Shoppee App Review & Giveaway

Shoppee - Smarter Shopping Made Easy

Last Fall when Dave and I sat down to reexamine our monthly expenses, food was what we spent the most on after rent. Living an organic, holistic and gluten free lifestyle doesn't come cheap in our daily lives. Although I will add that this is an investment in our bodies and our future and so for us it's worth every penny. Dave is in his 40's and I am in my 30's and we aren't on one single prescription drug and we are rarely sick. I feel that both of those facts help with our healthy diet.

So how does one stay frugal and healthy? It's an ongoing challenge. I have to shop smartly and I achieve this by using the Shoppee App. I know that many of you are Amy Dacyczyn fans and still remember her infamous Price Book. I myself had one up until this last year but I always found it tricky to use and cumbersome.  Trying to juggle shopping with children and writing down prices and ounces was just plain difficult.  Thankfully price books can now come in the form of an App. I researched for the best app on-line as well as looking at the apps themselves on my iphone.

Shoppee was the closest thing to Amy's price book that I could find.

I now use it every time that I shop whether it is on-line at Amazon, at Costco, visiting the Grocery Outlet, ordering from Azure Standard or shopping in our local grocery store. Finding the lowest price is one of my key goals when buying food.

 
Here's a screen shot from the Shoppee App website. You are able to look at individual stores to see what items that you have purchased there, the size and for what price.

This is my favorite screen because you can bring up an item such as milk and make a direct comparison on price and size.

From this image you can see the price of milk per gallon. Both Aldi and Coscto are the same price while milk at Giant Eagle is the most expensive. When I am adding new items that I purchased under the individual store item, I'm able to type in information in the Notes field. I will often add that the price is a Sale price.

My favorite store in all of Sonoma County is a fabulous local company called Oliver's Market. When something is on sale at Oliver's it isn't just 25¢ or 50¢ off but sometimes it's as much as $4 off. A few times a year Oliver's sells Napa Valley Organic Oliver Oil 25.4 ounces for $7.99. This is an amazing price. I'm able to go into Shoppee and see that most stores sell this size from at least $12 and more. This tells me to buy and stock up for at least 4 months.

This app can be useful for any size of food budget. The App is only $1.99.

When I contacted Shoppee to let them know that I wanted to write a post on their fabulous App they generously offered me 10 apps to giveaway to my readers.

This app is for anyone with an iPhone or the iPod touch. It should work on an iPad as well but it will be a small screen.

Would you like to win one?

Please share your a tip on saving money while grocery shopping.

If you'd like some extra entries please comment separately for each one to let me know that you:

• Stumbled this post
• Tweeted about the Giveaway
• Shared on Facebook
• ReBlogged about the Giveaway

I'll announce the 10 winners next Thursday, January 26th.

**Amazon Affiliated Link is included in this post which helps support Apron Thrift Girl

Comments

[Karen Therese]

Add items you need or anticipate needing to a list posted on the frig to maximize your trip and only get things on the list.

[Karen Therese]

Posted on Facebook: Don't go on an empty stomach!

[Jane]

I think buying directly from the source means you are spending your money on the food not the transport. So I do farmer's markets for the majority of food. I often am able to pick up things like pickles and jams at craft shows.

[Anna]

I like to shop around at different stores with varying prices, too. But, my tip is to try to never make a shopping trip that is just for grocery shopping. I go to the produce market on my way to other errands, hit Trader Joe's to or from school (it's on the route), visit Oliver's when I'm visiting my in-laws. If I absolutely need something right this minute, I can walk to Whole Foods from my house. This means I might shop three or more times per week, but it also means I maximize my transportation costs overall.

[Leah]

I'm all about shopping with a list. If I can stick to the list, it saves me money. Shoppee sounds like it would enable me to know when something has a big enough saving that it's worth going off list.

[Leah]

A no-brainer but I stock up on items I use that are BOGOs each week at Publix (adding any coupons to boost savings). Another way to save and eat healthier is to shop around the perimeter of the store where most of the fresh and refrigerated items are located. Just hit the isles that have something specifically on my list. I make fewer impluse buys when doing this.

[Leah]

Just posted your post to my facebook wall. Thanks for hosting the give-away, Selena. Sounds like a great app.

[Leah]

Featured your give-away on today's post at MyFancy55.com.

[erin]

we have learned to do without many convenience items--pre-shredded cheese, baby carrots, pre-washed lettuce, paper towels. doing a little work pays off a bit in the long run.

[Melissa]

I subscribe to a number of different coupon blogs and visit discussion boards that specialize in specific stores so I can see what's on sale. They do most of the work for me, and I just print out the appropriate coupons (if online) or clip them from my year's worth of saved weekly coupon inserts. I'm especially proud of my non-perishable stockpile, which I add to whenever something is free or near-free. I also stick to the list! If I don't have a coupon or it isn't on the list, it's not in my cart.

[Shana Stein]

I make a list and stick with it. Also I buy store brands when at all possible.

[domestic diva]

We save money by purchasing bulk ingredients and making things ourselves.

[Stefanie]

I save by always keeping my coupon book in the car. This way if I happen to stop at a store, I have my coupons and don't buy an item out of convenience because I don't want to return later with my book. I did a random blog search looking for thrifting and that's how I found you.

[Michele]

Sounds fun. I keep losing my paper lists and gave up about a year ago. An app is brilliant!

[Lora]

Thanks for the opportunity to win the app. I will probably buy it if I don't win it. We live an organic, local-whenever-possible lifestyle and as 50-somethings are not on any meds either. It is an investment in future health, and if there is a way to make it more economical, that's an investment in the future, too!

[Grace]

I have never heard of this app and it would be so fabulous to win it. I don't really do couponing but I do go for the items on sale. I also always buy no name brands. Thank you!

[Jen]

That sounds awesome! I save money on groceries in a really unconventional way, but I hope somebody else could benefit from it, too. I double up what I'm cooking for dinners and sometimes other meals and give them to my parents, and they help me out with my grocery bill. They save money because they would usually dine out, and I save money because part of what they pay for is what I would otherwise have to buy, but it's worth it to them because they're still saving money. :)

[Selena Cate]

Jen, I think this idea is fabulous! What a great way to think outside of the box. I can imagine that your parents loved the home cooked meals too. If my parents lived closer, I would really consider doing this.
xoxo
Selena

[Amy Stark]

I menu plan using the sunday ads as my starting point. I usually cook in batches so I can freeze some or take to someone needing a meal (new baby, health issues, or just needing a boost)

[Annalissa]

My best money-saving tip? Leave the kids (or any other distractions) at home! Thanks for the giveaway!

[Pamela]

I've saved the most when I create a menu for the month and shop the sale ads to create it. I used to do this much more when the girls were younger. After paying close attention to the ads over a period of time, the frequency of sales on particular items became predictable, as did the amount of savings potential. By buying only on sale as much as I needed until the next big sale, I managed to save a huge amount without even using coupons.

[MrsWalton]

Spooky post for me, i have just created my own spreadsheet with all this info - price by weight/unit for the products i shop for.
I shop twice a week and on my round trip drop into 4 different stores. The spreadsheet has taken me about a week to produce and i still have a way to go to fill it in.
It has been a real eyeopener. I will now see if a store increased its basic price, or reduced the weight in the packet. I know think in terms of price per kg etc, which makes it much clearer to do comparisons.

I grow my own as much as possible, and i love Jens idea of 'selling off' her home cooking. It may work for an elderly neighbour, or a busy singleton as well as parents. Mine too live a bit to far away.
Love your blog Selena, has been my no 1 favorite for a long time now. Missed you when you took a break from posting. Keep up the good work.

[Heather]

As others have said, I use the coupon blogs and my freezer. And we always eat in season. I'd love to use this app. I used to keep a price book regularly a few years ago, but gave up on it when it felt like I was carrying one too many things to the store: coupons, kids, bags, it's a lot to keep up with.

Your blog is one of my favorites. It's at the top of my RSS reader!

[Karen]

I too stick with sale and bogo items particularly at Publix, and plan meals accordingly.

[Paulette Sanderson]

Shopping and cooking when you live solo can be a challenge. Buying bulk can often times be too much product. I use coupons and shop stores that will double them, and of course I shop the grocery store ads every week.