Five Apps to Help You Save Money

Gone are the days of cutting coupons out of the Saturday newspaper. The 21st Century has arrived and with it are awesome, money saving apps.

While they may add a few seconds to your shopping, these apps are easy, simple to use, and actually make saving fun. From coupon hunting to basic budgeting, here are five apps that will save you money and help you meet your financial goals.

ShopSavvy

This app scans the barcode of most products and then compares the price listed with prices offered by other retailers nearby. If it’s cheaper nearby, you know right away. ShopSavvy also has daily coupons and deals from plenty of brand-name retailers and updates based on your GPS. It’s the future of saving!

Mint

Ever wonder how much you spend each month on coffee? How about groceries or movie tickets? Well then maybe it is time to introduce a personal budget app to your life. Mint allows you track your spending each month by linking the transactions of your credit and debit card to your smartphone.

The app then lays out your total expenditures into beautiful, customizable categories and allows you to set monthly budgets, saving goals, and realistic solutions for overspending (e.g. limit coffees at Starbucks to $20 a month). Mint then notifies you when you exceed your monthly cap for each of the categories, offering a kick-in-the-pants for those who need it.

GasBuddy

With gas prices are always fluctuating, it can be annoying paying $1.30 for a litre only to see it for $1.10 down the street. Downloading GasBuddy will help you ensure you’re always paying the best rate for your fuel.

This app (and website) ranks the prices of all gas stations in your locale and takes into account your distance from any gas station, which means you get information on both the cheapest and closest station to where you are. This GPS function can come in handy when you’re travelling and in desperate need of a fill-up.

Flipp

Flipp is bringing couponing into the modern age. This Toronto-based app takes all those flyers that used to land on your front step and crams them to your smartphone in an easy-to-digest format. The app allows you to browse by store, department, or even by specific product (such as “eggs” or “bread”), showing you the best deals in your city.

Checkout 51

Are you the type of person that remembers all your coupons after you’ve left the store? Well, there’s now an app for you. Checkout 51 offers rebates on selected goods after you’ve purchased them.

All you have to do is find the item on the app and then take a photograph of your receipt and upload it to the app. Within about 48 hours you will have money added to your account and once you hit $20 a cheque is mailed to you. Pretty simple, eh? This is not a way to get rich, as rebates range from 0.25$ to a few dollars each purchase, but it definitely helps out in the long run (and makes shopping fun again!).