There are a number of important factors to consider when choosing a money saving app, so before you rush for the best looking one on the {app store} shelf, think about how it can easily save you money on things you would buy anyway.
After trying out a handful of these types of apps, I settled on Ibotta and Rakuten for saving money. For me, they have the perfect balance of simplicity and reliability.
The most important takeaway from this article, I believe, is that I strongly encourage you to not purchase an app that’s supposed to save you money in the first place.
A credible app isn’t likely to charge you for the app itself.
Also, you’re sharing your shopping experience with these apps, so you want to be sure they’re reputable.
What to Look for In a Great Money Saving App
What other factors should you look for? Here are some things to consider:
- Ease of navigation. Some of the apps are just super confusing to me.
- Simplicity to complete a rebate. I have tried apps that seemed to make you jump through unnecessary hoops to receive the rebate. I felt like they were trying to make it hard to actually get money back.
- How you receive your money. They all seem to do it differently. Some offer checks mailed to you, gift cards, etc. Not necessarily a bad thing, but we all have preferences for what seems best.
- Online shopping options. Consider how you shop for groceries, clothes, everything. Some apps are more suited for some categories than others. If you shop online for groceries and have them delivered or have curbside pickup, see if that’s covered.
I use Ibotta for groceries/pharmacy/household products primarily (think: Walmart, CVS, Target) and Rakuten for everything else.
We even got a $10 rebate from Rakuten for our Disney+ subscription! How cool is that?!
If you have questions about how to get started with either app, email me at mary {at} kennedyfamfive {dot} com.