Saving money is always necessary; however, once I came to college, I realized that I had to save a lot more and spend much less. I've tried different ways of saving money—from collecting coins in a jar to not buying anything for a week. Once I found out about these money-saving apps, saving my money became much easier and more fun. Now I don't feel bad about going to Target multiple times a week.
1. Cartwheel, by Target
Target is one of my favorite stores. Where else can you go in looking to buy toilet paper and come out with a shower curtain, ice cream, coffee, a swimsuit, shampoo, DVDs, a vacuum and, if you’re lucky, toilet paper too? I frequent Target at least three times a week, and when I found out about the Cartwheel app, I was ecstatic. Cartwheel is available for both iPhone and Android and allows you to save on a myriad of products throughout Target. Simply browse their offers menu, which has deals in food, clothing, cleaning supplies, toys and more. When you find an offer that you would like, you simply add it to your barcode, which is a digital barcode that the cashier scans at checkout. Your savings add up over time, so you’ll always know how much money you have saved! Saving has never been so easy.
2. Shopkick
Shopkick is another app that works on both iPhone and Android, in which you accumulate points or “kicks." There are many ways in which you can go about receiving kicks. By walking into certain stores, such as Target, American Eagle, Macy’s, Sports Authority and Walmart, you can receive kicks if you have the app open on your phone. You can also receive kicks by scanning certain in-store products with the camera on your phone, or by linking your credit or debit card to your Shopkick account. Once you have enough kicks, you receive an electronic gift card to use at a partnering store of your choice. For example, if you accumulate 500 kicks, you receive a $2 gift card from Target, and if you accumulate 1,250 kicks, you receive a $5 gift card from Starbucks. Not only do you receive free gift cards, but Shopkick also tells you about sales that stores are having. This app is basically giving you free money!
3. Pocket Points
This app, available for iPhone and Android, could not make receiving discounts any easier. All you have to do is open up the app and lock your phone during class to start racking up points. The app knows when you are on campus, and urges you to lock your phone while in class. Once you’ve been rewarded a certain number of points, you can redeem them at many local restaurants and businesses, as well as online retailers. Not only do you receive discounted (and sometimes free!) food with this app, you will also be more focused on what is happening in class. Your report card and your wallet will be thanking you.
4. RetailMeNot
RetailMeNot, available for iPhone and Android, brings all your favorite stores and their deals to your fingertips. You can make a list of your favorite stores, and the app will compile a list of sales and/or coupons that each company currently has. You can set up the app to notify you when your favorite stores are having sales so you never miss out on a good deal! Make sure you have RetailMeNot open on your phone next time you go shopping, and start saving!
