Almost everyone seems to have a smart phone these days, and it’s easy to see why. Having the world at your fingertips is certainly useful, and the plethora of handy apps that are available for them just keep growing and growing. Increasingly, smartphone and tablet users are beginning to manage their finances through their phones by using apps such as on-the-go banking and budget planning. Additionally to this, it’s now becoming easier to save money through using apps such as these:
My Supermarket Mobile
This app allows you to see if you’re able to get your shopping cheaper at a different supermarket. If you’ve got the time to spend checking your weekly shop then this could save you quite a lot of money. You scan the barcode of the item in question and the app will tell you if another supermarket is selling it cheaper or as part of a deal. The supermarkets currently included within these checks are Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Asda, which obviously isn’t an exhaustive list, but more supermarkets may be added as the app grows. As well as scanning products for an idea of what they’re selling for elsewhere, you can also access deal information through the app. If a supermarket has a money-off deal or a 2 for 1 promotion going on, then you can search through these on a daily basis to see if any of your regular buys are featured.
0870
0870 and 0871 numbers are some of the most expensive phone numbers that you can dial, but many companies use these as a main contact. You could be paying up to 10p per minute to use these numbers, and because you may be kept on hold for a long time, this can add up to a considerable phone bill at the end of the month. 0870 for iPhone and SayNoTo0870 for Android both allow you to type in the number in question and then they’ll (hopefully) provide you with a cheaper alternative number for that company.
Vouchercloud
This app allows you to access money off deals on the go, and could save you a lot of money when shopping on the high street or when eating out. Once you download the app, it uses GPS to find the best deals close to you. You can search for specific places or products, and all you’ll have to do is to show the deal on your smart phone screen to the person you’ll be paying in order to get the deal. Examples include 2 for 1 meal deals, 25% off bills in certain restaurants, £5 off when you spend £30 in selected clothes shops and 2 for 1 deals on cinema tickets to name a few.
Fuel School
This app uses GPS to analyse how you drive, and provides tips on how to curb your fuel usage, which is useful in a world where fuel prices are rising at eye-watering rates. The app lets you know if you could save fuel by driving in a different manner and also provides tips on how to maintain your car in order to get the most miles out of every tank of fuel.
Nosey Parker
Nosey parker is another app that utilises GPS to save you money. When driving somewhere for a day out, check the app beforehand and it will tell you the cheapest places to park, with a lot of the options being free parking spaces. The maps are clear and there are usually plenty of options that work out much cheaper than your usual shopper’s car park. This could help you to plan your day more easily and save you hundreds ever year.
Quidco
The Quidco mobile app acts much like the vouchercloud one, except it provides some noticeable extras. When you register with Quidco and download the app, it automatically shows you where you could be earning money and cashback deals. In some cases, you’ll be paid a certain amount just for walking into a shop and ‘checking in’. These amounts can vary from 5p to 60p, but if you’re passing by anyway, then you could be earning something for nothing – there’s no obligation to purchase anything at the shops you check into. The app will also let you know which stores are participating in cashback schemes where, if you use the debit card you registered to Quidco with to buy something, you’ll receive cashback on what you bought. This amount varies from shop to shop, but it could earn you anything from 2% to 7.2% back on your everyday purchases.
Smartphones and tablets are a brilliant resource for saving and making money, and this is just a selection of the apps available. Keep your eyes peeled for new apps which can benefit benefit you and do your research to ensure that you’re getting the most out of every app.