No snipping necessary, best coupon apps to save you money

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – No scissors or snipping involved. Saving money with coupons is now easier than you might have imagined.

“Couponing can save you money almost every time you go shopping,” said Kimberly Palmer.

Kimberly Palmer is a Personal Finance Expert for NerdWallet and helped create a list of the best free coupon apps to use. With the price of groceries up 13% since last year, Palmer recommends using Flipp.

“Basically, you download the app and enter your zip code and it pulls up all the grocery coupons for that week, so you can actually plan your grocery list around where the deals are,” explained Palmer.

Once in the app, you pick your favorite stores and weekly staples. Then, Flipp pulls together coupons based on your selection.

Coupons.com is another app that makes grocery shopping easy and more affordable. Palmer said it gives you access to hundreds of coupons from dozens of stores.

“Coupons.com basically collects all of the coupons in the stores you might shop at so you don’t have to do that work of sorting through newspaper circular. It pulls up all those coupons inside the app and it also just makes it easier to go to the store. You don’t have to carry anything with you, other than your phone. Just open the app with you at the store, scan any coupons at checkout,” said Palmer.

If you have a certain item you’d like to buy but want to make sure you’re getting the best deal, Palmer recommends ShopSavvy.

“ShopSavvy is actually one of my favorites because basically, because whenever you’re in store shopping, you pull up the shop savvy app and it has a barcode scanner, you scan the product you’re looking at and it actually tells you if that is the lowest price or if there is a lower price down the street at a different store.”

Honey also helps you track down the best deals per item, but Palmer said it’s best used for online shopping.

“You download the Chrome extension onto your browser and it basically means it’s running in the background whenever you’re online shopping and it will actually pop up and tell you, ‘Hey I see this product is in your cart, it’s actually at a lower price at another online retailer, so why don’t you check that out instead?’”

She continued, “It also pulls in coupon codes for you so you don’t have to do that search on your own. It also automatically applies extra discounts so it’s actually a really good way to get those extra discounts, it’s a really good tool for holiday shopping.”

Whether its weekly grocery shopping, or a special splurge, Palmer promises big savings with little effort.

“If you’re willing to invest that extra time it takes, you can generate significant savings.”

NerdWallet also recommends the following apps:

• The Coupons App
  • Features: The Coupons App congregates deals, coupons and promo codes from over 100,000 retailers. Use it to create a list of your favorite retailers, browse store and restaurant deals, and check out weekly ads (when you enable your location). The app can also help you scope out the cheapest gas prices near you, and we’re all trying to save a little on gas these days. It also lets you view daily Groupon deals based on your location and receive product discounts on Amazon.
  • Works well for: Shopping and dining, gas purchases
• Target (with Target Circle)
  • Features: Target’s app asks users to input their favorite Target store location to browse local deals and see the weekly ad. The app also includes Target Circle, formerly called Cartwheel, a rewards program that lets shoppers earn 1% back on in-store and online purchases. You can redeem your Target Circle earnings on future purchases. Add offers to your list in the app, then enter your mobile number at the register to have the coupons applied to your transaction. When shopping in-store you can also use the barcode scanner feature to see prices, product reviews and deals.
  • Works well for: Target shoppers
• CouponCabin
  • Features: The CouponCabin app congregates a variety of offerings, including coupon codes for online shopping, coupons that can be downloaded for in-store shopping and freebie offers. Browse available deals at retailers such as Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Target, Petco and Hobby Lobby. You can also earn up to 20% cash back on online purchases from more than 3,500 stores. Plus, access some member-only coupons.
  • Works well for: Online and in-store shopping
• Dosh
  • Features: Dosh stands out for its ability to apply savings to purchases beyond your typical retailers. For example, users can book through the app with thousands of hotels and earn up to 40% cash back on select stays. You set up Dosh and then savings are applied to your linked debit or credit cards, when you shop at places like Sephora, Walmart and Instacart. Dosh can be used for in-app and in-store purchases, and you can redeem your cash back rewards once $25 accrues in your account.
  • Works well for: Travel, dining and general shopping

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