My 5 Favorite Apps & Websites to Save Money

I’m a very frugal person and I love to save money. Rarely do I purchase anything (with the exception of groceries) if I don’t have a coupon or it isn’t on sale. It was my goal in 2017 to save $5,000. I love finding new money savers too. Instead of keeping them all to myself, I’m here to share them with you.

 

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Links in this post are referral links, so I may receive a small bonus if you sign up. 

  1. RetailMeNot – You’re just silly if you don’t have this on your phone. The benefit of RetailMeNot is that it’s a community. All those “email exclusive” coupons…people can post them on the site or the app. That way, your inbox doesn’t have to be full of daily or weekly offers from a hundred different companies. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve saved my parents money with this app. They also have an opportunity to earn cash back as well on certain purchases and partnerships with companies.
  2. Ebates – For a long while, I didn’t believe this site. The financial amounts those people on the commercials was reporting is astronomical. Now, the amounts are still astronomical, but the cash back is real! Certain sites and companies work with Ebates and offer cash back percentages. Some are specific by department, but others are general to the whole store. One caveat is that you have to remember to go through Ebates before you start your online shopping trip. There are also some in-store offers, but you have to link a credit card and use that one in store.
  3. Kroger – I don’t have a link to this one, and this is two fold. If you shop at Kroger ever, you need to A) get a Kroger Plus card and B) download the app. They have their weekly ads in the app, and you can easily add products to your list. Instead of writing a list down, simply add them in the app, and dismiss them when they make it into your cart. They also have A TON of in app coupons that you just load onto your Kroger Plus card. That means that you don’t have to keep track of a ton of loose paper coupons, and you can still save money!
  4. Walmart – Again, if you purchase anything from Walmart ever, download this app. There’s this cool feature in it called the “Savings Catcher”. You take a picture of your receipt, Walmart compares it to other publicized deals, and you get the difference! Generally, I purchase store brand things in an effort to save money, but there are some things that I always buy name brand (toilet paper, makeup, Q-tips, etc.). Generally, you can save $0.25-$0.75 per purchase, but it adds up quickly.
  5. Mint – This is a great app if you’re watching your finances. You can set categorical budgets, add multiple accounts (credit cards, bank accounts, loans, etc.), and even add bills and their respective due dates. With the upcoming increase in my rent, this app has been super helpful to see where the bulk of my spending is and how I can cut back. This app is 100% free too. You can also get updated credit reports, and different offers that may be beneficial to you based on your habits.

I’d also recommend looking into as many store cards and reward programs as you can. I’m not even just talking about credit cards. If you often shop somewhere (for me, it’s Old Navy), I would recommend getting the store credit card, especially if they offer a rewards program. It’s free money that you get back on future purchases! For other stores, like Hallmark, it’s just a little check-in card. My mom earns a ton of “free cards” at least once a quarter. A lot of gas stations will offer some rewards programs too. I think that Shell has partnered a bit with Kroger, so you can use your fuel points there too!

There really are a ton of ways to save money. For big purchases, do your research in advance. There are certain periods of time where bigger items are on sale.

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