Chuze: A Free Grocery Shopping and Coupon App That Helps Save Time and Money

10/20/15 - By Linda DiProperzio

This post is sponsored by Chuze, but the opinions are those solely of the author.

When it comes to running errands and shopping for my family, I’m a master coupon clipper and list maker—but remembering to bring those coupons and lists with me when I leave the house is another story. The end result is I either miss out on savings or waste money buying something I’ve forgotten I already have at home.

So I'm super excited about our sponsor Chuze, a free app that eliminates the need to clip coupons, manage expiration dates, make lists or visit different stores to look for a particular item. It’s a money- and time-saving solution for busy parents who want to master their shopping and not let the chore master them.

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Here’s how Chuze works: Once you download the app (it’s available for both Android and iPhone users) and give it access to your phone's camera, you can scan an item's barcode. So if you run out of milk at home, for example, simply scan the barcode on the carton, and it’s automatically added to your Chuze shopping list. You can also add items by typing them in, as well as include comments ("Buy skim milk, not whole").

Available manufacturer coupons immediately pop up in the app when you enter an item on your list, whether it's a generic term (cake mix), a competing brand (Betty Crocker) or a deal for your preferred product (Duncan Hines.) The offers then update on your list if they expire or new offers are released. And Chuze will also bundle products and coupons by themes (Halloween treats, taco night, etc.) and send them to you via email. Then you can either scan the UPC codes right from your monitor or tablet, or type it into your Chuze app. Right now, users have to print coupons out at home, but the ability to redeem them directly from a phone at the register is coming soon.

Chuze is more than just a grocery list app. The Chuze team has actually plotted more than 10,000 grocery stores—including Target, Vons, Weis, Albertsons, Wegmans, and Gristedes—with more on the way. This means your shopping list is automatically organized by aisle for your local store, making it a breeze to speed through the store and get everything on your list. No more searching aisle by aisle for items or running back to aisle 9 for the thing you forgot. End up going to a different store? Just change the store location from a drop down menu, and your list reorganizes itself like magic. Chuze turns you into a shopping ninja. 

Items can be marked as “recurring” and will stay on your list, while non-recurring items will drop off when you "check" them as you complete your shopping. And with a single click, anyone in your family with the app can also scan items to add to the list. Never again do you have to hear, "Mom, I forgot to ask you to buy..." Don't have time to go to the store? Share the list with your spouse, sitter or older kids so they can go for you. 

I'm by no means a tech-savvy person, but I found Chuze pretty easy to navigate. The coupon feature is limited so far but growing daily. And while grocery shopping is never going to be at the top of my fun list, I love that Chuze reduces a lot of the frustration of getting through a supermarket with kids and frees up more of my time for things that are fun. Download the free Chuze app for iPhone or Android and leave aisle 9 in the dust.