Amazon
This is kind of a no brainer! Amazon is the world’s largest retailer selling nearly everything. Using the handy app, you can see prices and production information for items you snap a photo of, scan, or voice prompt. What’s particularly useful is Amazon’s massive volume of user reviews and side-by-side product comparisons.
Digit
Saving is effortless with this app. Digit automatically deposits money into your savings account from your checking account. Typically, between $10 and $30 is deducted based on your spending habits and what it determines you can spare. The money goes into an account from which you can deduct funds at any time.
Flip
Not getting the Sunday paper? No problem. Browse ads, sales, coupons, and other special offers from the Sunday circulars. The Flipp app covers weekly ads from over 800 retailers, including grocery stores, pharmacies and big box retailers. If you add your loyalty program numbers, some discounts will be automatically applied when your loyalty card is scanned at checkout, without any physical coupons.
Level Money
You can fight the temptation to spend with Level Money, which shows you exactly how much you can reasonable spend daily, weekly and monthly. It starts with your bank balances and then subtracts essential such as rent and utilities, as well as planned savings. The amount left is your “spendable balance”. The app doesn’t have access to your bank accounts, you have to transfer the the extra money that you accumulate into your savings.
Mint
This classic budgeting app allows you to see exactly where your money goes when you link your banking and credit card account. A multi-color pie chart will track all of your spending and suggestions for a budget is made based on the amounts you spend. You can set alerts on set limits for certain expenses, when bill payments are due and when you bank balance dips.
Paribus
Many stores offer refunds if the price of an item drops soon after your purchase. Since no one wants to monitor this after a purchase, many refunds go unredeemed. Enter Paribus, which not only tracks items you have purchased online but automatically request refunds of the price drops. There is no coast for the service but, Paribus takes a 25% cut of the refunds it retrieves.
Prosper Daily
Spotting erroneous charges can be difficult. When you link your credit card accounts to this app, it flags duplicate and suspicious charges for you to take a closer look. It also notifies you when there has been a data breach at a business you shopped in the past.
RetailMeNot
This app has promotional codes, coupons and other discounts at 50,000+ restaurants and major retailers, and deals for physical stores and online purchases alike.
SkipLagged
This app is very similar to Kayak and google flights for finding airfare between specific cities. But Skipplagged allows you to search with a “hidden city” option. For example- a one way ticket from DC to Miami with a layover in Atlanta, when Atlanta (the layover city) is really your final destination. By ditching the second leg of your trip, you may save money (and time) versus purchasing a ticket directly from DC to Miami.
Wallaby
Maximizing your credit card rewards can be a lot of work. This app does the work for you by telling you which card to use at which establishment that will offer the greatest reward. Wallaby offers a browser extension download for on-line purchases.
Houzz
As you continue saving for your home, creating an idea decor book will keep you motivated. Instead of purchasing piles of magazines for inspiration, use Houzz to search millions of photos from designers and product manufacturers. You can store your best ideas in the Houzz ideabook so you don’t lose track of that perfect paint color or area rug.
