Save Time & Money With New & Popular Apps
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - What if we told you that you can save money by using your cell phone?
It's true, but only if you have the right apps.
In fact, you can save both time and money, and we have a list of some popular and some new apps you may want to download. They're all free and available for both iPhone and Android devices.
We enlisted the help of Katie Christman from Bellevue, who loves to get a deal. We also turned to Dr. Audrey Guskey, a marketing professor from Duquesne University.
You use you the camera on your phone to scan the bar code on a product. We scanned a printer. Then, Shop Savvy is supposed to find the best prices for that same product online or in nearby stores. We received three options to buy and the prices varied widely.
Guskey says it's an easy way to comparison shop right in the store.
"It's a great app and everybody should really use it," said Guskey. "Especially if you're buying any kind of upscale, higher-priced types of products. You can really save a lot of money."
Christman liked this app.
"I think that would be really good to stand there and pull it up on your phone," Christman said.
It may be especially useful if the store you're in matches other stores' lower prices.
The Hopper app claims to predict when an airline ticket will be the cheapest, by analyzing trillions of past flight prices.
"So, when you're looking for a particular flight, you give it the day and when you're going, and it will tell you either buy now or wait," said Guskey.
If it tells you to wait, it'll send you notifications the instant prices drop.
The makers of the app claim to be 95 percent accurate.
While gas prices are lower than they were, there is no reason to pay more than you need to. The Gas Buddy app claims it can help.
An announcer in a video on YouTube explaining the app says, "You can get the hottest leads on cheap gas wherever you are."
It'll list the cheapest prices near you and give you an alert when prices begin to rise.
You can use less gas if the app "Waze" does what it promises.
It gives you directions, helping you to avoid traffic jams based on what other users who are on the road are reporting.
"If there's an accident or there's some kind of hazard, you as a person who uses this app can say, 'Hey don't use this route! Go another way,'" said Guskey.
Some of the information is sent back automatically with GPS, but you have to pull over to share more in depth info.
Once you get to where you're going, where do you park? That's where Best Parking comes in.
It takes your location through the GPS in your phone and then determines where the cheapest place is for you to park.
KDKA tried this app out in Downtown Pittsburgh. We pulled over and were shown a map of possible parking garages and lots. The prices ranged from $9 to $24.
The basic app is free, but a premium version with more options is $2.99. However, even the free version is useful.
For the "Key Ring" app, we asked for Christman's opinion again.
You may like this app if you have a key ring weighed down by store loyalty cards, or if you're like Christman, who can never find some of her cards.
It allows you to scan your loyalty cards, and then there's no reason to carry them around. Clerks just scan your phone at the checkout.
The app also has special savings. We found a CVS deal on prescriptions advertised as 10 percent to 75 percent off!
Christman says she's impressed with this app.
"I thought it was really easy to load everything, to find everything to navigate," said Christman. "A thumbs up!"
Other apps we tried out include:
This app helps you save money with coupons and promo codes.
Ibotta helps you get rebates on things you buy, including groceries.
Hotel Tonight helps you get discounts on last-minute hotel deals, but it's probably not your cup of tea if you like to plan things out in advance.
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