest price and she doesn't even have to go back to the store for a price adjustment. "I try to keep the number trips to a minimum, so that I don't start impulse shopping, thus negating any savings."
This app is also handy because Walmart is actually a bit of a stickler for price-matching — each deal must tout a specific sale price, so percentage-off or buy-one-get-one promotions are often excluded.
2. The Amazon app is handy for price-matching, too.
Walmart's strict price-matching policy might be why Joanie Demer of the Krazy Coupon Lady says she likes using the Amazon app to score extra deals at Walmart. She can scan a product's bar code in the store, check the price on Amazon (which is always a specific price, and not something like a BOGO deal), and have the cashier ring up the lower price.
3. You can literally make money with certain coupons.
Walmart is one of the very few national chains with a coupon policy that allows for overages (Dollar General is another). This means that if your coupon value exceeds the amount of the product you're buying, you can get paid the difference in cash. Cash!
"A few weeks ago, Walmart had Schick men's razors on sale for $3.05. But there was a $4-coupon issued in the Sunday paper," says Kyle Taylor, founder of The Penny Hoarder. "With that coupon, I earned $0.95 back, which I put towards other items in my cart. If I hadn't bought anything else, though, I could have simply received cash!"
4. Walmart also accepts competitors' coupons.
Coupon-lovers are often puzzled why Walmart doesn't have their own in-store coupons — but since they accept coupons from competitors, shoppers shouldn't feel short-changed. Mirroring the price-match policy, the coupons need to have a specific price on them (and not just, for instance, "50% off!") to be accepted.
5. You might be able to get a better deal online.
If you're headed into the store for a specific item, it's worth looking for it on Walmart.com first. "Often times, you'll find it's less expensive," says Taylor. You can order online and choose free same-day pick up at your local store, which also saves you the time you'd spend walking all over the store, Taylor jokes. The Walmart app even has a check-in option, so that associates know when you've arrived.
6. The prices change all the time (and maybe especially on Tuesdays).
Think something is too expensive on Monday? Check back on Tuesday. Consumer data company 360pi studied six major retailers to see how much of each store's inventory fluctuated in price during the week. Walmart's biggest change was between Monday and Tuesday. And this past Black Friday, Walmart had nearly as many price changes as Amazon.com. So if you're hesitant to make a purchase, trust your gut. It may be worth waiting to see if something on your wish list will get rolled back.
7. You might be wise to stock up on toiletries there.
Once a month, Felix heads to Walmart to load up on toiletries, beauty products, paper products, and cleaning supplies. "I find that the prices are much cheaper than my grocery store or drug store," she says. She buys enough to last her family a month, but she'll stock up for even longer if the prices (and manufacturer coupons) are particularly good.
8. Their gift cards can get you cheap gas.
If you happen to have Murphy USA gas stations near you, consider picking up a few Walmart gift cards. The companies team up and offer a three-cent discount per gallon when you pay with a Walmart gift card. (The Walmart credit card also gets you five cents off each gallon at participating Walmart gas stations).
9. You'll be able to get free shipping — eventually.
Some items on Walmart.com are eligible for free shipping when you spend $50 or more. Alternatively, you can sign up for ShippingPass — a new program that gets you unlimited three-day shipping on all purchases. There's currently a wait list to join, but execs are hoping it can eventually compete with Amazon Prime memberships, which costs twice as much.
