For several products, we found the price online is typically less expensive than the price in-store. If the store where you shop price matches, here's how you can cash in.
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Let's start with Target. I have the store's app downloaded on my phone. As I shop, I scan the barcode to see the online price of what I'm buying.
How the Target app can save you money in store
Here are several examples where I found a difference in prices. In the toy department, Lego's are always popular. The Great Wall of China Lego set has a sticker price of $49.99 in the store. When I scan the barcode on the Target app, it was $39.99. That's $10 in savings. We found that you can save $12 on the Flintstone Lego set. The price in the store is $59.99, but when I put the Lego set in the app, the price went down to $47.99.
When we checked in the baby department, we also found several items cheaper online. A Graco baby jogger stroller in-store has a price of $159.99, but when I scanned it in the Target app, the price dropped to $132.99. That is $27.00 in savings just by using the Target app.
In the household department, we also scanned many items and found a variety of savings when we compared the in-store price with the app. A Keurig coffee maker has a sticker price of $89.99 in-store. When I scanned it in the app, the price showed $63.99. That's $26.00 in savings.
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So how do you get the cheaper price? It's simple: you just take the item to check out and after the cashier scans the in-store price, you scan the item's barcode on the Target app. Since Target price matches, you get the cheaper price that you found online.
I showed Target shopper Emily Allen this money-saving tip.
"I use the app all the time, but I didn't know that you could scan it and then take it up and price match it," said Allen. "It's amazing."
Julie Soplop, a mother of three girls, agreed after we scanned some items her girls liked and found $5 in savings right away.
This money-saving tip also works at several other stores such as Walmart and Best Buy, which also price match.
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After we downloaded the Walmart app, we went shopping and found several items with price differences in-store than on the Walmart app.
Here are just a few examples of savings we found. A bedding set was $32.96 in the store, but once we scanned the barcode on the app, it was $3 cheaper at just $29.96. We also found savings on a wildlife game feeder. In the store, it was $84, but once we scanned it in the Walmart app, it was $4.00 less. Since Walmart price matches, you just take the item to the register and show them the online price.
The electronic giant Best Buy also has the price match guarantee. After checking prices in the store compared to the Best Buy app, we quickly found savings when it comes to a TV. In store, it was $499.99, but on the app, it was $20.00 cheaper.
We also found savings on speakers. They were $4 less on the app than in the store. To get these savings, you just take the items to the check-out and show the cheaper price.
The Troubleshooter Takeaway shopping this holiday season is no matter where you're shopping, make sure to compare prices in-store with online because you could save big.