These holiday apps can help you save money

With the holidays coming up and inflation still rampant, people are going all out to save money this holiday season. Sometimes that comes from using the right technology to find the lowest prices. Other times, it means directly earning money on your purchases.

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Of course, you’ll want to develop good habits so that using the app becomes part of your routine. “Quick and easy is the name of the game in today’s world. In my experience, after a short period of using these apps, you don’t even think twice,” said Steven Schloesser, a savvy spender and owner of Just a Guy with a Tractor LLC and WideOpenApparel. co.

“If you’re going to spend money with no expectation of return and you can get a little back each time,” he said, “why not?”

Some of his favorite cashback apps include Fetch and GetUpside, but there are plenty of other choices to suit any shopper’s spending habits and lifestyle.

The app you choose may depend on whether you do most of your shopping online or in stores, and whether you also want an app to help you find deals or are happy with cashback savings alone. silver.

For example, if you opt for the popular Ibotta app, you can find savings virtually anywhere you look.

“When it comes to shopping online or in-store, the best way to shop depends on what’s on your list. If you’re shopping for gifts, the way to go is online and you can get up to 15% off at participating retailers throughout the shopping season,” said Richard Donahue, Chief Marketing Officer of Ibotta. “If you’re stocking up for visiting guests or hosting holiday gatherings, you’ll want to shop in-store for item-level grocery deals.”

Here are 10 of our favorites with some tips on how to maximize your comeback this holiday season.

Rakuten

Formerly eBates, Rakuten is one of the original and best-known cashback apps. The five-star app, which also has a website and a browser extension, offers cashback on online and in-store purchases.

Angela M., a customer from Long Island, New York, uses the app to shop online and claims to have received over $1,000 in cash back over the past 10 years of using the app. “Every time I place an order, I use Rakuten. Sometimes I search multiple stores to see which one has the most cash back. She says she often finds deals online at BJ’s and Target.

Other shoppers have earned up to $200 in cash back annually by using the app for travel and combining it with Expedia Rewards.

Rakuten also alerts you if the site you are visiting has the lowest price or if you can find it cheaper elsewhere. The browser extension also tests discount codes to apply available savings. “I love coupon codes for extra savings,” Angela M. said in a chat with GOBankingRates.

Be thrifty

In our search for the best cashback apps, we came across BeFrugal, which promises up to 40% cashback for top online retailers, as well as access to online coupons for places like Walmart and Walgreens.

It only takes a few seconds to open an account. Offers include up to 8% cash back at Amazon.com, 9% at Chewy and up to 19.5% at Sam’s Club. As with Rakuten, you can install an extension on your Chrome browser to find coupons and cashback offers.

Collect rewards

Introduced in 2015, Fetch Rewards is a relative newcomer to the cashback app space. Its easy-to-use interface requires no browser extensions to install or websites to remember. This is a mobile app where you can upload your digital or paper receipts and receive cash back for each.

“I chose Fetch over all the options because they don’t require you to click and navigate to different platforms or websites,” Schloesser said. “You do everything directly through the app.”

He remembers using the app by simply keeping an envelope in his truck where he stores all the receipts. “Making sure I keep them all in one place helps me keep my day moving and getting into the habit of sitting down and scanning all the receipts at the end of the day,” he said.

Ibotta

With over 40 million “savers” and partnerships with over 2,700 brands and retailers, Ibotta is another big name in cashback and savings apps. “Whether you’re shopping or giving gifts, Ibotta has a cashback offer for you this holiday season,” Donahue said.

Simply use the Ibotta website or app before shopping, add offers to your account, then shop to earn savings and special offers.

This year, Ibotta can even help you save on your Thanksgiving meal, with an offer to receive a free Butterball turkey and popular Thanksgiving side dishes when you unlock specific bonuses.

Donahue mentioned that Black Friday savings through Ibotta start early this year, starting Tuesday, November 1. electronics, homewares, jewelry and more from participating retailers,” he said.

He suggested that Savers establish notifications for essential items. This way, the extension will instantly alert you when items are restocked or are about to sell out or when prices drop. Notifications also allow you to view on-demand price comparisons. “We recommend that you always keep an eye on the app and Ibotta.com for deals and specials,” Donahue said.

CouponFollow

CouponFollow, one of the largest coupon destinations for online shoppers, joins Rakuten, Fetch Rewards, and Ibotta with a cashback program. But CouponFollow is primarily a coupon finder app that provides verified coupon codes to shoppers. Online coupons are a great way to cut costs on your vacation budget.

“CouponFollow’s Cently browser extension automatically tests and applies the best discount at checkout, so you don’t have to manually paste codes. Just download the free browser extension for immediate savings explained CouponFollow founder Marc Mezzacca.

On November 11, CouponFollow offers users a Double Cashback offer day, where you can earn double cash back from over 1,000 CouponFollow partner stores and websites. The money is deposited into your CouponFollow wallet and cashed out via PayPal.

“Starting your holiday shopping early is the best way to ensure you get the best possible deals by monitoring various sales, discount codes and promotions,” Mezzacca told GOBankingRates. “By starting early, the impact of holiday shopping may seem less heavy on your wallet.”

Brick search

Brickseek advertises that it allows users to “live life for half the price”. The name comes from the app’s ability to search for hard-to-find items and deals in physical stores. It has inventory checkers from stores like Walmart, Target, and Lowe’s. But it also shares deals from Amazon and other major online retailers. This app can not only help you save money, but it can also make your vacation shopping easier.

Honey

As GOBankingRates recently reported, Honey is a free browser extension for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Opera that automatically applies discount coupons to your shopping cart. The Honey website says users save an average of $126 per year at over 30,000 participating merchants. With 17 million users, Honey is clearly an easy way to save those holidays.

GetUpside

Whether you’re traveling long distances for vacation or just running errands around town, you’re paying more for gas than a year ago. Today, the average price of gas at the pump is $3.76, down from just $3.40 last year. That’s a significant drop from highs above $5 this summer, but it’s just an added cost for an expensive holiday season.

The GetUpside app gives you cash back on gas purchases. Schloesser, who says it’s one of two cashback apps he uses regularly, explains, “It’s really easy once you load your cards into your wallet on the app. You stop, claim the offer, choose the card you will use and check in. There is nothing easier than this to get a free refund.

Since he earns money for gas at the pumps year-round, the money can dent his holiday shopping or allow him to treat his wife to a date night.

Target

Anyone who buys from Target — and few people don’t — needs to download the Target Circle app to their phone. When you join Target Circle, you earn 1% cash back on every purchase. You can also access exclusive bonus offers like $5 off any purchase of $25 or more in toys.

When you buy Target online, you can stack your Target Circle cash back with apps like Rakuten and BeFrugal for even more savings.

Kohls

The Kohl’s app provides access to its coveted 20%, 30%, and 40% off coupons, plus additional savings. You can store your Kohl’s Cash in the app to redeem when available so you never lose savings. You can even link a payment method, like charging your Kohl, to the app and pay in the store through the app.

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Final remark

Which apps and browser extension you use depends on where you prefer to shop and what items you purchase. Choosing a few of these apps and using them consistently can lead to significant savings over the holidays and throughout the year.

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