Smartphone apps can help you to do everything from book a taxi to shop online at the touch of a button. Here we take a look at eight of our favourite apps which could help save you money on everything from shopping to filling up the car.
Best of all, they’re all completely free and are available for both Android and Apple phones.
Best for budgeting
Setting yourself a weekly or monthly budget and sticking to it is one of the best ways to avoid spending too much.
With the Spendometer app it’s easy to set yourself that budget, see how much you’ve spent and get easy-to-read spending reports - so you can easily see where you’ve been shopping and spot areas where you could start to cut back.
Best for shopping
RedLaser lets you scan barcodes when you’re out shopping to see how much you could save by buying the same item online.
It also links you to reviews, ratings and information about the product and, if you find that it’s cheaper online, you can buy it via the app and have it delivered direct to your home.
Best for saving
Register for MyVoucherCodes and you’ll automatically be sent the best money-off deals in your area for everything from eating out to shopping and from entertainment to travel. Then just show the voucher on your phone screen to get your discount when you pay.
Best for cutting down on food waste
Next time there are only a few things in the fridge don’t order a takeaway, download Foodmatic instead.
Just tell the app what ingredients you do have and it will come up with some recipes that use them – and it’ll be a lot cheaper than a takeaway too.
Best for motoring
Fuel prices are falling and WhatGas will show you where to find the cheapest fuel in your area – and even if it’s only a saving of a couple of pence less per litre it can still mean quite a saving on a tankful.
Best for texting abroad
Sending text messages abroad can be expensive but if you download Whatsapp you can text anywhere in the world for free and even send photos too. Just make sure that both you and the person you’re messaging can access the internet and they’ve downloaded the app as well.
