If you've read my blog for more than 30 seconds, you've probably guessed I'm a big fan of Walmart and it's price matching. It's how I grocery shop and save about HALF on my groceries each week, without clipping coupons! And as you've probably heard, rumors are flying that Walmart is seriously changing, and possibly eliminating, their price matching and ad matching. Have no fear, mama Jordan is here! I've got the updated, inside scoop direct from the mouth of Walmart employees, and lots and lots of research. Here's all the info you need to know about the price matching changes, whether the rumors are true or not, and how you can still save a bundle on grocery shopping – with OR without the ad match policy changes!

So, let's get on with it!

What are the price matching changes?

Here's a Persicope I did answering all your questions and giving the rundown of everything, so watch this first! Watch on YouTube, watch on Periscope, or click and watch below:

Now, how to save with OR without price matching!

Yes, 500 stores are discontinuing price matching (or ad matching, as they call it). And yes, though they deny it, my educated assumption is that they will eventually phase out price-matching altogether someday. Hey, it was bound to happen at some point!

If you find your store to be one of the 500, have no fear, there are still ways to save on your grocery shopping – whether at Walmart or not. Here are some tips and tricks for saving the most on your grocery shopping, inside or outside of Walmart!

1) Price Match like crazy BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

Don't wait until the policy is gone. Even if your store is one of the 500, you have until June 9th, 2016 to get some major shopping done! Price match as if your life depended on it. (See how I grocery shop and price match HERE.)

Stock your pantry up with the staples you know will last, and buy in bulk things you can freeze. Need a few ideas? I recently did a post on Instagram detailing some of the bulk foods I buy to prepare, and separate myself. It doesn't take much time, and seriously pays off in the long-end!

One quick way to save money at the grocery store? Cut, shred, and divide things yourself! You can save tons of money over time by putting in a little extra effort at home. Sliced olives, shredded cheese, pre-chopped vegetables…they all cost more! By taking a few minutes to do the prep yourself you can really rack up the savings. I will buy bricks of cheese when on sale and will shred them myself (shredded cheese freezes beautifully!). Using a shredding attachment to my food processor makes it a cinch. Buying heads of lettuce and chopping yourself is cheaper than pre-cut bags of salad. Instead of buying those individual packs of goldfish crackers or trail mix, but bulk boxes and divide into baggies yourself. Fruit trays are often DOUBLE than buying fruit and cutting it yourself. It may take you a few minutes, but those dollars saved really add up and can instead go toward the fun things in life you feel like you're always missing out on! Do you do this? If so, to what and how? Share with us below! #TheFrugalMinute

A photo posted by Jordan Page | Costco Pro 🙌🏻 (@funcheaporfree) on May 26, 2016 at 2:55pm PDT

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2. Use the Savings Catcher app

Even if your store is impacted by the ending of the ad match program, Walmart's Savings Catcher app will still be alive and well in every store! I have mixed feelings about it because I have used it several times, knowing good and well I should have gotten money back on something that was cheaper elsewhere, and the app didn't catch it. It's still new and certainly isn't foolproof…but my overall consensus is that it's better than nothing.

Here's how it works:

You shop at Walmart, scan your receipt with the app when you're done paying for your goods, and if the app finds that one of your purchases was cheaper at one of the many stores the app has in it's database, it will give you the difference back in the form of reward dollar credits to be used at Walmart.

It's automatic and only takes a second to use so again, might as well! Not fool-proof, and I've only made like $0.20 personally, but hey, at least $0.20 is better than $0.

3) Find the store with the best deals that week and shop there instead.

Each week stores have sales, sometimes KILLER sales. The benefit of price matching at Walmart is that you can take the sale prices from all the stores and match them at one place (Walmart). Well, if Walmart is going to take away price matching from us, so be it…we'll shop elsewhere!

Scan your stores' ads each week (looking at the front and back pages for the best deal) and look at what store has the best prices on the items you could really use. Then, just shop there! Duh!

As many of you know, I use Deals to Meals which is a site that pulls all the ads from the stores around me and flags in red what the best deals are. It really helps me see what store I should shop at, OR makes it easy to add those red items to a shopping list and price-match them at Walmart lickety split. It costs $5/month but I've found it more than worth it because they also give full meal plans each week that coordinate with the items that are on sale. I’ve been using the site and talking about it since 2009! Though it costs me $5/month, I save that in my first 30 seconds in the store, every time I shop.

Because I talk about them so often they approached me about doing a special subscription deal JUST for Freebs. It’s a price they’ve never offered to anyone else, so JUMP on this deal!

To take advantage of this offer, click this LINK and fill in the info they need. Once you have it completed, click the “One More Page” button, and then close the page (do not click on or follow the PayPal links since this is an EXCLUSIVE promo just for us, and you can’t find it on their regular page.) Once you have created an account, you can pay for the subscription via PayPal. Just click this LINK, and enter the amount you are paying (based on the subscription you have chosen). Easy peasy!

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So there you go!

Quick ways to save money, with or without price matching.

This isn't the first time Walmart has changed a policy on us, and I am sure it won't be the last. Check out this post  for the tips and tricks suggested the last time big changes happened with the ad match policy.

You can also check out How I Grocery Shop (without using coupons), and 7 reasons why I don't believe in couponing (and what I do instead!), and of course, my Budget Boot Camp budgeting program that makes budgeting fun and easy to understand. I go into great detail about how to afford grocery shopping and all the other fun (or not so fun!) things you want and need in your life!

Has your Walmart announced any changes? Keep your eyes peeled and let me know if yours is one of the impacted stores!

Happy Saving!