When it comes to saving money, few stores can hold a candle to Walmart. Their “Everyday Low Prices” are just the tip of the iceberg. After reading about these Walmart shopping hacks, you’ll never look at this big-box store the same way again!
Wait for sales
Walmart has several big sales throughout the year. In addition to their Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, which are probably the retailer’s biggest sales each year, two additional notable sales are the Walmart Deals sale in July and the Walmart Holiday Deals event in October.
Take advantage of the price-match policy
Walmart has been known to price items differently online than in-store, so if you’re in-store and the price is higher than on Walmart.com, you can speak to a store associate about matching the lower price.
Unfortunately, Walmart no longer price matches competitors (Target just eliminated its competitor price match as well), however,
Buy online and pick up in-store
If you can swing by a store but don’t want to spend time browsing, consider buying online and picking up your order. Bonus: Walmart will sometimes offer a “pickup discount” of 5-10 percent off on select items.
Shop the endcaps & check Clearance
Endcaps are the small displays at the end of an aisle, and many big-box retailers, including Target, use this real estate for sale items. In addition to checking the endcaps for bargains, be on the lookout for less conspicuous displays (for instance, clearance electronics are kept in a glass case, not an endcap).
Items with Clearance stickers will continue to be marked down until they sell. Typically, these markdowns will occur in the first five days of the month, so keep that in mind when you’re planning your next shopping trip.
Though store clearance varies a lot (and often at managers’ discretion), these are pretty common clearance categories to look out for:
- February – March: Heavy coats, winter clothes and boots.
- Late August – September: Swimsuits, summer apparel & footwear, summer decor, pool toys, dorm supplies and school supplies.
- Late October – early November: Fall decor, fall clothing and shoes, coats and jackets.
- Late November – December: Tech and toys
Going off-brand
Next time your doctor gives you a new prescription, ask if it’s available in generic. If it is, look for it in Walmart’s list of $4 generic prescriptions. No insurance is needed, and you can even fill qualifying 90-day prescriptions for only $10. You can’t beat that! While you’re at it, get up-to-date on other health services like immunizations, flu shots, vision checks, and super-affordable care at the Walmart clinic.
Speaking of generics, consider Walmart’s house brands, like Equate and Great Value. They’re often manufactured at the same facility and use the same ingredients as their name-brand counterparts, but are significantly cheaper.
Save on Groceries
Looking to save on groceries? Try going to Walmart.com/shop/deals, you can sometimes find rollback pricing on food that has been recently reduced in price. Some Walmart locations have a broad selection of groceries, where smaller stores have a more limited selection. Walmart has not been known for their organic or natural food options, but they have been making improvements in that arena.
Use a cash-back app
There are lots of apps and sites for saving money while you shop, and you should definitely use them! ShopBack is my go-to choice for online shopping. Once you install their browser plugin, you will automatically be alerted to available cashback at Walmart.com (and other etailers). Click to activate the offer before checking out.
Ibotta is a good one for in-store Walmart purchases. Once you’re done with your Walmart excursion, search the app for any items or categories you’ve purchased, select them, and scan your receipt. The app offers cash back on most categories, such as household goods, groceries, personal care products and the like.
Party on for less
Watch out, Dollar Tree! Walmart’s prices on party supplies, gift wrapping, and cards are often a better deal. Items in this category are plentiful and diverse and often come in larger quantities than other discount stores. At $0.97, you can party for less! Combine that with their $0.47 greeting cards and you’ve got a reason to celebrate!
Score free shipping
Take advantage of Walmart’s free shipping offers. You can get free 2-day shipping when you spend $35 or more online (excludes Hawaii and Alaska) or you can try that handy in-store pickup that we talked about. Items can be shipped to your nearest store for free, and you can even pick up certain in-stock items at your local store.
Sign up for their baby registry and get a free gift.
Walmart has many of the essential items you’ll need for your baby, including clothing for all ages, diapers, wipes, baby formula, and skin care products for babies. Plus, when you register, you’ll get a free bundle, which will include a variety of useful samples, like formula and diapers.
Trade in your unwanted gadgets
Ready for an upgrade to the latest and greatest video game console, tablet, or laptop? No need to hang onto the old one. Walmart will allow you to trade in your gently used tech items in exchange for gift cards courtesy of their virtual Gadget to Gift Cards program. Simply visit the site, enter some info, and ship your item off with their pre-paid shipping label. You’ll get a gift card once your product has been received and evaluated.
Frequent shopper? Try Walmart+
If you’re a regular Walmart shopper and like to receive your orders lickety-split, a Walmart+ membership might be for you. For $98 a year or $12.95 a month, you will receive free, unlimited, and fast shipping (1 Day or 2 Day) on general orders with no minimum. Grocery orders of $35 or more can be delivered the same day.
You’ll also save 10₵ per gallon at Walmart, Exxon, Mobil, and Murphy stations, and get member prices on fuel at Sam’s Club. You will receive your choice of a free Peacock or Paramount+ subscription (which can be switched every 90 days), free online pet care with Pawp, discounts on auto care and Walmart+ Travel through Expedia, and discounts at Burger King when food is ordered digitally.
Ramp up your savings with the new Walmart OnePay CashRewards Credit card, where you’ll earn 5 percent unlimited cashback.
American Express Platinum members and YouTube Premium Members can periodically receive a free Walmart+ membership. I’ve also seen Walmart discount its membership fee around big sale periods, like Walmart Plus Week and Black Friday.
Related posts:
20 Ways I Save Money (including referral links to help YOU earn!)
Clever Thing-a-ma-jigs You Didn’t Know You Needed
Pin It!
*I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Thank you for supporting my channel!
Leave a Reply