SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — I discovered some apps that can help you save… when dollars count. From gas to clothes, electronics to groceries prices appear to be ballooning.
To keep up - many shoppers could use a little help navigating Metro Detroit’s inflation.
“Are there some apps that can make lives easier?” asked WXYZ’s Brian Abel.
“There are. I would not go shopping without first downloading the shop savvy app. It's basically what I use any time I'm in a retail store looking for electronics or even clothes. It lets you scan items with a barcode scanner, and it actually lets you know if there's a lower price for a similar item,” said Kim Palmer of Nerd Wallet.
“Another potential fiscal lifesaver, FLIPKART,” said Tobie Stanger of Consumer Reports.
“It actually has the old school circulars right there in the app. Or you can actually click on the store and see what specials and what coupons they have,” added Stanger.
“So, whether it's Target or Wal-Mart, a lot of these stores have their own apps, and that's the way to get the lowest prices,” said Palmer.
“If you forget your phone, or don’t have the right app while shopping, there’s apps for that too called cashback apps,” she added.
“Cashback apps work really well because all you have to do is really just put in your receipt, upload it, and then everything gets done for you and you get paid for things that you are going to buy anyway,” said Gina Zakaria of SavingWhiz.
“Are there any examples of that?” asked Abel.
Yeah, Ibotta is one of the big ones that also fetch rewards. Those are the two popular ones, and Fetch Rewards is actually one of my favorites,” said Zakaria.
“For clothes and electronics and things like that, I usually use Rakuten. So, it's a great way for you to have cash back on the stores that you shop at anyway. And they have a lot of different percentages, depending on the stores,” said Zakaria.
And it makes it a lot easier for you to not only shop online but there are ways that you can shop in-store and still get that cash back, which is really convenient.
“Lastly, if you’re shopping from home. the Honey app my help,” said Palmer.
“It's a browser extension, so basically, it's running in the background. If you're a big online shopper, it's a huge tool to help you save money because it lets you know if there is a lower price at another store. It also automatically applies coupon codes that you might not have been aware of, and so it can save you a lot of money.
Similarly, if you're someone who shops on Amazon the Camelizer browser extension is really helpful because it gives you a price history and lets you know if today a good time is to buy.
Another inflation savings tip: check your credit cards if you have any. Often, they offer an app or service to look for discounts and deals.
