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Use of grocery coupons is back in vogue, thanks to the economic downturn. For four straight years, coinciding with the news of the U.S. economic crisis, the use of grocery coupons has increased. And for shoppers who own mobile phones, the use of digital grocery coupons have gotten much easier.

More than three out of four shoppers (78 percent) of shoppers regularly used coupons in 2010, compared with 77 percent in 2009, 76 percent in 2008 and 64 percent in 2007, according to a recent survey.

It’s easy to see why. The use of grocery coupons can add up to significant savings at retailers. One study found that a family spending 20 minutes a week gathering and redeeming grocery coupons could easily save 20 percent on their grocery bill. With the average American family spending about $5,000 annually on groceries, the savings would come to $1,000 a year. For a family on a budget, these savings are dramatic.

Meanwhile, digital grocery coupons are gaining more acceptance among shoppers and retailers. Over the past year, the number of digital coupons distributed to consumers increased by 34 percent. Part of this can be attributed to the increased use of coupons in general, but it also has a lot to do with the increased use of mobile smart phones, which allow people to install apps, browse the web, and even scan items with a barcode reader to find out more information.

One reason may be the tremendous convenience of digital grocery coupons. Shoppers can redeem digital grocery coupons without having to print or clip paper. This saves time and effort, allowing shoppers to use one tool they constantly carry, and are never without. Furthermore, many grocery stores allow consumers to load digital grocery coupons onto their loyalty cards from their websites, making them electronically redeemable. Load a coupon via the website, access it on the phone.

Several grocery stores are even launching mobile apps that allow shoppers to download grocery coupons to their loyalty card, helping them earn loyalty points and rewards. Meanwhile, third-party companies are creating mobile apps for iPhone and Android that are not tied to any one grocery store. This allows shoppers to pick and choose betwen their favorite stores and nearby locations, using digital grocery coupons wherever is most convenient, or where they spend most of their time.

A third of those polled in a recent online survey reported that they use coupon websites to get grocery coupons. The same survey showed that newspapers remain the most popular method of acquiring coupons, with nearly seven in 10 shoppers using them as a coupon source. Other methods include:

• Postal mail (50 percent)
• On or inside product packages (43 percent)
• In-store displays (42 percent)
• On the back of receipts (30 percent)
• In emails (28 percent)
• In magazines (25 percent)
• On manufacturer or retailer websites (24 percent)
• With a retailer club card (15 percent)
• On social networks (4 percent).

For shoppers, it seems that coupon use has become the "new normal."

"Couponing began as a need and has now evolved into a way of life," said blogger Ashley Nuzzo. "It doesn’t make sense to go back to a way of life where watching our money isn’t the norm. It isn’t a hobby, it is a habit."

For shoppers, digital coupons will fast become the new normal, as the use of mobile phone grows, as the acceptance of coupons continues to grow, and as the technology is created to make the combination of the two much smoother and easier. For shoppers who are still on the fence, there is nothing to lose to try these new coupon methods: download an app, load up some coupons, and give it a try.