Whether we like it or not, we spend a lot. As consumers, we need to shop for our needs and at times, have to reward ourselves with the things that we want too. With all the tech advancement especially in the e-commerce and online shopping space, saving has seemed to be a tough challenge. When purchasing and paying is as easy as one click, we barely remember to save.
Budgeting is an effective way to stop you from impulsive spending and save up. For that, we have ranked the best budgeting and finance management apps you can try.
But since shopping has been inevitable and traveling and adventures are hard to resist, here are some of the best apps that can help you save even while shopping or booking online, in-store, in-app, and more:
Retail Me Not
From fashion, clothing, products and restaurants, Retail Me Not is a great app that offers 200,000+ offers for more than 15,000+ brands to choose from including Applebee’s, UberEats, Macy’s, Safeway, Amazon and Shutterfly, among many others. It offers deals and special savings on essentials, meals, pick-me-ups and more.
You can use Retail Me Not as a Chrome Extension to automatically find and apply coupon codes and cashback offers for the things that you’ll purchase via your desktop browser. It is also available as a mobile app for Android and IOS devices for on-the-go access to the best deals on your favorite shops.
LivingSocial
LivingSocial, formerly Groupon, is great for discovering products and activities in your local areas with daily deals, discounts, and promos that will surely save you some money. Through their app, you can purchase discount vouchers for a wide range of local experiences, events, restaurants, spas, salons, travel, and more. The purchase can be redeemed and used within the specified expiration date. Their easy-to-use app is available for Android and IOS for free.
Voucher Cloud
For shopping, Voucher Cloud is a pretty great companion. It shows you the offers for shops and restaurants near you. The mobile app is available for both Android and IOS, so you can take your Voucher Cloud with you as a shop and use its smart search system, or simply look for the offers closest to your current location. The free app also allows users to follow brands that they love most and get notified for the hottest deals.
Trivago
You really want to save but find it hard to not travel and discover beautiful places? Trivago can be your good travel buddy, for booking hotels wherever you go. Their web site and mobile app for Android and IOS lets you compare more than 1.8 million hotels worldwide, from over 180+ booking sites.
You can find the best deals that fit your preference and, of course, your budget. With finding the cheapest deal for hotels, you can save more money that you can allot for other activities or keep as savings.
Goldstar
If you’re a fan of live entertainment events and concerts, you should take advantage of the Goldstar app. It allows you to discover tickets to theater, Broadway, concerts, sports, comedy, nightlife, food fests and other events, often at a discount; some at even half the price.
The app also lets its users earn rewards with each purchase and get personalized recommendations based on the recent attended events. Unlike ticket-selling websites, where some even add top-ups, Goldstar partners with event producers, venues, and artists to secure the best prices on live events. You can the app through their website or download it directly for Android or IOS.
Hopper
Hopper is another travel and hotel booking app that helps save money as you take on your adventures. It predicts flight and hotel prices for your preferred travel dates with up to 95% accuracy, up to 1 year in advance. You can book and prepare your budget ahead of time so you don’t have to stress out in planning your travels and save more. For an easy mobile adventure planning, the Hopper app is available for Android and IOS.
Shopkick
If you can’t quite avoid shopping, Shopkick is a great app that lets earn points as you shop. These points can be then turned into giftcards and redeemable rewards. It lets its users redeem points and feth rewards from brands and stores including Amazon, Walmart, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Sephora, Nike, Best Buy and more.
If you’re not into shopping that much, you can still discover Shopkick’s exclusive deals and promo codes by watching videos in the app and earn points as well. Available for Android and IOS, Shopkick is a great alternative to save more for those who can’t really refrain from shopping or are just after great deals.
Dosh
As much shopping can be irresistible, who doesn’t want to receive some cash right? Dosh offers another way to earn rewards by shopping through automatic cash backs. Through their mobile app, you can earn cash back when you shop, dine or travel by simply linking your cards and use it to pay. No need to scan receipts or coupons.
Every time you pay using your bank cards, Dosh automatically finds existing offers or shopping deals, redeems them, then puts the cash savings into your Dosh Wallet. Once you reach an accumulated Dosh wallet balance of $25, you can transfer it to your bank, PayPal or Venmo or donate your cash back to charity. Dosh is available for Android and IOS.
Ibotta
Ibotta is another cash-back app that covers in-store, online and even in-app purchases. The app lets you save money as you shop from retailers from grocery and clothing stores to beauty and pet shops. Ibotta finds you great deals and lets you earn cash backs as you restock on groceries or shop for household essentials, which we often spend on inevitably, the most on a regular basis.
Before shopping, you can find and add offers in the app for things on your grocery list. You can shop online or at local stores then upload your receipt or link your loyalty card for instant cash back. As you do your regular grocery shopping, you can watch your savings grow. When you’re ready or you need it, you can withdraw your cash earnings via PayPal or turn it into a gift card of your choice. Ibotta is available for Android and IOS device users.
Shopping and spending keeps the economy going. But that should not stop us from saving and still achieve our financial goals. There are plenty of ways to save even when we spend all the time: from finding greatest deals, coupons and vouchers to cash back apps, just choose which suits your lifestyle and spending methods and take advantage of these innovations.
