You probably spend a lot of time on your smartphone or mobile device. However, instead of posting a new photo or retweeting, wouldn’t it be great if your phone helped you save or even make some money for a change? Well, it can! There are numerous apps that can help you save a little bit of money on your everyday purchases; some will actually help you earn a little bit of cash on the side. Here are 7 great apps available for iOS and Android devices that can help you save or make some money starting today!
1. Ibotta
Ibotta (pronounced “I bought a”) is a great app that can help you save real money on groceries and other typical purchases. It’s free to sign up for an Ibotta account. After you download the mobile app, you can click on the “rebates” tab to see all the great offers currently available. Purchase the discounted items you want at your local store, take a photo of the receipt, and then email it. Ibotta will credit your account; once you’ve earned $20 or more, you can transfer the money saved to your PayPal account.
2. Amazon
Do you have the Amazon app linked to your Amazon Prime account? If not, you’re really missing out! With Amazon Prime, you can purchase tens of millions of items using the Amazon app, many of which will come with free shipping. In most cases, you can purchase the items you want and have them shipped, all with a single convenient click. Using the Amazon app can save you time and money you’d otherwise spend traveling to a traditional store. The reviews and information Amazon provides help you make informed purchase decisions as well.
3. Travelocity
Does work or play have you out on the road a lot? If so, you should definitely download the Travelocity app and start using it. Travelocity will help you plan a business or leisure trip from start to finish; you’ll be able to book a flight, reserve a hotel room, and rent a car, all in one sitting. Additionally, the Travelocity app will help you determine the most affordable options for your trip, as well. You’ll often be able to earn discounts and travel credits when using the app, too.
4. BookScouter
Do you own a bunch of hardcovers that are just taking up space on your bookshelves? Why not turn them into cash? Lucky for you, BookScouter can help you sell all those unwanted books! Just download the app and then scan the book’s barcodes using your smartphone. BookScouter will then display what several different book buyback companies would pay you for those dusty old books. Then, all you have to do is select an offer, get paid, and ship your old books to the buyer. Presto, you just earned some extra cash doing practically nothing, and have freed up some space on your bookshelves, too.
5. Foap
You probably take a ton of photos with your smartphone; everyone does. Why not get paid for them? Well, if you download the Foap app on your iOS or Android device, you can start turning those pics into cash today! Just take some photos, determine how much you want to be paid for each one, and then use the Foap app to upload them. Surprisingly, there are always a huge number people looking for all kinds of photos. Foap can help you connect to them and make money in the process.
6. Expensify
Expensify won’t earn you any money, but it can help you save a ton of cash that you’d otherwise lose track of when calculating your business expenses. Expensify helps you capture all your receipts and track your hourly rated paid time and business mileage. It then generates detailed expense reports. This app will help you precisely calculate all your business expenses, and all the money you’re owed for your hard work. Expensify will also save you a lot of time in the process, too, since generating these types of reports by hand can be tedious.
7. i-Say
Here’s another great app to help you make your idle time more productive. i-Say is a survey app offered by the market research firm Ipsos. i-Say allows you to participate in a variety of different types of surveys each day on your smartphone or mobile device. Once you complete a survey, i-Say rewards you with points. You can convert these points into cash via PayPal, or redeem them for gift cards from iTunes, Amazon, and other companies.
Download These Apps and Let the Savings Begin!
Your phone is already a big part of your daily routine; why not transform it into a tremendous financial resource for you as well? These seven apps can help you save money, track your expenses, manage your travel, and offload unwanted items at a profit; they can even help you earn a little extra pocket money in your idle time, too. So, what are you waiting for? Download these apps as soon as you can and put your phone to work!