When money is tight, a lot of us opt to go on a spending diet, but it doesn't always have to be that way. With technology and applications so readily available in today's society, there are many ways to save and earn money. Coupons and reward programs are plentiful when you know where to look.
RetailMeNot
This app offers a slick, all-in-one discount and coupon-hunting app with deals from more than 50,000 retailers and food offers from local and nationwide restaurants. Users can look up the best or most popular deals, receive personalized offers, and save a list of their favorite establishments so that the app can notify them of new offers. Categorized searches also allow you to look for just the right discount. Additionally, location-based features allow you to quickly search for deals at nearby shopping destinations, malls and restaurants.
Coupons.com
Coupons.com makes a living out of promotional coupons, and their app allows you to bring the savings straight to your smartphone. Thousands of promotional coupons and codes can be accessed to copy and paste, drag and drop, print out or add to your relevant loyalty cards. Notifications can be set to alert you of nearby deals when shopping, and you can also pull store information on nearby retailers straight to your phone.
Groupon
Groupon allows users to pre-purchase vouchers and deals that give them massive discounts on everything from food and goods to accomodations. The Groupon app allows users to buy and redeem their vouchers on their mobile device and track their voucher use, as well as enabling them to share their Groupon vouchers with friends and family through social media.
Slickdeals
Aggregating deals from all over the web, Slickdeals into a single place. Covering everything from electronics and clothing to groceries and local deals, there's a good chance that Slickdeals has it. Users can view featured deals and popular or local deals on the front page, or they can search and view by product category.
SnipSnap
Users who get a lot of physical reward coupons but can't organize them to save their life will love SnipSnap, an app that can be used to take a picture of a coupon to scan into a phone and then be displayed as an image, barcode or promo code. In addition to scanning your own coupons, you can share your coupons with friends and family or discover and download other coupon deals within the app. SnipSnap will even remind you of your coupons when you enter an applicable store, or warn you when a coupon's expiration date is coming up.
Rewards
CardStar
This is another excellent option for users looking to combine all of their coupons, loyalty, and reward cards into a convenient mobile package. Users can easily import their cards into the app using their device's camera, making for a hassle-free setup. In addition to storing their cards and details, CardStar also allows users to browse through thousands of deals, special offers and more from your favorite retailers, which you can then save to your phone for use.
Amazon Prime
Receive all of the benefits of Amazon Prime including FREE Two-Day Shipping for eligible purchases, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video, and the ability to borrow books from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library for $99 a year ($49 during the school year with a valid school email). Two-Day shipping comes in handy when it’s time to order school books.
Local Grocery Stores and Gas Stations: Companies not only send out online and in-store coupons, but also offer reward programs for spending money at those stores. Stores like Food Lion and Kroger offer coupons for your most bought items when you sign up for their loyalty programs and will go as far as to offer discounts on gas. Convenience stores such as 7/11 and CVS offer rewards and rebates for soft drinks and beauty products. 7/11 offers an app in which you can receive a free drink for every six purchased.
If you ever decide that you may need to go on a spending diet, try one of these methods first; it may help you to balance your money instead of not being able to spend any money at all.
