Mobile Apps: Your Priceless Pocket Shopping Consultant
Mobile apps aren’t just for playing Angry Birds. No, they can help you save money, too. Here’s how to use the latest apps to comparison shop, find promo codes, and become a smarter shopper.
ShopSavvy
This app will help you keep tabs on whatever it is you’re looking for. Just tell the app what you want and it’ll tell you when you can get it at a discount. You can also see where and when the major sales are happening at big box stores.
It also works as a barcode scanner and SKU finder so you can tag items you find in the store but don’t want to buy just yet.
For example, let’s say you’re browsing a store and you find something you might want to buy, but not right now.
You can open this app, scan the barcode or SKU, and then the app will save it and tell you when it goes on sale.
BuyVia
If you have a techie friend or family member, you need this app. The company makes it for both iOS and Android.
BuyVia will compare prices at national and local outlets and tell you when you should buy based on alerts you set in advance. If you’re browsing a store and you’re not sure whether the product you’re eyeballing is being sold at the best price, you can scan it and get an answer from the app immediately.
The app also simplifies tech jargon for you and quotes reviews in all of the product descriptions, so it’s like getting a personal referral for a product, instead of a sales pitch.
Purchx
This is another app that you can scan items into and get pricing and product info. It doesn’t handle just tech items though. It can tell you about a wide range of products including groceries, electronics, movies, videogames, books, and appliances.
When you’re ready to buy, you can open up your web browser, navigate to the store with the lowest price, and snap up the deal. You can even use a Paytm promo code to save even more money if you’re shopping through an aggregation site like Paytm.
ShopAdvisor
When you buy can be at least as important as what you buy. And, this is where ShopAdvisor can come in handy. The app watches price changes so you don’t have to manage any of that on your own. Set up an alert so you know when an item reaches your desired price (you can tell the app what you’re willing to pay for it). You can scan products in stores, but also from magazines, too.
Walmart Savings Catcher
If you’re a Walmart shopper, you’ll want this app. After getting out of the store, you can use it to scan your receipt and compare prices you just paid with competitors’ advertised deals. If you find that you’ve paid too much for something, Walmart will gift you the difference on a Walmart rewards card. It’s one way that the company aims to undercut everyone else in the marketplace, and you get to the be winner every single time.
Luke Ingram loves to save money on everything he purchases, big or small. With his friends and family tired of hearing coupon talk, he has taken to blogging to share his frugal money saving tips with a wider audience.