The Modern Grocery Store Money-Saving Feature Boomers Can't Stand

Remember clipping coupons? You'd get the newspaper on Sundays or your grocery store's weekly circular with a few coupon booklet inserts, and sit down with a pair of scissors to cut out the ones you wanted. You would stash them in an envelope or your wallet so you could hand them to the cashier when you're checking out with your groceries. While you can still sometimes find a few coupons in your local paper, that practice is largely gone.

In place of the paper coupon clipping system is an app. There's an app for everything, isn't there? You have to clip your coupons digitally, and that's what boomers can't stand. Digital coupons are a pain. "If you get your shopper card scanned, the coupons should automatically be applied. Having to 'clip' them on the app is another wasted step," says one shopper on Reddit. And it's true — you do have to open the app at least once a week to digitally "clip" your coupons.

According to data from Pew Research, nearly 20% of Americans ages 65 and older don't even have a smartphone to begin with, let alone trying to figure out how to use an app on one. Doing away with paper coupons seems to leave this part of the population out of luck. If you have no cell phone and don't use the internet, you no longer have access to coupons. So, what are boomers to do?

Fortunately, there are some workarounds for anyone who doesn't have access to an app to deal with coupons. There are still some weekly circulars that grocery stores print up for customers. Check the local entrance to the store you shop at to see if there is one, or ask customer service. You might also find one in your local newspaper. These ads can help you spot sales and deals going on without needing an app. Some stores also offer printed coupons or in-store promotions without any digital nonsense.

It's worth asking someone at the customer service desk in your grocery store whether they have any way to save money besides digital coupons. They can help you with any alternatives. Kroger, for example, in response to a call for grocery stores to stop discriminating against seniors and low-income shoppers who don't have smartphones, came up with "weekly digital deals". It's a printed sheet you can find at the store's entrance. Just show the barcode on the sheet to the cashier to get your discounts.

Another way to save money without apps is to buy store-brand products instead of name-brand. Nearly everything in your grocery store should have a store-brand product alternative to the name brands. Generic brands are often just as good as the big names. Compare prices in-store to see which ones are more budget-friendly. You might find that making this switch saves you more money than clipping a bunch of coupons. It's also worth taking a shopping trip to Aldi and other discount grocers.