10 Best Money Saving Apps to Help You Save on Daily Expenses

With the current inflation rate hovering around 8.5% at the end of July – that’s a nearly 40-year high – there’s plenty of reason to find new ways to save money. money and reduce daily expenses. The cost of food, for example, soared 10.9% in the 12 months to July, according to government data, while petrol prices soared 44.9% over the period. Yeah. “Your money isn’t going to stretch as far as it used to, so it’s good to try and save where you can,” said Chanelle Bessette, personal finance specialist at NerdWallet.

First, you might want to put your savings into a high-interest savings account – some accounts now pay 1.75% or more, and you can see the best savings account rates you can get here. Plus, “if you haven’t already budgeted your money, now might be a good time to start.” The first step is to see how you spend in different areas, then the next step is to see if you can spend less.

To help you cut some of those expenses and start saving, industry experts are here to weigh in on 10 of the savviest shopping apps on the market right now.

The most complete: BeFrugal

So you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, but you know you want to save? Be thrifty could be one of the most comprehensive savings tools available to help you. Download this one for free from your smartphone’s app store, or as a plug-in on your web browser, and connect to your PayPal, Direct Deposit, Venmo, Zelle, or any number of card- corresponding store gifts.

Once you’re set up, let BeFrugal automatically apply coupons and start earning from over 5,000 retailers like Macy’s, Lowe’s, and Best Buy, or just browse the homepage to save. At the time of writing, deals on the BeFrugal homepage included a large Vera Bradley duffel bag for $24, originally $119; a pair of Gap shorts for $4, originally $50; and the Lands’ End Vest for $6, originally $33. In addition to these insane offers, BeFrugal also offers cash back to use on future purchases, which are automatically charged to your account for later use.

You can see the best savings account rates you can get here.

Great for saving gas: Upside down

The last time gasoline prices climbed as fast as they did in the 12 months ending in June was in March 1980, when they rose 68.2% year over year. another, according to government data. Needless to say, everyone needs relief at the pump these days.

It’s there that Upside down It’s as easy as logging into any card you use to pay for gas and finding the nearest participating gas stations, as well as grocery stores and restaurants. Earn approximately $203 in cash back each year at participating gas stations, according to Upside down, and use your savings for future spending at one of the many affiliate stores. And while you’re spending, Upside down says it will donate 1% of all revenue directly to sustainability issues.

Great for grocery savings: Crate 51

Crate 51 started with groceries, but now it also offers cash back on gas. Like many savings apps on the market these days, Checkout 51 is based on a simple step-by-step process: download the free app from the App Store and Play Store, check every Thursday for updates and new offers, tap “Redeem” and check off items on your shopping list, upload your receipt after completing your purchase and collect your earnings. Once you have accumulated $20, you can cash out.

Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst at DealNews.com, said apps that offer real-money back like these are a huge savings advantage with prices still going strong across much of the country. “Saving on gas and groceries is a great way to reduce your daily expenses, especially with back to school and parents having to transport children to school and after-school activities anymore,” she said. declared.

Better to accumulate savings: Rakuten

Few savings apps have reached the level of a household name like Rakuten since its creation in 1997. And for good reason. This free app claims to offer cash back at over 3,500 stores, including Walmart, Old Navy, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and many more. So far, Rakuten claims its more than 17 million members have earned over $3.7 billion in total cash back.

So how does it work, you might be wondering? Simply create a free account and start shopping on Rakuten.com, the Rakuten app, or use their web browser extension. As you search for what you’re looking for, Rakuten gives you the option to build up your balance and get paid by check or PayPal.

Ramhold recommends Rakuten, and of course the DealNews app, as one of its best savings tools. “Cashback rates can be lower most of the time, but sometimes Rakuten offers perks like triple cashback during special events; Either way, if you use it regularly, the cash back adds up and it can definitely help reduce the overall cost of your purchases,” Ramhold said.

Ideal for simple cash back: Ibotta

Get cash back every time you shop – at least that’s the promise that comes with the savings app Ibotta. This shopping tool has partnered with 2,700 brands and retailers ranging from grocery stores and clothing companies to electronics brands and wine or beer retailers to bring some of the great deals to consumers. The company claims to have paid out more than $1.2 billion in cash rewards to its more than 40 million users since its inception in 2012.

“Keep an eye out for special events to boost those savings too – this year we saw a summer-themed event as well as a back-to-school event, both of which offered additional discounts on popular products,” Ramhold said.

You can see the best savings account rates you can get here.

Other good savings choices:

PayPal Honey

Add that app or browser extension, continue with your usual shopping routine, and PayPal Honey will work with you to connect your shopping cart with available codes and savings. Today, the app’s network has grown to more than 30,000 online stores with a growing membership base of 17 million users, according to the company.

“I really like using Honey when shopping online because the app aggregates promo codes from its users, which can sometimes lead to huge discounts,” Bessette of NerdWallet said. “I got 20-30% off in some cases.”

Collect the rewards

Using Collect rewards is as easy as taking a photo of your receipt and earning points for free gift cards. This app also chooses which brands and products to feature to add extra points to your balance. Use its tracker to track your expenses and help create a budget.

Shopping expert Andrea Woroch says she’s found this particular app helpful on several fronts and suggests researching deals before shopping. “Check the specials section before you shop to see which brands can get you more receipts, so if you’re not married to a specific brand, consider switching to get more cash,” Woroch said.

ShopSavvy

Available on your smartphone, as well as a browser extension for Chrome, Edge, and Safari; ShopSavvy offers users several useful savings tools such as price comparison, alerts for new savings and price drops, and price tracking at thousands of retailers. The company has been around since 2008 and claims to have been downloaded some 40 million times.

“For online shoppers, get PriceBlink on your browser because this extension will notify you when an item you’re looking at online is available on another site at a lower price,” Woroch suggests. “It’s very useful because they can direct you to a website you wouldn’t have thought of visiting before and the savings can be quite significant. ShopSavvy now also has a browser extension but I haven’t used it yet .”

CouponCabin

When you download CouponCabin, whether on your phone or as a browser extension on your desktop, you’re joining what it claims to be its base of over 13 million members. Since its inception in 2003, CouponCabin has developed partnerships with over 6,000 stores and retailers, including Target, Macy’s, Nike and Home Depot. VIP members can also earn an additional 12% cash back on over 120 gift cards available. Cash payments here can be accepted by check, Paypal, Venmo, ChasePayments, or an Amazon.com gift card.

RetailMeNot

Never miss an offer again with the RetailMeNot Deal Finder app and browser extension. Browse this free shopping tool and let the algorithm automatically find the offers and promo codes to apply to your purchases. Some of the best deals at the time of writing include a 20% coupon at buybuy Baby, a free gift set with any $35 purchase at Sephora, and 50% off a portable Mophie Air starter set at HSN.