PHOENIX — If you’re still feeling the sting at the grocery store, you are not alone. Half of U.S. adults say food prices are a major source of stress, according to a recent AP-NORC poll. Now, a new tool promises to make couponing easier with just one tap: a feature called 1-Clip.
While digital coupons save money, a new survey from The Krazy Coupon Lady found most people give up because there are just too many apps to juggle. Shoppers said app overload is the number one reason they miss deals.
“The funny thing is that couponing in the digital age is that it gives people a lot more options, but that can also make couponing feel kind of complicated sometimes,” Kristin McGrath, The Krazy Coupon Lady editor, said.
The new 1-Clip feature from KCL is trying to fix that by putting all your coupons in one place.
“Deals in our app have a button that says, ‘Add with 1-Clip.’ And when you tap that button in the app, you are adding all the coupons you need to get that deal all in one go,” McGrath said.
At checkout, you scan one barcode: no switching apps or searching for codes.
Shoppers just need to link their store loyalty accounts to the KCL app to get started.
“The good news is it only takes 30 seconds per store,” McGrath said.
The feature harnesses the power of stacking coupons. McGrath says savings add up fast.
“My husband has never couponed in his entire life,” she said. “I handed him the phone with the KCL app. He grabbed the item off the shelf, he scanned it out at checkout, and then just saw the coupons come off. And was like, ‘whoa’ So the app truly works. It really does take some of the difficult, heavy lifting out of the equation for just regular shoppers.”
For Bella Gonzalez, a college student in Tempe, Arizona, a trip to the grocery store is never complete without the trusted KCL app on her phone.
“We're coupon crazy right there!” Gonzalez said, alongside her friend Alexis Vogel. “My mom sent it to me a couple of months ago because she's like, oh, wants her daughter to save money in college because I pay all my own bills and stuff.”
For the two college students, finding affordable groceries is such a priority that they will take time to shop around
“I actually go to like ten different stores,” Vogel said. “We're here, and I also go to Fry’s, Costco, and Trader Joe's. I like Trader Joe's. So just whatever's cheaper.”
Since each store has its own digital coupons, Gonzalez and Vogel say 1-Click can save them both money and time.
“If it saves money, why not?” Vogel said.
The tool is showing that couponing doesn’t have to be complicated with the right technology at their fingertips.
“So much more convenient, so much more convenient,” Gonzalez said. “And it saves me money as a broke college student, I'll never complain!”