We all look for ways to find great deals on everyday items. After all, nobody wants to pay full price when an app can help you find a discount.
So the next time you get ready to shop, why not try out some of the best deals apps to save you a few dollars on items you will be purchasing anyway?
(I’m an affiliate for them where possible, and the apps below are great ways to get deals in all cases.)
1. PayPal Honey
If you like saving money at Amazon and entering discount codes on random sites when you checkout online, Honey is another good deals app. Honey will automatically apply the best checkout code on any site when you are ready to pay to save you money. Very handy! It’s my favorite deals app by far.
And when you shop on Amazon, they will also scour the third-party listings and will notify you when you can potentially buy the same product for less from a third-party Amazon merchant.
Finally, Honey has a unique twist on cash back rewards for online shopping. Honey awards you a bonus depending on the products you buy. The only catch is that it is a mystery which products will yield cash back rewards as each store has different agreements with Honey.
It is possible to earn anywhere from 1% to 100% in Honey Rewards that are payable as an Amazon gift card, other gift cards, and now cash via PayPal.
You can sign up for Honey right here – it’s super easy to use.
2. Fetch
Fetch is another great rewards app for your phone that I’ve gotten in the habit of using.
It works like this: you buy something at a store (or online, if you’ve connected to that) and then snap a photo of the receipt in the app. You’ll automatically get points for every receipt, plus extra points for certain products if you happen to buy those. Then you can exchange those points for a huge variety of gift cards.
It’s very easy to do! And if you use my link to join, you’ll get bonus points as well once you’ve snapped your first receipt.
3. Rakuten (formerly Ebates)
Rakuten is a shopping portal that can get you cash back at over 2,000 online stores.
You can also get cash back when you make an in-store purchase at over 30 retailers too. Rakuten gives you a flat rate reward on your entire purchase,
The primary way you can save money with Rakuten is by opening a shopping session through the app. You will earn cash rewards on all items purchased through that shopping session.
For example, Rakuten might offer 3% cash back at Kohl’s in addition to the regular store savings. If you spend $50 at Kohl’s, you will get $1.50 in Rakuten rewards that are payable by check or PayPal when your balance reaches $5. Sign up for Rakuten here!.
4. Ibotta
Ibotta lets you save money grocery shopping and also at retail, convenience stores, pharmacies, and restaurants. To start saving money, you need to activate the digital offers before you shop. You will receive the rebates once you send a copy of your receipt or link your store loyalty card to Ibotta. Sign up right here and start saving today!
You can even get cash back on online purchases at Amazon when you shop through Ibotta. Once your balance is $20, you can withdraw your cash rewards by PayPal, Venmo, bank account, or gift card.
5. The Amazon App
Downloading The Amazon App can help you find savings on the go. This app is just the mobile version of the online behemoth, but, it syncs with your wish lists and shopping history and can easily tell you when you can buy an item for less on Amazon than your local retail store. The Amazon App is free to use.
6. Giving Assistant
Another top-notch cash back portal is Giving Assistant. They offer many of the same cash back rates as Rakuten does and they also have an option to automatically input every known discount code to reduce the purchase amount. One unique twist to Giving Assistant is that shoppers earn cash back (just like with Rakuten or RetailMeNot) that they can donate to literally any U.S. nonprofit—even small ones at work in their own communities! Donating is optional, of course. They can keep all their cash back OR they can donate anywhere from 1% to 100% of it.
7. Brad’s Deals App.
If you’d like hand-picked promotions, sales, and coupons, Brad’s Deals is just the ticket. They’ve been around since 2005 and cover a HUGE number of categories, so you’re likely to find good deals on all kinds of things. You can set deal alerts for whatever you’re looking for as well, and you’ll be notified when their editors find those items.
You can use them on the web, iPhone, or Android, so it’s super convenient. One of their Apple reviews describes it as “The THRIL OF THE HUNT without all the work.” — so you’re likely to find things you sale you might not have even known you wanted. Which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on what you’re looking for :)
8. RetailMeNot
The RetailMeNot app can easily make it possible to find the best deals from over 50,000 retailers and restaurants. You have the option to view retail savings based on your current location by looking at an overhead map. And, you can also browse individual store sales in-app too. To save money in-store, show the coupon to the cashier or activate the online shopping session to shop on your phone from the comfort of your home.
9. Gift Card Granny
Another way you can save money shopping is buying discounted gift cards. Gift Card Granny is a gift card search engine that will show you the best prices for the store or restaurant you want. You might be able to find gift cards to Best Buy for 5% or Amazon for 2% off. While buying gift cards might not technically buying an item on sale, it can still be an easy way to save money on items that are rarely discounted.
A second advantage of shopping with Gift Card Granny is that you earn Granny Rewards that can be redeemed for free gift cards by simply using the app, opening their e-mail newsletter, and buying gift cards through Gift Card Granny.
10. The Krazy Coupon Lady
The Krazy Coupon Lady is a go-to site for extreme couponing and finding the best shopping discounts. The app will give you coupons for retail stores and manufacturer coupons that can be redeemed at any store. They even have a section where staffers and other community members share their recent shopping deals.
If you are new to waiting to shop for items on sale, Krazy Coupon Lady also has a guide on how to get started saving money with coupons and looking for specials.
11. Craigslist
One of the best ways to save money shopping is to buy used, and an easy way to shop secondhand is with Craigslist. Almost all everyday items are sold on Craigslist – including computers, vehicles, movies, books, and kitchen gadgets. Sometimes people sell items because they needed to declutter, upgrade to a better model, or just no longer need or want it. It’s not uncommon to find items that are barely used that sell for notably less than retail. (Just remember to stay safe when meeting up with folks – some towns have designated spots where you can meet up with folks from Craigslist.)
Grab a deals app and start saving!
Mobile apps have made it easier than ever to find great deals on items you use every day. Whether you want to buy from a specific retailer or happy to buy used from an online classified, you can find more savings by taking a few minutes to look for a deal.
The best part of using apps is that you can find these savings anywhere with an internet connection and have the ability to instantly spot a deal.
Did you like this post? Save it to Pinterest or share it on social media.
