I will confess it here, for all the world to see, I am a shopaholic. I live for retail therapy. But often my need to keep an eye on my finances and my desire to shop clash. Finding better deals and good bargains is, for me, a sort of hunter-gatherer thing. It brings out my competitive nature, and finding the best price becomes a challenge I live for.
But now, if you have an android based smart phone or an iPhone, you can shop like a pro without having to go to a lot of effort. Here are some wonderful, free, apps you can use to make sure that you get the best deal every time:
- Shopkick – This application has combined gaming with shopping in a new and innoative way. Although it is still new and doesn't have a wide selection of particiating retailers, it has the potential to be a wonderful way to make shopping and bargain hunting even more fun. Basically, it works like this: when you go to a store you are given challenges to find certain barcodes and complete different tasks. For each challenge you complete, you will unlock a new deal at that store and earn reward point. Once you have accumulated enough reward points, you can trade them in for gift cards and other prizes. For now, the major participators are Macy's, Target and BestBuy.
- Google Shopper – I have to admit that I really love this one. How it works is that you can take a picture of any barcode, send it to the app, and Google will identify the product. Once it knows what the product is, it will provide you with instant product reviews, search for the best prices and even let you know which stores in your area have it in stock and then you can easily get a Googlemap right to the store's front door. This application adds the real time search power of Google to your bargain hunting. The only downside is that it is only available on the Android phone. There is a comprable app available for iPhone called ShopSavvy. It works in a similar way but doesn't have the same functionality as the Google app.
- Grocery IQ – This app is really handy for all of your grocery shopping needs. It was created by Coupons.com and definitely takes grocery shopping to the next level. You can scan barcodes of your most frequently purchased products, make grocery lists, keep tabs on what products others in your family may have purchased (preventing you from buying the same thing) and you can even send coupons that relate to items on your list, right to your phone. The thing I like the best is that you can create different lists for different stores if you are like me and tend to shop at several grocery stores on a regular basis.
- Key Ring Reward Cards – I love the savings I can get by using a reward card, but I hate having to carry around so many. I prefer to shop at many different stores, so I end up with a huge collection of reward cards. I don't like having all of them on my keyring, because they get in the way, and I don't think that it is anyone's business which stores I frequent. With this app, you can scan the barcodes on your key ring cards and store them all in one location. Then, all you have to do is use your phone when you check out instead of producing the actual card. The other neat thing about this app is that if you have a loyalty card from one of their participating retailers, you can have coupons and deals sent straight to your card. Pretty neat, huh?
Have you used any of these shopping apps? Are there others that you prefer? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Are you looking for a job in retail? Be sure to visit RetailGigs.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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