Checkout 51: A Student’s Best Friend

I have been meaning to write a blog post on the app called Checkout 51 for a while but wanted to test it out a bit myself first. All I have to say is I give it a big thumbs up. I had previously written about Not So Extreme Couponing in the hopes of trying to find a better alternative for students when it comes to couponing or at least a less intense version. But I definitely will call Checkout 51 a student’s best friend.

So What is Checkout 51? Why should you care?

Well it’s an app for your iPhone (Google Play is currently listed as coming soon on their website) that has weekly deals that refresh every Wednesday. These savings range from $0.50 to even more than $2.00 depending on the product. And the best part of all is the fact that you don’t have to carry around coupons! Instead the savings are redeemed by taking a picture of your receipt by using the app and then selecting the products you purchased that are on sale through Checkout 51. Then some magical elves within the app will approve the credits (money back) and it will appear within your account on the app.

Checkout51

Checkout 51-Current Offers Example

Once you reach $20 in credits a cheque will be mailed to you which is a nice little amount that can help pay for your bills or whatever else you choose to do with it.

Something to remember- some weekly deals are limited in quantity and may run out before weeks end. Also all deals can only be redeemed once, which means you can’t buy 3 of the same thing on sale through Checkout 51 and save on all 3 products through 1 account.

Why is this better than standard coupons?

Personally I have even started to not like using coupons, I know it’s a shocker but it’s true. I have really begun to hate bringing my coupons with me and have often forgotten them. I really think students don’t like the idea of using paper coupons and carrying them around so Checkout 51 provides a great alternative. What’s great about this app is that you buy the products, don’t need to deal with the hassle of coupons and instead just use your iPhone to snap a pic of your receipt. The amount you save is then sent to you at a later date, which means you might just make better use of the money than if you just saved those $’s with standard coupons.

What I’ve bought so far.

  • Corn Flakes-$3.00 @ Metro and used a $2.00 Checkout 51 coupon.
  • Colgate Toothbrush-$1.00 @ NoFrills and used a $1.00 Checkout 51 coupon (woo free!)

If you want to save even more money when grocery shopping be sure to check out my post Simple and Easy Ways to Save on Groceries

Want to learn more about how to use the app in a step by step format? Check out this great post by Mrs. January called Checkout 51-The Ultimate Guide

Make sure to download Checkout51, it’s a great app, you can save some money while grocery shopping really easily and hassle-free and then get a nice cheque of at least $20. What more do you want?

Not So Extreme Couponing

We all know a few years ago how much couponing in the United States blew up. And if you didn’t congrats I’m kind of jealous you didn’t have to hear about it. There were women out there who managed to pay about $6 for a $200 grocery bill or something ridiculous like that…only in the US.

Now for the less crazy people out there who don’t want to be carrying around a folder full of coupons or basically fill their basement like a personal grocery store…there are less drastic savings options. Extreme couponing may not be for everyone.

 

What I’m here to tell you is that you can’t find a few coupons here and there and save a few bucks. We don’t  need to develop our own store room of food, but by following a few tips and checking out the following websites you can save some money…without being crazy.

  • First off check out my coupon page which has some of the better websites out there for coupons that can be printed or directly mailed to you.
    • These are some of the best websites out there in terms of coupons
  • Also check out a previous post I put together on how Facebook can save you money.
    • Make sure to like these pages on Facebook. Basically you will get a variety of contests, offers as well as coupons for sometimes free product right to your newsfeed.
  • Keep coupons in your wallet-the amount of times I’ve forgotten coupons is annoying and then I end up not saving as much
  • Double up coupons on top of sale prices, it helps you save even more
  • If you are printing coupons make sure your grocery store accepts printable one’s. Some store’s are coming around to the idea of printable coupons (fraud was one of the main concerns previously).

Also here’s a little gift from me..for all those ice cream lovers.

Chapman’s $5 Coupon Offer

All you have to do is click on the link above and write in the comment area that you would like to request the $5 coupon from Chapman’s and then they mail it to you. Simple as that. Oh and then double up the coupon with sale prices and you’ve got yourself a pretty sweet deal.