There's an App For That

It’s pretty much common knowledge that sales papers and coupons can be found in the newspaper. A lot of people fail to remember though, that there is a place to find the sales papers and some coupons without even getting off of the couch. Obviously, there are ways to find sales on the internet, but if you do not have a particular store in mind; it may be more difficult to find something relevant. I suggest using your phone.

We’ve all heard the saying “There’s an app for that” and it definitely is true. I just went to my app store and searched “sales” and “discounts.” I downloaded around five apps but ended up only finding three of them helpful. The apps that I downloaded are called Weekly, RetailMeNot, and Groupon. All of the apps were free and had location services to show what stores near me offered sales and/or coupons.

The first app, Weekly, started by asking for my zip code. After entering that, the app showed every store in the area that offered any kind of discount. I could go through the entire list and check off which stores I was interested in seeing the sales for. I chose Aldi, Kmart, Kohl’s, and Old Navy. When I clicked on a store name, such as Kohl’s, the app revealed the recent weekly sales papers for the store. The app allows for the user to go through the entire ad. Although the app didn’t offer any kind of discount at nearby stores, it is nice to not have to go buy a newspaper for the circulars.

The next app that I downloaded was called RetailMeNot. This app was much more aesthetically pleasing than the first. It also had a little more to offer than just sales ads. The app has a search bar to look for ads and discounts for particular stores, but if you are like me and you only want to shop where you know there is a good deal- you can click on the “top coupons” button. The RetailMeNot app offers both online and in-store discounts, which I found extremely helpful.

The last app that I downloaded is much more popular. Groupon started out as a website and is just as convenient and helpful as an app. Similarly to the app Weekly, the first step in using Groupon was to enter your zip code. Then all of the discount deals are separated into categories: nearby, featured, goods, pet deals, getaways, and rewards. The majority of all the deals presented were all within an hour of my location. Also, many of the discounts were for at least 50% off of retail price.

I feel that it’s pretty safe to say that most people don’t leave the house without their phone on them, so next time you’re out on a shopping spree- remember to look for some apps on your phone to help you pinch some pennies.