5 Must Have Smartphone Apps That Will Save You a Ton of Money
Must-Have Apps for Saving a TON of Money
There’s nothing more convenient than a money-saving tactic that you can use on the go.
That’s why apps that save you money, generally rock.
And, for a couple of reasons:
1 – Because they are apps, they are SUPER convenient to use. Who doesn’t have their phone within arms reach most of the time?
2 – They take only minutes to use. Bye, bye time-consuming coupon clipping!
Having coupon apps on your phone is one of the easiest ways to save money. In this post, I’m going to show you the 5 BEST coupon apps and tell you a little bit about each one.
Before I share the top 5 couponing apps, let’s go over HOW they work exactly.
Here’s the rundown:
These apps give you cash back on select purchases.
For example:
There could be an offer for $1.00 cash back when you buy a Snickers candy bar.
When you’re ready to redeem a cashback offer all you do is use an app to scan the product barcode and then submit a picture of your receipt.
Once your purchase has been verified the money is added to your account. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was easy!
NOTE: The cashback offers will have an expiration date and are available in limited quantities. This means if a rebate is popular, it can run out BEFORE the expiration date.
New rebates for different products are added all the time, too.
It’s like couponing, except you get reimbursed instead of getting the dollar amount off at the register.
Get money back for store purchases you were already going to make AND you don’t have to bother the cashier with coupons. Score!
It gets better:
My favorite part about coupon apps is that you can use MORE than one app at a time.
Why is this a good thing?
If you have an item you bought at the store that has a cashback offer on more than one app, you can submit both offers. That’s more money back in your pocket.
Some offers are not meant to be used with other apps or coupons, though – just make sure to pay attention to the details for specific offers.
Also, if you want to coupon – you CAN use a coupon at the store AND still get the app credit.
A Extra Few Tips
- ALWAYS be sure to read the details and exclusions on any offer before you use it. Some may be limited by product sizes or may be valid only when purchased at certain stores.
- Read the FINE PRINT!
- Check to make sure the offer is still available BEFORE buying something just for the cash back. Sometimes offers can run out fast! (I always scan and submit for my app offers before I leave the parking lot to ensure I will get my credit.)
Alright, now let’s move on to the good stuff.
The Best Money Saving Coupon Apps
First up we have the Checkout51 app. Available on Android and iOS platforms.
The best part about Checkout51 is that you can shop at any store – the offers are NOT store specific.
You can even claim purchases you made online IF your receipt (invoice) arrives before the offer expires. Packing slips are accepted for items purchased online.
You don’t even need a mobile device to use Checkout51. Offers can be submitted on a desktop computer.
This app features offers that be claimed multiple times, as well. Check out the details for an offer to see its claim limit.
Checkout51 offers change weekly:
Offers go live on Thursdays at 12:00 AM in each time zone. They expire the following Wednesday at 11:59 PM in each time zone.
You must upload your receipts while the offers are live to claim the cash back.
When your Checkout51 account balance reaches $20, you can cash out and they’ll mail you a check.
Downfall: Since the only way to cash out is by check, this means a little bit of a wait to get your money back. It’s a nice bonus when it arrives though!
Next:
We’ll talk about SavingStar – available on Android and iOS platforms.
I’ll be upfront with you here:
This is my least favorite app out of the five.
It’s generally notuser-friendlyy and, in my experience, sometimes difficult to get items to scan.
BUT:
I still use it because I still earn a good amount of money back on products I buy.
They have grocery offers available and it works just the same as the other apps.
However, SavingStar tends to have MORE restrictions – if you pay attention you will still get cash back.
Do note: you must activate your SavingStar offers BEFORE you buy the product to insure you receive the credit.
The nice thing about this app is that you can connect your store loyalty cards (for specific stores). This means you don’t need to scan product barcodes or upload a picture of your receipt.
All the information SavingStar needs to credit you for an offer is automatically sent.
Another positive:
The cash out threshold is just $5.00. You can choose to have your money sent to a bank account, a PayPal account or even donate it to charity.
BE AWARE: SavingStar is the slowest to payout – cash back earned will post to your account between 2 – 22 days after your purchase.
Downfall: SavingStar offers are NOT meant to be used with coupons. Savingstar offers are meant to be the same as a manufacturer coupons.
BerryCart is an app that caters towards healthy eating. It is available on Android and iOS platforms.
With this app, you can earn cash back on products that are organic, gluten-free, non GMO and more. (Not that you can’t find cash back offer for those types of products on other apps.)
To earn money with this app; it will have you learn a small tidbits of information and then you snap a pic of your receipt to earn.
These are one time rebates.
After submitting an offer, within 24 hours BerryCart will send you real money that can be cashed out through PayPal or by selecting a gift cards.
You’ll like this:
You only need $5 in your account to cash out.
You can find products offered in the BerryCart coupon app in over 100,000 locations including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Walmart, Target, Safeway, and Kroger.
You can use BerryCart in any store that provides you with a valid receipt.
When you sign up for BerryCart, you can use my referral code: 8aYIIzNyU2 to get a free $2.00 bonus!
#4 on my list of the best coupon apps is the Coupons.com app – available on Android and iOS platforms.
I love this app! It’s a little different than the other apps, though.
Here’s why:
If you don’t have a printer (or ink) to print coupons, use the Coupons.com app.
It gives you the ability to use coupons at the store without printing anything.
Additionally, It’s very user friendly and easy to navigate.
This app too gives you the ability to add loyalty cards (for certain stores) to your account – which means instant savings. Before shopping make sure to add all coupons you plan to use.
At checkout scan your loyalty card and see savings be taken off your total automatically.
If your store does not have a loyalty card (ie. Walmart & Target) finish your shopping as usual. Then submit a photo of your receipt.
One of the best features:
The money you earn from offers will automatically be sent to your Paypal account – NO minimum cash out required.
Lastly:
We have iBotta – definitely my favorite coupon app. It works on iOS and Android platforms.
Out of all these apps, this one is the most user friendly.
Get cash back almost everywhere you shop with rebates at TONS of stores. You can submit a receipt from 189+ supported stores (even online stores).
The cash out threshold is $20 and you can get your earning via PayPal or Venmo, or choose a gift card.
New offers are added all the time: there are no certain days or times when offers are added.
You can look at and unlock offers ona computer, but the app is required to upload your proof of purchase.
This app is FAST at crediting your earnings:
You’ll have the cash deposited into your Ibotta account within 48 hours of redeeming an offer.
Some stores have a loyalty card you can link to your iBotta account, as well.
If your store participates then all you have to do is activate the offer before you shop. Everything else is done automatically – no receipts to upload.
iBotta will notify you when you rebate is deposited into your account. Sweet!
Want to learn more about iBotta? Head here to read my complete guide and learn how to MAXIMIZE the amount of money you get back.
EXTRA MONEY: Click on my link here to get a free $10 bonus when you sign up with iBotta for the first time.
Coupon apps are certainly #1 on my list of easy ways to save money. Remember to scroll through these apps the next time you go grocery shopping and you’re sure to find a cash back offer you can redeem.
Spending a few minutes scanning your purchases can really pay off, especially if you’re consistent about it.
- Also Read: Best Budget Apps: 7 That Aren’t Total Shit
About Charlie
Charlie is the co-founder of College Life Made Easy and author of the book 175+ Things to Do Before You Graduate College. She’s a 2015 graduate who teaches overwhelmed students and parents of students how to confidently navigate the whole college thing. As a former broke college kid, she’s passionate about helping students develop the skills they need in order to thrive (instead of just survive), stress less, and actually enjoy the full college experience.