Grocery prices just keep climbing, and many families are under pressure to find better deals.

The scoop

One shopper took to Reddit for advice from locals in the Richmond, Virginia, area. The user didn't seem to be eating extravagantly. They were just trying to afford the basics. 

"With the price of everything being the price of everything, are there any apps that have good rewards/discounts that can be used in RVA?" they asked. "The McDonald's app has good daily bogos or percentage discounts… but that means you're eating at McDonalds."

That question opened the floodgates to hundreds of tips from neighbors sharing their favorite ways to save.

But one suggestion in particular stood out for both its money-saving potential and its environmental benefits.

Among the dozens of replies, one commenter dropped a simple, game-changing tip: try Martie, an online discount grocery store that sells overstock and surplus goods for a fraction of retail prices.

"Not local but there's an app called Martie. They offer reduced to significantly reduced prices on items that are getting close to their expiration date. Some are within a month. Some are 6 months out," they commented. "It's random what they have but the deals are very legit and it's free shopping over a fairly reasonable amount. Each item has the expiration date once you click on it, so just verify it's something you're going to go through."

How it's helping

Martie keeps perfectly good food from ending up in landfills by buying excess inventory from major brands and selling it at up to 80% off, a huge win at a time when food costs are rising and 30-40% of the U.S. food supply goes to waste each year.

Every item bought through Martie is one less item wasted. Food waste is a major driver of methane, an extremely harmful gas that fuels the Earth's overheating, and reducing it helps cut pollution while maximizing resources already in the supply chain.

What everyone's saying

Many commenters jumped in to praise the idea and share their own money-saving routines.

Would you be more likely to shop at a store that paid you for your old stuff? Absolutely 💯 Only if they make it easy 😎 Depends on the store 🤔 Nope 👎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"I've been using this app, and as long as you're careful to not get sucked into buying a bunch of s*** you don't need it's actually a great shopping experience with good deals," said one commenter.

"Not an app, but join your grocery store's rewards program and buy according to their deals! And don't buy groceries when you're hungry lol," suggested another.

As grocery prices push families to rethink how they shop, tools that help shoppers be smart about their purchases are becoming more valuable than ever.

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