With many unforgiving apps such as Candy Crush Saga and The Smurfs making headlines by charging outrageous fees for micro transactions, I thought it would be wise to take a look at some apps that are out there for the sole reason of helping you save (and maybe even make) money.
Let us start with the essentials. You should always have your own bank’s specific app in order to check your balance when you need, but try to avoid using it for anything other than that.
Two other essential apps that I always check daily are Mint and Scoutmob. Mint is the most effective budgeting app out on the market, and it’s completely free! It helps you organize your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and savings. The best part is it provides easy to read graphs on your spending habits.
Scoutmob is the go-to food app that features hundreds of local eateries with a simple coupon system that really works. All you do is show them the Scoutmob deal when the bill arrives and you receive 50% off your meal. The discount is always either 50% off or one free menu item, so you really can’t beat its simplicity.
Next, a versatile app that I love using is RedLaser. This app is essential when shopping for a big ticket item. It lets you scan a barcode and then pulls up everywhere that item is sold (Amazon.com included) and shows the price. It bypasses you having to shop around for the best price and can save you hundreds over the course of a year.
Now for an app that you will either love or hate: Viggle. This is the most used app on my phone. It’s essentially FourSquare for watching TV, except the points you gain can be redeemed for gift cards to various retailers. You’re not saving money as much as you are making money, so it can’t be beat!
Finally, here are two more apps for both saving and making a little cash.
GasBuddy is a simple and effective app for finding cheap gas prices in your area. It doesn’t get much easier than typing in your zip code and finding the cheapest gas that’s convenient for you. Sure, you might only save 10-20 cents per gallon using the app, but that’s $1-2 every time you go, and every dollar counts.
Lastly, I recommend iBotta, a more cutting-edge app that many may find too risky to try. In a sense it’s the 21st century approach to coupons. You pick out featured items that you plan to buy on your next trip to the supermarket and iBotta will transfer real money to a PayPal account for you. The amount varies product to product, and the process involves sending a picture of your receipt, which takes about a day for them to receive and process. I was skeptical at first, but I’ve used iBotta during my last two trips to Kroger last month and I already have $24 in my account!
Happy downloading!
