So much money is spent each year on items you do or don’t need.
Items that make you happy or items that make you happy for just a couple of weeks. And sometimes, you end up regretting how much money was spent on your shopping sprees.
But thankfully, there are apps that can put the money back into your wallet and make you feel a little less guilty about those headphones or new shoes you just bought.
These discount shopping apps are a great way to save money with their cash back, coupons, and alerts. So download a few of these money saving apps for shopping and see how much you can save this month!
Ibotta
How it Works:
Whether you’re looking for grocery stores, speciality shops, or something a bit different, this app is a great way save money.
Ibotta not only offers rebates on in-store purchases, but also online shopping cash back deals.
And with over 2,000 retailers to choose from, it’s a great app to have downloaded onto your phone.
Who it Works For:
Ibotta works for people with iOS and Android
Where to get It:
You can get Ibotta here.
Receipt Pal
How it Works:
Now this app is one of my favorites when it comes to getting rewards. All you have to do is take a quick picture of your receipt (or an e-receipt) and they’ll give you points (100 for every 4 receipts you get), and they can be from anything, not just from shopping.
So take those receipts from the clothing stores, the grocers, the gas station, and even fast food restaurants, and within a month or two, you can start earning awesome rewards, like Amazon gift cards or even gift cards (I’ve heard around $50) to restaurants. No actual cash sadly, but it will help you save money in other areas of life so you can make sure you’re on budget.
Who it Works For:
Receipt Pal works for those who have iOS and Android.
Where to get It:
You can get the Receipt Pal App here.
Shopkick
How it Works:
Shopkick is an awesome app that offers you kicks (their own name for reward points) for just walking into a store you’re going to shop at.
Just turn on your Bluetooth in settings, enable location services on your device, open the app at the store entrance and get your Kicks points. You’ll also get kicks for scanning items at the store, Kicks for credit card purchases, Kicks for receipts, and Kicks for inviting friends. Then you can turn in those Kicks for gift cards to your favorite stores.
Again, it won’t be actual cash, but if you’re already making purchases and going to stores you need to go to anyways, it’s great for saving you money in the future.
Who it Works For:
This app works for those who have iOS and Android.
Where to get It:
You can get the Shopkick app here.
RetailMeNot
How it Works:
Having this app is basically like having thousands of coupons to your favorite stores like Target, Sephora, J Crew, Bloomingdale’s, Footlocker, or Kohl’s (basically anything you can think of) right in your pocket or purse. You can save any coupons you want and they’ll notify you when they’re expiring.
No printing, just show your phone (with the coupon open on the app) at the register and the cashier will do the work for you.
Lastly, you can look for deals at the nearest stores so you don’t miss an opportunity to cut down costs. No more cutting coupons or hoping that the “deal” they have shown is actually a deal.
Who it Works For:
This app is available for those who have iOS and Android.
Where to get It:
You can get RetailMeNot here.
Rakuten
How it Works:
Plan on shopping online? Good. This is an app that allows you to shop at stores and get a percentage back from any purchases you make online (they also have promotions so that will give you even more money back).
Then every three months, they’ll send you your cash back via PayPal or check. Sounds like a great deal, especially around Christmas time!
Who it Works For:
The Ebates app works for those who have iOS and Android.
Where to get It:
You can sign up for Rakuten here.
There’s an app for nearly everything, and the creators of apps just love making things convenient for us. Especially when it comes to saving money and getting rewards for shopping.
Now you and I can feel a little less guilty when we go shopping for our home, birthdays, Christmas, or just for fun.
I hope these apps provide value to your life and shopping experience, and if you have any apps that you like that help you save money when shopping, let me know in the comments below!
Grace Moser is the author and founder of Chasing Foxes, where she writes articles to help women create a life they love in big and small ways. She's been a full-time traveler since 2016 and loves sharing her experiences and exploring the world with her husband, Silas. Her lifestyle and travel advice can also be seen on sites such as Business Insider, Glamour, Newsweek, Huffpost, & Apartment Therapy.