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Best Money Apps for 2024
Did you know you can use your smartphone to save and even EARN money? Here are 17 of the best money making apps and saving money apps for Moms.
By using these free money apps you’ll quickly be able to make thousands extra with your phone.
Want all the juicy details? Keep reading and I’ll show you exactly how to SAVE BIG with these awesome money making apps!
Best Money Making Apps + Cash Back Apps
Rakuten (formerly Ebates)
I absolutely LOVE Rakuten – it’s my favorite money saving app. Why? Because you earn cash back almost every time you shop!
How does it work? Join Rakuten and you’ll get up to 40% cash back at over 2,500 online stores. Which is pretty much everywhere – Target, Amazon, Kohl’s, Walmart, etc. Rakuten is now offering cash back IN stores too!
You’ll get a Free $30 gift card when you join. I love me some free Amazon gift cards!
Another way to make money with Rakuten is by referring friends. You’ll get $10 for every friend you refer + they’ll also get a $10 bonus. Trust me, your friends will love you for it.
If you want easy ways to save money, the Rakuten app is a must-have.
Get a Free $30 Bonus when you join Rakuten here.
PRO TIP: Download the Rakuten Chrome extension on your computer and it will pop up every time cash back is available.
Shopkick
Shopkick is my #2 pick for the best money making app. It’s super fun (and easy) to earn free gift cards with Shopkick. Redeem cash rewards starting from $5 up to $100!
The easiest way to earn “kicks” is by simply walking into a store. That’s right, just WALK IN and you’ll earn kicks. I’ve been known to drive up near the store entrance and get my kicks, without even getting out of the car. Shh … don’t tell. 😉
Another way to earn kicks is by scanning the barcodes on items you find at the store. You’ll earn even more kicks if you actually purchase the items, but you don’t have to.
Shopkick has lots of participating stores like Target, Walmart, TJ Maxx, Best Buy, Old Navy, even your local grocery stores.
It didn’t take me very long to earn my $25 free gift card to Walmart.
What I like the most about Shopkick is that you can redeem your reward instantly. Just scan your phone at checkout. It works like a digital coupon – the discount is applied to your order immediately.
So easy … and FUN too! Oh, and did I mention it’s 100% FREE to join?
Get 250 free points and earn cash rewards with Shopkick.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is another easy way to save and earn money. You get “bucks” for shopping, watching videos, playing games … the stuff you already do online.
Redeem your Swagbucks for free Amazon gift cards or get cash deposited to your PayPal account. Simple as that.
Get a free $5 bonus when you join Swagbucks here.
Inbox Dollars
Inbox Dollars is just like Swagbucks. You’ll earn points for searching the Web, reading emails, answering surveys, watching videos, and so on.
It’s pretty easy to earn Inbox dollars, especially in your free time. Once you have $30 in your account, you can cash out. Plus, you’ll get a $5 bonus when you sign up.
Get $5 FREE when you join InboxDollars.
BEST MONEY MAKING APP: If I had to pick one, Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is my favorite make money app. It’s the best cash back app because it offers the highest cash back rewards I’ve seen (up to 40%). Plus you get $10 free when you join.
But, if you want an app to make money FAST, Shopkick runs a close second. Plus, earning money with Shopkicks is just plain FUN.
Best Coupon Apps
Ibotta
Ibotta is a free coupon app that gives you coupons in the form of cash back. It’s like couponing – but without the hassle. No more sifting through piles of coupons in your Sunday paper, plus no need to search online for promo codes!
Not only does Ibotta offer brand name coupons, but you’ll also get coupons for generic items like milk, frozen veggies, cheese, store brand items, etc. Its simple interface makes iBotta one of the best coupon apps.
Just take a picture of your register receipt and Ibotta will deposit cash back in your account. Easy peasy.
Get a $20 bonus when you sign up for Ibotta here.
Target Cartwheel
If you shop at Target, you need the Cartwheel app! You’ll get exclusive Target coupons only available in the app. I’ve seen coupons for 25% off or more.
You can combine Cartwheel offers with online Target coupons PLUS manufacturer’s coupons. It’s easy to score great deals when you stack coupons.
Target also offers gift card promotions. I’ve saved on diapers many times when they offered a $10 Target gift card with Huggies and Pampers purchases.
Don’t forget – you’ll save an extra 5% off every Target purchase with the Target REDcard. The REDcard is a debit card that works with any bank account. Plus, you’ll get free shipping from Target.com when you use their debit card.
Get fantastic deals with the Target Cartwheel app here.
Groupon
Save 50 – 90% off at restaurants, spas, hotels, retail stores, movie tickets, plus special events in your neighborhood.
I got some awesome deals with Groupon. Like 3 tickets to the water park (including ziplines) for $48. A prepaid Dunkin Donuts card for 50% off. Plus a Groupon coupon for $20 worth of delicious food at our favorite BBQ restaurant for just $13.
My BEST Groupon deal was a Shutterfly photo book for only $5 (normally $29.99). I saved 83% off that photo book – a family keepsake that we love!
Groupon also has a refer-a-friend program where you earn $10 for each friend who signs up and makes a purchase. Talk about a win-win!
Save up to 90% with the Groupon app here.
Retail Me Not
RetailMeNot is my go-to app for coupon codes. I use it whenever I shop, both online and in-store.
The RetailMeNot app quickly pulls up promo codes from your favorite stores like Kohl’s, JC Penney, Michael’s, Bath & Body Works, Old Navy, many more. You can earn cash back, discounted gift cards, plus get access to exclusive hot deals.
Redeem offers right from your phone, with just one tap! You could save $20 in 20 seconds with this free coupon app. It’s so fast and easy!
Get coupon codes + earn cash back with Retail Me Not!
Honey Rewards
Speaking of coupon codes, Honey takes the hassle out of searching for codes. Save time and never miss a great deal again. Honey does all the work for you.
Just add the Honey extension to your browser on all your devices. The Honey app works with both Chrome and Firefox.
Honey is constantly working to uncover the best deals. From clothes to pizza, you’ll pay less for the things you buy online. You’ll even get a welcome bonus!
Get sweet deals with Honey + up to a $20 bonus here.
BEST COUPON APP: Honestly, all the free coupon apps listed above are awesome. If I had to pick just one, I’d choose RetailMeNot since it shows coupon codes both online and IN stores. Plus the RetailMeNot app also includes cash back offers. 😀
Best Grocery Apps
Checkout 51
Checkout51 works like Ibotta’s grocery app. Just take a picture of your receipt and the cash back is applied to your account.
I use the Checkout 51 app for grocery shopping. You’ll save on the brands you love and get new offers each week, including free products!
When your account balance reaches $20, just cash out and Checkout51 mails you a check. Gotta love checks in the mail!
Earn $5 for referring your friend, plus your friend gets a $2 bonus for joining.
Get a $2 bonus + save big on groceries with Checkout51 here.
PRO TIP: You can “stack” Checkout 51 and Ibotta coupons to double your savings!
SavingStar
SavingStar is a digital coupon app for grocery stores and drugstores. They have 70,000 participating stores like Walmart, Kroger, CVS, Food Lion, Walgreens, Target, etc.
You “clip” digital coupons that are automatically added to your store’s loyalty card. If your store doesn’t have a loyalty card, you can scan your receipt with the app to get credit.
I like Saving Star’s grocery app a little better than Checkout 51, simply because they offer high value coupons. For example, I’ve seen $5 off Kellogg’s cereal, $4 off Enfamil, and $4 off Purex laundry detergent.
Once you’ve saved $20 or more, you can transfer the funds to your bank account or your PayPal account.
Get high-value coupons with the SavingStar app here.
Favado
Favado’s app helps you stop overspending by notifying you when your favorite items are on sale.
You’ll get alerts to the best deals at 65,000 grocery and drugstores. Favado even has money saving experts who hand select sales and coupons every week.
Get rock bottom prices + the best coupon deals with Favado!
Fetch Rewards
The Fetch app helps you save money on groceries. Upload receipts from ANY of these stores; grocery stores, warehouse club stores, dollar stores, convenience stores, drug stores … even liquor stores. 😉
Fetch points can be redeemed for free gift cards or cash via PayPal. You can earn free gift cards for Amazon, Walmart, Panera, Target, plus many others. They are delivered immediately via email.
One way to earn points is with their Special Offers where you earn rewards for purchasing specific products at the store. You can even create a shopping list right within the grocery app.
Another way to get points is by referring friends: give a friend 4,000 points ($4 value) and you’ll also get 4,000 points when they scan their first receipt. Use Fetch code: Q8NJV to get your $4 bonus.
Get a free $4 bonus when you download the Fetch app (use code: Q8NJV)
BEST GROCERY APPS: SavingStar is my visitors’ favorite. They offer the highest value coupons plus their grocery app is easy to use.
However, Fetch is MY favorite app because you’ll earn points just about everywhere (CVS, Sam’s Club, Family Dollar, 7-Eleven, Whole Foods, Aldi, Big Lots, Marathon, Walmart, etc). You can’t go wrong with either of these free apps.
Best Money Saving Apps
Digit
If you struggle with saving money, try out the Digit app. Save for your next vacation, pay off credit cards, start an emergency fund, or just put money away for a rainy day.
Digit analyzes your spending and automatically moves money from your checking account to your Digit account when you can afford it. Sometimes in very small amounts.
That’s it! You save money without realizing it. There’s no minimum balance required and you can withdraw money at any time.
Digit also rewards you for saving with a 1% Savings Bonus paid every 3 months. Gotta love that! 😀
Digit is FDIC insured and uses state-of-the-art encryption, so it’s safe to use. Best of all, the Digit spare change app makes saving money virtually painless. Just set it and forget it.
Get a free $5 bonus when you join Digit here.
NOTE: Digit used to be free but now they’re charging $1.99 per month. Personally, I think it’s totally worth it since it helps me save money without even having to think about it. If you struggle to save, I definitely think you should try it.
Acorns
Acorns is a spare change app similar to Digit, but with an extra perk. Not only does Acorns help you save money, it helps you EARN money too by investing it for you.
The Acorn app saves your money automatically. When you buy something, it rounds up to the nearest dollar and invests that money so you can start earning money on auto-pilot.
Acorns fees are $1/mo for accounts with a balance under $5,000 and .25% of the balance per year on accounts over $5,000. In my opinion, it’s totally worth the $1 Acorns fees to have your money managed for you. It’s completely safe and one of the best saving money apps I’ve come across.
Get a free $5 bonus when you join Acorns
=> RELATED: 11 Fun Money Saving Challenges
GasBuddy
Ever notice how gas prices can be 50 cents more near the highway or 20 cents higher on the other side of town? Crazy, huh? Find the cheapest gas close by with the Gas Buddy app.
GasBuddy uses satellite location to find the nearest gas stations with current gas prices. You can even earn points when you report a gas price!
It might only be a difference of a few cents per gallon, but these savings really add up over time.
Get the best prices at the pump with the GasBuddy app
Stocard
Unclutter your wallet by storing all your loyalty cards in one place. You can even add your gym membership, Apple Wallet passes, airline tickets, and gift cards to Stocard.
Scan the code on your plastic cards in just seconds. When shopping, just pop-up the barcode for your card on your phone to have the cashier scan it.
Plus, the Stocard app gives you access to weekly ads, coupons, and extra discounts for your favorite stores.
Easy peasy and SO convenient! Your wallet will thank you for it.
Keep all your cards in one place with the Stocard app.
BEST MONEY SAVING APPS: My favorite saving money app is Digit. If you’re on a tight budget this spare change app makes it easy to save money without really having to think.
If you’re looking to both save and MAKE money, Acorns has a slight edge since it also invests money for you.
Did I miss any money saving apps? What’s your favorite?
