Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
Put down the scissors and pick up your smart phone. While there are still plenty of savings to be found in the newspaper coupon inserts, a new crop of mobile apps is putting a twist on saving money.
Here are five hot apps that deserve a spot on your smart phone.
Some of the biggest buzz in this category has been for Ibotta. This app allows you to earn cash for grocery purchases. Before shopping, you select the offers you want to redeem. Then you purchase the product, snap a photo of the receipt and submit it for verification. Money earned through the app can be deposited into your Paypal account.
Ibotta offers typically require you to take a couple different actions to earn the full cash reward. For example, there is currently an offer for a 50 cents reward for buying Eggland's Best eggs. You become eligible for 25 cents by viewing nutrition information and another 25 cents by answering a one question poll. The app also offers special bonuses from time to time.
Endorse is similar to Ibotta. You select offers, such as 10 percent cash back on Yoplait yogurt or 20 percent cash back on SoBe beverages, and then go shopping. Upload your receipt to claim your cash. The app deposits your money into your Paypal account when it is time to cash out. You can also earn points that can be used to make charitable donations.
Unlike Ibotta, Endorse requires you to link up with a Facebook account. It will upgrade certain offers if you share the deal with your Facebook friends. For example, right now, the app is offering 20 percent cash back for purchases of Mountain Dew two liter bottles but that can be upped to 50 percent cash back if you share the offer on Facebook.
Have you ever found yourself at the mall wishing you had clipped the department store coupon from last Sunday's paper? These situations are exactly why SnipSnap was created. The app lets you scan in a coupon when you see it and then present it at the store for redemption later. SnipSnap will even alert you when you walk into a store if you have a coupon available for that location.
SnipSnap can be perfect for retailer coupons such as those you find in the JC Penney and Kohl's ads. However, the app cannot be used for manufacturer's coupons for grocery items since stores need the actual coupon to send in for reimbursement.
ShopKick is an app that rewards you for shopping at stores such as Best Buy, Old Navy and Sears. Users earn “˜kicks' for various actions such as walking into a store, scanning an item or making a purchase. Kicks can be redeemed for gift cards.
The app will use your phone's location to let you know where kicks are waiting nearby, a feature that is particularly handy for those times you are in the mall. Connect with your friends to make earning kicks even easier. Refer friends and ShopKick will match 50 percent of the kicks they earn in the first two weeks and deposit those in your account.
Target shoppers will be thrilled to take the store's new savings app, Cartwheel, for a spin. While the other apps are available via a download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, Cartwheel is a web-based app. However, you must have a Facebook account to use Cartwheel, and it can be accessed from your smart phone.
It is similar to the Meijer mPerks program in that it allows shoppers to clip digital coupons from their computer to be redeemed in the store. However, rather than punch in your phone number at checkout, as required by Meijer, Target has Cartwheel users present a barcode to be scanned. For those who don't have a smart phone, the barcode can be printed at home and brought to the store.
SavingsAngel is VIP-level savingsfor busy people.
The bestcouponerssave hundreds of dollars every month at the grocery store. However,couponerscanend up living very extreme lifestyles to get those savings. For over five years, SavingsAngel.com has equalized the playing field ““ giving extreme savings to busy families who don't have the time or ability to be a full-timecouponer. Each week, SavingsAngel.com's team of more than 70 angels combines over 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with an enormous database of over 2,000 different manufacturer coupons. These combinations result in our members getting access to over 300 products each week for 50% off or better. Simply log in, choose the deals you want, print or clip only the coupons you need, and save hundreds of dollars a month at regional and national stores. Our angels will personally work with you to craft a plan that will help you buy healthier food at lower prices ““ helping you keep $200 to $400 in savings each month.
