The holidays are quickly approaching, which means for many it’s crunch time for booking flights and last-minute shopping. Fortunately with our phones we can easily do both with just a push of a button. Aside from being able to complete these tasks easily, I have found that there’s also quite a few ways one can keep extra money in our wallets through apps and other special offers by using our phones.
One of my favorite things to do (aside from writing, of course) is to find different ways to save money. After discovering Androids and iPhones, finding ways to save money has become significantly easier. I wanted to share with you guys some of my favorite apps for saving money!
GasBuddy: GasBuddy is great for those who do a lot of driving. Although gas prices as of late have been slowly decreasing (almost less than $3.00 here!) it’s still good to know where the best prices per gallon are located – no matter where you are. Whether you’re in your home town or out for business or vacation, you can always find where they sell the cheapest gas.
Shop Savvy: Shop Savvy is an app that you can use while you’re already at the store. All you have to do is use your camera to scan the barcode on the product in question, and prices will appear that let you compare between different local stores and online prices. It’s a bit of work but if you’re truly dedicated to paying the least amount of money you can for items, it will definitely come in handy for you.
Hotwire Hotels: H-o-t-w-i-r-e, Hotwire.com! Except not .com. It’s just an app on your phone. Many of you already know that when you plan to stay at a hotel, the prices can be outrageous for even one night. This app helps, even if you didn’t plan ahead, because as the commercial many of you have (or haven’t) seen explains: if somebody books a room for a hotel and cancels last minute, the hotel is losing money. At this point they’re willing to heavily reduce the price of the room so they can make some of that money back. The Hotwire Hotels app can let you know of the best deals in the area so you don’t have to pay full price!
Skype: Okay, this one might not be what most people consider “money saver”, but studies show that phone usage increases during the winter months (probably due to cold weather) and not everybody has unlimited minutes. Skype offers unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls, so as long as your buddy or family member has Skype you don’t even have to worry about wasting minutes. It does, however, use data so unless you are connected to a WiFi network, please make sure that you have a suitable (preferably unlimited) data plan so your bill doesn’t rack up regardless.
Groupon: Although this is last on my list, it’s certainly not least. Groupon is great for both supporting small businesses in your area and, of course, saving you money. Using Groupon has actually helped me to discover local businesses in the area that I probably would have never visited before. Groupon uses all sorts of deals ranging from restaurants, spas, retailers, and more. I recommend this app if you’re looking for a money saver and for something “new” to discover in your area.
There are certainly a lot more apps out there that can help you save money, and who can say no to free money? As a person always on the lookout for money savers, I want to ask you, readers, how do you use your phone to save money? Let me know in the comments!
