Between mobile pay, on-the-go research capabilities, and innumerable shopping apps, cell phones are quickly becoming the most comprehensive money tool I’ve ever used.
If you’re not taking advantage of at least some of these mobile capabilities, you’re more than likely missing out on significant savings- leaving money on the table that could be used to fund other important expenses, grow savings, and/or max out retirement contributions.
Frugality and conscious spending don’t have to mean forgoing shopping entirely, but rather, getting more for less and pocketing the rest- using shopping apps to maximize your money.
For your fashion and accessory needs, use ShopTagr to track prices and get price alerts on your top wish list and watch list items. You can customize right down to the specific item, size, and color.
Technically a browser add-on rather than an app, Price Blink is a top tool for finding the lowest prices when shopping online. As you view a product, Price Blink automatically scans over 4,000 other merchants and notifies you of lower prices.
Find products, compare prices, read product reviews, and get merchant ratings all on the Price Grabber app. You can search and sort by price, product, or rating- buy online or get information for the nearest deal locale.
For your every day needs like groceries and drug store buys, use the Favado app to price compare. Favado will also let you know when your favorite food and drug store brands go on sale so you never miss a deal.
If you’ve ever googled the words “promo code”, you’re likely familiar with Retail Me Not. With over 500,000 coupons to over 50,000 stores, Retail Me Not is the ultimate destination for quick and simple savings.
Coupon Follow tracks the most up to date, popular, and trending coupons. Their browser plug-in, Coupons at Checkout, automatically scans your online cart for applicable promo codes.
If you’re an “old-school” circular loving, coupon clipping shopper, try the Retale app that aggregates all the weekly ads and offers in your area into one simple app- no clipping required.
The Ebates website and mobile app serve as cash back portals, paying shoppers for the online purchases they’re already making. Get rewarded for your purchases simply by accessing your favorite online shops through the Ebates portal.
Ditch the overflowing wallet busting open with all your loyalty and gift cards and aggregate it all in the palm of your hand using the Clutch app. When it comes time for checkout, just flash the app to get the appropriate discount or charge. By using Clutch, you can also build up Clutch specific loyalty points to redeem for gift cards.
Shopkick is the perfect app for window shoppers. Earn points every time you walk into a store, scan an item, or buy a product. Once you collect enough points, you can redeem them for gift cards and products.
As long as you carefully comb through the fine print, these deal sites can provide fantastic savings on countless opportunities- whether you’re at home, on vacation, or looking for a unique gift idea that will create a lasting memory.
No deal, however hot, is an excuse to fall into high interest debt. Create a budget and hold yourself accountable to it by using an app like Personal Capital that tracks your spending- helping you maintain progress toward financial goals by monitoring everything from credit card balances to investments to net worth.
With all these tools and resources available to you in your back pocket, literally, there’s no reason not to get the best possible bang for your buck.