3 Free Apps That Help You Save Money

Words by Abbie Dyer on May 20, 2015 11:00:00 AM

Think about the rush you get when you find a bargain. The satisfaction of knowing that you saved some cash just for paying attention to sales is priceless. Most of us carry a phone wherever we go, so put it to work. Exercise your financial smarts and check out some easy-to-use tools that'll help you on your quest to score the best deal.

With our busy lifestyles, who has time to clip coupons and scour ten different sites for deals? Store apps are great, but there are even more ways to keep your cash. Here are some of our top picks for apps that help you save money and time.

Ibotta is fun to use and includes rebates from several national stores.
Checkout 51 offers cash back for brand name and general merchandise items.
Shopkick rewards you just for walking in the store. Scan certain items in the store to earn more!

Ibotta

This fun app gives you rebates for shopping in your favorite stores and even includes a few online retailers. The rebates are sorted by category and then by store, so you don't have to sort through a long list of items. Unlock the rebates you want by watching short videos, answering trivia questions and viewing recipes. Ibotta* offers rebates ranging from twenty cents to $20!

To get your cash, scan the barcode of the item you bought and take a picture of your receipt. You usually get a credit for your purchase in a few days. Then use the balance of your account to buy online or in-store gift cards or just get cash.

Checkout 51

Not only do you get cash for using this app, but you'll find recipes, healthy living tips and information about the products you buy. One nice feature about Checkout 51* is that you're not restricted to certain stores. The items that you can claim rebates on are listed by brand. You'll also find savings on general grocery items like milk and apples.

Make sure to keep your receipt because you'll need it to get your rebates. Take a picture of the receipt and select the products you purchased. You can redeem your savings once you have $20 in your account.

Shopkick

If you like scavenger hunts, you'll love the Shopkick* app. Get rewarded just for walking into a store. When you're in a participating store, open the app to claim your "Kicks" (it's like a point system) and earn even more for scanning specific items in the store. Besides collecting your Kicks, you'll also get offers to help you save money on your shopping trip.

If you want to maximize your rewards, hook up your debit or credit card to the app. You'll get extra rewards when you pay with that card. Then redeem your Kickbucks for gift cards, movies or even Facebook credits.

Who knew your phone could be the key to saving so much money. What are some of your favorite savings apps?

*Third party website. Lake Trust Credit Union is not responsible for the content, availability, security or compliance of any linked third party websites. In addition, the site's privacy policies may differ from those of Lake Trust.

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