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7 Apps That Will Actually Save You Some Money, According To A Financial Expert

by Mishal Ali Zafar

Why is it always easier to spend money than to save it. Sometimes it even feels like you’ve spent your paycheck before you get it, especially if you have kids. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the most budget conscious spender, but I do love to find online coupon codes and incentives whenever I can. Clipping coupons and perusing sales takes time and patience, but if you are looking for an easier way to save, there are some great apps to save money that really work.

To get the inside scoop on the best money saving apps, Romper reached out to nationally recognized consumer and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch, who says that because there are so many different money-saving apps out there, it may feel overwhelming and you may not know where to begin or which one to use. “I recommend picking one or two that are easy to use,” suggests Woroch, “and then make it a habit to use these apps so you never miss out on savings when you shop.” I mean, you have your phone with you all the time anyway, right? So if you're ready to get saving, check out these great apps that you can download on iOS and Android devices.

1

Swagbucks

Woroch recommends trying Swagbucks, a cash-back shopping site that is easy to use because you get points for all the purchases you’re going to make anyway. She says you can redeem the points toward gift cards to popular stores like GAP, Target, and Starbucks. “Depending on the various promotions offered at the time,” says Woroch, “you can earn up to 10 points for every dollar spent, and they also have an app that provides in-store shopping cash back.” Swagbucks is available for download for iOS and Android.

2

ShopSavvy

ShopSavvy is a price comparison tool that I suggest everyone has on their phones.” says Woroch. She says that most retailers price match competitors and this app helps you find the cheapest price across brick and mortar stores, as well as online retailers, so that you know who has the lowest available selling price. Once you get the low price, she suggests showing it to customer service to see if they can price match. ShopSavvy is available for iOS and Android.

3

CouponSherpa

Woroch says that another great money saving app is CouponSherpa. She notes that this mobile coupon app give you instant in-store savings for popular retailers, including Macy’s, Best Buy, and Kohl’s. CouponSherpa is available for download on iOS and Android.

4

SavingStar

Available on both IOS and Android, SavingStar is a great app that lets you earn cash back when you take advantage of the deals they offer for most supermarket chains and warehouse stores like Sam’s Club, BJ’s, and Costco. You can cash in the money you earn through the app in the form of a gift card, through PayPal, or it can go straight back into your bank account.

5

Cartwheel

If you’re like me, most of your paycheck goes to Target. But with Target’s Cartwheel app, you can save on hundreds of items by scanning the barcode or looking up available sales or coupons. To save instantly in store, you can add all of your items through the Cartwheel app, including groceries, and any available coupons are added automatically to the app’s “Wallet” feature. At checkout, you scan the barcode in your “Wallet” to instantly save at the register.

Woroch says she also loves Target’s Cartwheel app because it can help you find additional in-store deals. The app is available for download for iOS and Android.

6

Hopper

Whether you are a chronic traveler or just planning your yearly vacations, Hopper is a great app that will help save you money on flights. You just plug in the routes that you want to fly, and Hopper will scan fares everyday until you find the lowest deal available. You can download Hopper on iOS and Android devices.

7

Qapital

One of the best savings and goals setting apps around is Qapital. The most popular feature of the app is that it rounds up the price of your purchases and then puts that extra change into a savings account. It also allows you to set goals like “Save for a rainy day every Sunday” or “Save for a trip whenever you eat out”. The goals and savings set up is fully customizable, FDIC insured, and you can download it for IOS or Android.

Check out Romper's new video series, Bearing The Motherload, where disagreeing parents from different sides of an issue sit down with a mediator and talk about how to support (and not judge) each other’s parenting perspectives. New episodes air Mondays on Facebook.