The 7 Best Money-Saving Coupon Apps
They'll let you grab bargains on groceries, restaurants, clothes and more
(This article previously appeared on Grandparents.com.)
When it comes to banking cash on products you love, couponing is still the way to go. Happily, mobile phone apps make it that much easier.
The best apps include "a large variety of offers and many participating retailers," says Stephanie Nelson, a.k.a. The Coupon Mom. Below are seven of our favorites, posing top bargains, easy interfaces and a good selection.
Oh, and don’t forget: For the very best savings, Nelson advises shoppers to use apps in conjunction with paper coupons, "because app savings can usually be applied on top of coupons used."
(MORE: 27 Ways to Trick Yourself into Saving Money)
Ibotta is essentially an instant rebate machine and one of the most popular coupon apps around, thanks to its “many offers, many retailers” in a variety of categories, Nelson says. Simply choose a few products from Ibotta's list (updated weekly), and then complete a short, related task (take a survey, watch a video, etc.). Afterwards, go shopping and take a picture of your receipt as proof of purchase. Payments come in cash or self-selected gift cards, and the desktop site provides an excellent run-through of the app itself, which is simple to use.
(MORE: 7 Money Apps to Simplify Your Financial Life)
Coupon Mom is a big fan of SavingStar. To begin, link the app with your supermarket and drugstore loyalty cards. Then, check out a list of available savings (which insiders say are comparatively excellent). Finally, purchase your items. Payment thresholds are only $5, and you can choose to have the money sent to your bank account, received through PayPal or forwarded directly to a charity.
Whenever you shop anywhere, whether it’s online or at a brick-and-mortar store, go to RetailMeNot first. The discount juggernaut offers more than 500,000 bargains at over 50,000 retailers, which you can customize to your geographic location and then keep in a favorites list. Best of all, there’s no forethought involved. Simply saunter into a store, look up the coupon and have the cashier scan it directly from your device.
(MORE: Tired of Feeling Poor?)
Uncomplicated, and frankly, kind of amazing, SnipSnap allows you to take a picture of a paper coupon, and then, “magically recognizes all the text and images and turns it into a mobile-ready offer.” So, when you show up at checkout, all you have to do is show the cashier your phone. The only drawback: It's currently for retailer coupons, only (stores, restaurants, local businesses, etc.), meaning manufacturer’s coupons — like the kind you use at the grocery store for individual products — won’t work. However, reviewers are overwhelmingly thrilled with the app, which saves them, according to SnipSnap’s CEO, about $40 a week.
Though it’s most useful for building shopping lists, what sets Grocery IQ apart is its ability to quickly grab coupons that match your items on your list. The app draws its deals from Coupons.com and automatically downloads them to your supermarket loyalty card, or allows you to print them out. It’s most helpful for folks who tend to stick to the same products in the same stores, though constant updates and a wide selection of discounts make it useful anytime.
You can use coupons for discounts. You can use circulars for discounts. Or, to save the most money possible, you can use them both together.
Though it’s not the best-looking app we’ve listed here, Grocery Smarts does that hard work for you, by matching coupons with weekly sales at five major chains (Target, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and Walmart). While somewhat limited in scope, it may be the best choice for hardcore couponers, especially if you tend to shop at those stores.
Learn more about Grocery Smarts.
Grandparents.com is a lifestyle website, social media community & peer group that unites & connects America's 70 million Grandparents to the best information and premier products & services just for them. Our goal is to promote well-being and give timely information on what really matters to you, from health and money to family and relationships to travel and retirement.
