Coupons Can Be Fast and Easy With These Apps
Contrary to what reality shows say , coupons shouldn’t be overwhelming. No need to dive into the trash can for brochures or spend 20 hours a week clipping. Here are some of the best apps to save money quickly and easily with coupons.
The Washington Post took up the topic recently, listing CouponMom.com as one of the best sites to get rid of coupons. The site lists all the products that are sold every week in most major grocery stores, drugstore chains and supermarkets. It also lists coupons and money back offers for the same items on sale, so you can save money by doubling your coupons (the site also has links to print them online).
As aformer coupon editor , I can attest that this is a very user-friendly site. I used it to find certain coupons in my Sunday newspaper so I didn’t have to go through and cut. However, cutting of any kind takes a long time. Sure, you can save a few cents here and there, but it still takes time to research, cut or print the coupons, and then don’t forget to take them to the store with you. Your efforts may be worth it, but there are more convenient (and still free!) Options.
Store Branded Apps : Most major stores and retailers like Ralph’s ( Android / iPhone ) and Target ( Android / iPhone ) have their own apps that allow you to link your loyalty card to your store. You can view coupons and other offers in the app and then download them digitally to your card. Discounts are applied automatically when you issue a ticket and the cashier looks at your loyalty card.
Coupon Sherpa: My personal favorite coupon app is Coupon Sherpa ( Android / iPhone ) because it doesn’t require hunting or cutting. It tells you what coupons are available in the store and online, and the coupon will be displayed right in the app. You can just show your phone to the cashier and they will either scan it or enter a code. I usually just open the app when I’m in line at any store (most of the major retailers are included), search for a store, and then get all of my savings.
Honey : Honey is my favorite online coupon tool. Instead of manually searching the internet for coupon codes when you checkout, you can download the Honey browser extension and then simply click its icon at checkout. It will automatically scan the coupons and apply the best one. This does not work for all retailers, but it does work for the large ones.
Coupons tend to get a bad reputation because it takes too much time and effort to pay out, but this is not always the case. You can save a little more when cropping or printing, but there are several other solutions to help you save money automatically.