Best Money-Saving Apps of 2017 

 Check out these money-saving apps that will save you time and money, with little effort.

Ebates.com

Ebates.com gives you a percentage (%) of cash back for online purchases (and a few in-store purchases as well). Create an account on their website, choose where you are online shopping, and they will automatically calculate your savings once you make the purchase.  In fact, they send you a $10 gift card just for signing up. 

Cons: You can’t use the app with every store. Also, they are tracking your purchases (and probably selling the data).

Meal delivery services

I tried 2 meal services, Gobble and Blue Apron, and loved both. It was fun to change up the typical meal prep routine with different recipes and ingredients.  Most of the services offer a free first meal valued at $60-70.

Cons: You need to cancel after the free trial if you decide you don't want to continue the service, or they will send you meals the following week with a bill. From my experience, both services were easy to cancel. 

Cartwheel for Target

Cartwheel is an app you download to your phone from Target. When I first started using it, I thought it was too much work. I was scrolling through hundreds of deals and the number of items listed was overwhelming. Over time, I learned that a better approach was to simply scan the items in my shopping cart using their scan feature. The feature will tell you if an item has a coupon.  Even if I don't do that, I still scan my phone at the register because you  receive 10 points for every dollar spent. Once you get 5,000 points ($500 spent), you choose a free gift from a list of items. During my last trip, I accumulated 5,000 points and received a new cooking pan with a retail price of $20.

Cons: If you mostly shop at Target Online, you are out of luck.  It doesn’t work for online purchases...but you can use Ebates! 

AMC stubs card

The AMC stubs program is a loyalty program for AMC theaters.   You scan or swipe it for every purchase and earn points. I decided to join the AMC stubs "premier" membership, which costs $15 for a one year membership. They have a free option as well, but the benefits aren’t as good.  I earn 100 points for every dollar spent. Once you get to 5,000 ($50 spent) points you get an automatic $5 added to your card to spend on anything at AMC.  The other perks are free size upgrades on popcorn and soda, cheaper ticket prices on Tuesdays, and waived convenience fees when buying tickets online.

Cons: There is no downfall to getting the free card - it’s free! For the premier benefits, you have to use it enough to justify the membership cost. 

In summary, there are a lot of apps that help you save money and require minimal effort. Give these a try to decide which ones are worth your time, but don’t forget to cancel any free subscriptions you don’t want to continue. 

Planning Within Reach, LLC (PWR) is a fee-only and fiduciary wealth management firm offering one-time comprehensive financial planning, ongoing impact-focused investment management and tax preparation services in San Diego and nationwide. PWR is a woman-owned firm that specializes in busy professionals and impact investors. Planning Within Reach, LLC and their advisors do not receive commissions and do not hold any insurance licenses or brokerage relationships.