5 Handy Discount-Finding Apps

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There’s an app for just about everything, from yoga workouts to Star Wars lightsaber sound effects.

There are also tons of shopping-related apps, and we’ve written about many. Often they’re not as useful as they first seem, but a few good ones become indispensable money-savers. At least with the free ones, they’re worth giving a try to see if they help save your time or cash.

Business Insider dug through the digital pile and came with some it thinks are worth the effort:

  • Decide for iPhone. This lets you set price alerts for products you’re interested in buying when they become cheaper. It also serves up product recommendations, price comparisons and user reviews.
  • RetailMeNot for iPhone or Android. The phone version of RetailMeNot, like the website, rounds up coupons and discounts and sorts them by store. It’s searchable, but also alerts you when nearby stores have posted discounts on their websites that you can use online or in the store.
  • RedLaser for iPhone or Android. This is one I personally have put in the indispensable category. It scans barcodes (more quickly than other apps I’ve tried) and checks the prices at retail websites and nearby stores. Some people prefer Amazon Mobile or ShopSavvy, which have similar functionality.
  • Goodzer for iPhone. Not sure who sells something? Ask this app. It can check a database of more than 2 million items to see if nearby stores carry it, and gives you the price along with directions.
  • CardStar for iPhone or Android. This app is designed to get rid of extra plastic in your wallet. It lets you save the barcodes on your store reward/loyalty program cards. Nice if you tend to forget cards at home or don’t have them tied to your phone number where the cashier can look them up.

Do you use apps to find discounts? What are your favorites? Let us know on Facebook.

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