Let’s be honest, a lot of us absolutely dread the thought of grocery shopping. There’s a strong chance you put it off until there’s absolutely nothing left to eat or drink in the house; don’t be ashamed, we’ve all done it. However, what if there was an easy way to save money on our groceries to make them feel like a not-so-expensive, yet necessary, expense? What if you could actually PROFIT from buying groceries? Well, set your fears aside, because Emilie Burke and her ShopHack App are here to make those dreams a reality! Emilie was generous enough to answer a few questions for us about how this seemingly impossible feat is, in fact, possible. To get even more info about ShopHack and to help Emilie get her knowledge out to the rest of the world, check out her Indiegogo Campaign!
Allyn Lewis: Please tell me about the time you walked out of the grocery store with more money than you walked in with? Like, how does this even happen? Details please!
Emilie Burke: Below is a picture – an actual screen shot from my Facebook – of something that I had posted after coming home from the supermarket. It is just one example of how we can make money by grocery shopping. While in this case, I only “made” $2.30, I also came home with a trunk full of groceries.
AL: How much time a week do you dedicate to couponing and finding savings? I image that’s pretty time-consuming.
EB: Right now, I spend about an hour per week. Couponing and saving money is, like all things, an investment. It takes more time and energy when you start, but as time goes on you get better and better and can do the same thing in less time. It’s extremely less consuming because it’s something I can just be aware of all week so that when it’s time to “figure out groceries” it is done in a snap.
AL: What are the best resources out there to find deals and coupons?
EB: There are a couple of different resources on the internet, but the problem is that nothing is really streamlined and many of them can be extremely overwhelming. Right now, you just have to get bits and pieces everywhere. This almost certainly means that something gets left out every week.
AL: Where should one start first when diving into the world of couponing? Obviously the answer to this in the future will be the ShopHack app!
EB: ShopHack is not just about couponing! It’s about saving money for everyone. This isn’t just for the couponing mom – it’s for the every person who needs to buy groceries and wants to save just a couple of bucks every time. Remember that saving just $20 off each grocery store visit each week leads to over $1,000 saved over the course of the year.
EB: Right now, the most important thing you can do is come up with a budget! Sticking to a budget is the first step to saving money.
AL: What’s the most extreme thing you’ve done to save money? And what will set ShopHack apart from all the other money saving apps out there?
EB: I don’t know that I’ve done anything really extreme. I’m not anywhere near the people on the TV Show. I think what separates me from “extreme couponers” and ShopHack from other money-saving programs and apps is that we’re about doing it practically. I recognize that people don’t have all day to be comparing prices or saving money. I want to teach you how to go through life and save money on a regular day-by-day basis.