The Best Coupon Apps To Save You Money

Finances haven't been easy in recent years. According to Bankrate, with the recent global pandemic and inflation at an all-time high, almost half of all Americans have reported feeling stress over paying their bills and making money. And, while having financial struggles is bad enough, it can also lead to further issues, like mental health problems. 

But it's not just those who are unable to pay bills that feel the stress. Even those who are more well-off may be feeling the effects of financial burden, whether that means they're watching their savings deplete or they have to give up their luxury items.

There are many ways to help with financial stress, but one of the easiest is couponing. According to ABC15, couponing can save the average household over $1,000 a year. Plus, couponing no longer looks like cutting out coupons from a newspaper — it can be as simple as downloading a coupon app. Here are the best ones to help you save money.

If you think of couponing as a chore that you can't be bothered with, Honey is the ideal app to get you started on your savings journey. According to Investopedia, Honey is a Chrome extension that applies coupons to your shopping cart automatically — meaning you just install it and let it do its thing. Honey works with 30,000 different companies to help you find discounts without having to search for them, and it offers an average savings of almost 18% discount per purchase.

You've likely seen the commercials for Rakuten boasting about how you can save money while doing everyday things like attending a book club or gaming. If that weren't enough to get you to download the app, you may be surprised to learn that, while Rakuten offers discounts similar to other coupon apps, it goes a step further to focus on cash back — meaning you can earn money just by shopping. Plus, if you love to shop in stores, The Coupon Project recommends Rakuten because you can sync it to your credit card and get cash back at participating stores. Once your account is over $5, you can withdraw the money you earned and put it directly in your pocket.

If you're a bit old school and still like to clip paper coupons, Coupons.com may be the best coupon app for you. According to Investopedia, Coupons.com offers free coupons that you can either store digitally via the app or print out to use at participating stores. The app also allows you to scan your receipts to receive cash back, or become a member and have your purchases linked automatically. Plus, according to NerdWallet, if you turn on your location, the app will search for coupons near you, meaning you can shop and save all in one sweep.

If you're a Target aficionado, don't set foot inside the store again without downloading Target Circle. While this app can only be used for savings at Target, if you're like many consumers who like to shop for food, fashion, household items, and more all in one spot, it's a great option for saving. According to The Coupon Project, you simply browse through the weekly discounts and add the ones you like to your wallet. You can then either shop on the app, on their website, or in stores, and the savings will automatically apply. If you don't have time to look through the current coupons, you can also scan items you plan to buy and see if any discount codes are available. Downloading Target Circle will make you feel a bit better about your weekly Target runs.

Investopedia named Dosh their favorite savings app — and we have to agree. Similar to Honey, Dosh is a download-and-forget-about-it type of app. You simply link it to your card and let the app do the rest of the work, finding discounts whether you shop online or in-store. Dosh works with a variety of huge brands, but its specialty lies in the added bonus that it also offers travel rewards that can get you steep discounts on hotel stays. Plus, the app is super safe, so you don't have to worry about your data being stolen.

The price of groceries has skyrocketed and may only continue to rise. If you're feeling the strain of buying your weekly groceries, you may be able to combat the higher prices by downloading Ibotta, which is a coupon app specifically for food. It partners with huge retailers like Walmart and Target and offers cashback on items and services like grocery delivery, per Investopedia. Plus, you get a bonus just for downloading the app as well as member rewards, meaning you get paid just for trying it.

According to NerdWallet, CouponCabin is one of the best coupon apps because it offers discounts from a ton of different retailers. You can find online shopping coupons and download coupons if you prefer to shop in-store. And, while it seems very similar to other coupon apps, Site Jabber named it one of the top money-saving apps due to its great customer service and faster cash-back payments. A quick browse on its site will show big savings from brands like Chewy, Sephora, Old Navy, and Macy's.

If you love just browsing through the aisles of your favorite stores but don't want to feel pressured to actually purchase anything, you'll love Shopkick. It gives you rewards to get discounts on items you shop for, but, per The Coupon Project, it also gives you points — or "kicks" — simply for browsing. Once you rack up a good amount of points, you can transfer them to gift cards that can be used at places like Amazon and Target.

Groupon is known for offering experiences for less. Want to get your nails done or try out a new paint-and-sip spot? Check your Groupon app and see what kind of deals you can find. But did you know that Groupon is also a great app for discounts on regular items and cash-back options? According to The Coupon Project, the app has a section called Groupon Goods that offers things like home items and fashion for less. You can also link your card and get cash back from regular purchases.

One of the best ways to score big discounts is to compare prices of your must-have items across multiple different stores. But, honestly, who has the time to price match? According to Investopedia, with Capital One Shopping, the work is done for you, so you can always be sure you are getting the best deal on any item you buy. It even factors in shipping costs! Plus, the app applies discounts and racks up rewards that can be exchanged for gift cards.

So many of the apps we've reviewed are awesome for many reasons, but they also have limits. Many of them partner with around 30,000 retailers, but, per NerdWallet, The Coupons App takes things way further, offering discounts from over 100,000 retailers. This means that you're getting awesome deals from pretty much everywhere you shop. The Coupons App also compares gas prices and searches for discounts on Amazon and Groupon.

No matter which apps you choose to download, saving money is an important part of gaining freedom from financial burden. Whether you like to shop in stores or let an app do the shopping for you, saving a few bucks here and there can really add up.