Budgeting and Shopping Apps to Save Money

We all like the idea of saving money, but talking about it and doing it are two different things. If you’d like to start actually saving some cash on the purchases you are making every day, why not get some help? Budgeting and shopping apps will help you save money every time you shop – whether it’s from home or in the store.

Budgeting Apps to Save Money

If you know the benefits of a budget, but have still shied away from actually making one, a budgeting app can help. Likewise, if you would like help setting up a good budget and then help sticking to it, budgeting apps can make this work so much easier.

Mint

Mint has been considered the premier budgeting app for quite some time. It takes your purchases and immediately categorizes them for you at the time of purchase. It give you a budget snap shot in real time, and it updates automatically after you link it to your financial accounts. You can also set your own categories to track the specific spending that matters to you.

YNAB

For the ultra-committed budgeter, YNAB (You Need A Budget) will help you track every single dollar of your spending. With YNAB, you are able to set your own budget categories and then your spending is automatically tracked through the app. Most importantly, the app helps you learn to live off the previous month’s income, spending only what you actually brought in – not what you expect to make.

Pocketguard

Want to know how much money you have left for spending? Pocketguard will let you do exactly that. This is a bare bones budgeting program that simplifies the budgeting experience for those who just want to know how much cash they have left for certain things. You can see how much is left after paying your bills or you can break it down into categories to see how much you have left for entertainment or new
clothes.

Shopping Apps to Save Money

You’re going to go shopping. So why not save money when you’re doing so? Shopping apps make it easy to save simply by pulling up the app and scanning it at check-out or making your purchases through the app to accumulate savings or track your spending to avoid spending more than you intended.

JoinHoney.com

Honey is an add-on for Chrome. It finds discounts on just about everything you’d like to buy, and also shows you the price history for the item you’re about to purchase. Once you install it to your browser it does just about everything for you – looks for discount codes, finds coupons, and gives you a head’s up if the price has recently gone up or down.

Rakuten.com

Once known as Ebates, Rakuten.com will help you save money in two ways. First, it will help you find discounts and savings on items in stores or online. Second, when you make a purchase through the app, it will automatically save you money through a cash-back program and add those funds to your account. Shop more and save more. Easy.

Snipsnap.it

Worried about forgetting your coupons? You can save them in your phone using SnipSnap.it. Simply use the app to take a photograph of a printed coupon and the app will help you find the mobile version of the coupon. Then it is stored in your phone and you’re able to just show the digital coupon at the register, or use the digital coupon easily online.

Dosh.com

Dosh is a simple way to get cash back on your purchases. There are no hassles required when you use Dosh. Just go through the app to make purchases or use the linked credit card with the app to save automatically. Link your card to the app. Buy as you normally would. Promotions and deals vary, but since they are with the companies you already use, you are likely to save no matter where you shop.

Coupons.com

Like to have coupons in hand or linked to your store card? Coupons.com will allow you do exactly that. Spend a few minutes on coupons.com before you go to the grocery store. When you scan your membership or store card, the coupons you just clipped will automatically be linked an scanned for you. You can save almost instantly on the products you’re already buying.

Saving money is about more than having a few extra bucks in your pocket. Healthy budgeting practices lead to healthy finances. If you have struggled with bad debt or a low credit score kept you from qualifying for personal loans when you needed them, you know how important it can be to manage your money well. Budgeting and money saving apps can help you spend the money you do have more wisely, which will also help you pay bills on time and clean up all of your finances.

Best of all, good financial practices become a good habit. And saving money is fun. In fact, you may enjoy your new budgeting and saving practices that you expand your efforts using other beneficial apps like Walmart’s Savings Catcher app, Target’s Circle app, or Camel Camel Camel for tracking deals and prices at Amazon and Best Buy. There are so many apps out there that can help you with your personal
finances. Why not give them a try?