14 Hacks and Secrets for Shopping at Walmart

Sign up for the Walmart Savings Catcher to see the best prices. Just download the app and, after buying, simply scan a receipt (or an online purchase code); if the item is on sale somewhere cheaper, Walmart will deposit the difference to an egift card.

Murphy USA has partnered with Walmart to give steep discounts on gas to the store's most loyal shoppers. When Murphy stations run specials throughout the year, anyone paying with a Walmart gift card or credit card saves big. In early February the savings were 3 cents a gallon.

Catalinas are coupons that the clerk prints out at the register while putting through a purchase. Walmart will accept manufacturer coupons printed on catalinas from the registers of their competitors. Bring along coupons or discounts inside soft drink caps too -- Walmart will honor them.

Equate is Walmart's store brand for drugstore items, including everything from cough medicine and cotton swabs to smoking cessation products and vitamins. The ingredients, directions, and recommended dosages are the same as in name brands -- in fact, everything is the same but the price. For food and household goods, shop Walmart's Great Value line, which has products that are the same as familiar name brands, but with considerably lower prices.

Walmart accepts manufacturer coupons for buy-one, get-one-free deals, for money off, or even for free items, though those BOGO deals won't be accepted if they don't specify a price. Keep in mind that manufacturer coupons must have a valid expiration date, barcode, and remit address.

Walmart will honor competitor coupons, provided they haven't been duplicated and come with a valid expiration date and price for the bargain item. The coupon can be color or black and white.

Before heading to Walmart, scour favorite shopping sites for print-at-home coupons. Walmart will honor them as long as they're legible, have a valid expiration date, and are manufacturer coupons. They're even good for BOGOs, provided they're printed with a specific price.

Before you head to the register, do a quick search of Walmart.com and Jet.com for the item. If they're selling it online for less, let the cashier know. Walmart will match the price for an identical item, which means shoppers always pay the lowest price possible.

After buying something from Walmart.com, stay alert for price drops there or on competitive online retailers -- contact customer care and get the difference matched through the store's price matching policy. Price adjustment doesn't apply to clearance items, Value Buys, Specials of the Day or 1-Hour Price Guarantees, and the item can't have been bought through the Marketplace or a third-party seller.

When buying online, save money on eligible items by picking up an order at a local Walmart instead of having it shipped. Just look for the "Pickup Discount" emblem on anything bought on Walmart.com.

If it's not possible to pick up an online purchase at a local store, that's okay -- Walmart offers free two-day shipping for most items on order of $35 or more -- and membership isn't required.

Several Walmart shopping experts, including those at the Penny Hoarder, encourage shoppers to buy bread -- and bakery products such as muffins -- made the day before. The logic is that since Walmart is eager to move them fast, they sell at a discount even through tasting the same as when fresh.

There's a good chance there's a factory refurbished version of an item that works and looks like new, but costs much less. Just type "refurbished" into the search bar on Walmart.com to see a variety of steeply discounted refurbished devices and more, including video games, vacuum cleaners, phones, tablets, and computers.

Walmart offers generic prescriptions for $4 across 20 categories of health conditions. The full list of $4 drugs contains hundreds of prescriptions. The discount can be used by anyone, with no membership is required. Walmart says the program has saved customers a combined $3 billion.