Recently, I found this app that informed me that I could get a $10 pack of razors FOR FREE. It got me thinking…what other deals have I been missing out on?
If you have a smartphone and you’re not using apps to save money yet, you’re missing out like I was. Let’s stop that already.
What Are The Best Free Apps for Saving and Making Money?
After reviewing my phone, I picked ten of my favorite apps for saving money and making money. They’re all super easy to use too.
These are free money-saving apps that you can use for special discounts, banking up rewards points, and earning cash back.
But first, let’s see if these apps are really worth it.
How Much Money Can These Apps Help You Save?
To give you an idea of how much you could be missing out on if you don’t use these apps, I also added how much money each app has helped me save.
I was shocked to see these apps have already helped me save $2,000!
So, yes, they’re worth it.
Best Apps For Free Money
The best apps for getting money are easy-to-use and free. The time they take is worth the amount of time and effort it takes to get the reward.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read the disclaimer for more details.
1. Rakuten
Rakuten (formerly called ebates) – If you know me at all, you know I’m like a broken record about EBATES. I cannot.get.enough. It’s just so easy that it’s actually foolish NOT to use it.
It is easy to sign up and start using EBATES. Simply click before you shop and you’ll get 1-40% cashback in the form of a check or PayPal deposit. They have cashback discounts on almost every online purchases PLUS you get a $10 bonus if you are a newbie and use my referral link.
My Earnings With EBATES: $600
2. BookScouter
BookScouter – Get money for those old books! After both undergrad and graduate school, I ended up with several boxes of textbooks that 5 years into my career, I realized were doing nothing but collecting dust.
I had moved them at least three times between our first two apartments and our first house, and I finally got sick of lugging those heavy books around. Of course, being the expert money finder that I am, I did a quick Google search about selling used textbooks.
Enter BookScouter! All you do is take a picture or enter the ISBN number from your book and it will show you how much different vendors are willing to pay for your book. You can scan books of any genre, but the ones that were worth the most money in my personal collection were college textbooks. Bonus: it helps you get rid of clutter!
My Earnings With BookScouter: $400
3. Kohls
Kohls – If you’re a Kohl’s shopper, you are well aware that there are always deals at Kohl’s. Sometimes, there are too many deals to keep track of.
Your Kohl’s app can be an easy place to store all of your discount codes, Yes2You Rewards, Kohl’s Cash, and any other special deals they have going on. I recently scored the comfiest pair of Nike joggers FREE (normally $50) using all the promos I had collected in the Kohls shopping app.
Make sure you’re saving all the money you can at Kohls by using the free Kohls app.
My Savings With Kohl’s: $350 (a modest estimate)
4. Ibotta
Ibotta – Ibotta has savings for just everything, from paper towels to cookies, diapers, and wine. You simply browse to deals and save ones you want, go shopping, then snap a picture of your receipt and redeem the reward.
The app automatically matches the qualifying things you bought to your saved deals. This is a cashback app where you earn actual money back!
You can choose your payout via PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards. Check out this full review to learn the best Ibotta hacks and tips.
Sign up for Ibotta and get a FREE $10 welcome bonus!
My Earnings With Ibotta: $200
5. Mint
Mint – This is my favorite online tool or money app for budgeting, saving money, and tracking financial goals. It was created by the same team that created Turbo Tax and Quicken.
It’s a powerful free app that links with your savings, checking, and retirement accounts and automatically categorizes your transactions for you.
You can set goals like paying off student loans or credit cards, as well as saving for things like family vacations or retirement. The Mint app pulls all your information together and lets you know how you’re progressing. Mint is the best free money app to identify problem areas in your finances while helping you reach your savings goals.
My Savings With Mint: $150 (a modest estimate)
5. Pampers
Pampers – Pampers diapers have been a favorite for both of my babies. But my goodness are they expensive! So if you’re a Pampers diapers family at least scan the sticker code that’s on each pack of diapers or Easy Ups. You earn points that can be redeemed for practical or fun rewards.
I’ve used my points to get a free Shutterfly calendar and photobook, $10 off Pampers coupons, reusable pouches for baby food, and more. They also have books, Melissa & Doug toys, and even a trike if you really stack up points. Mamas with littles in Pampers, download the Pampers app to start earning easy money back on all those diapers.
My Earnings With Pampers: $125
7. Shutterfly
Shutterfly – I have to thank my sister for introducing me to the Shutterfly app. I use it to upload pictures from my phone, so I can delete them without worrying about losing them. It’s a free app and it alls space on my phone for downloading audiobooks and podcasts episodes.
The Shutterfly app also can be a money saver too. They have unlimited free 4×6 or 4×4 and they often run deals that are “app exclusive.”
I’ve used the Shutterfly app to score a free Christmas ornament, 4×6 prints, photobooks, and photo calendars (minus shipping), so it’s saved me plenty of money while creating unique gifts from cherished memories.
My Savings With Shutterfly: $100
8. GasBuddy
GasBuddy – It grinds my gears when I fill up my gigantic minivan with gas only to drive by another gas station that has gas for 20¢ cheaper per gallon. #TrueStory
But now with GasBuddy, I’m assured I’m getting the best deal and not wasting money on gas.
This app is incredibly accurate at finding the cheapest gas prices near your location. To easily save money on gas, use the free app GasBuddy to find the best gas prices before you fill-up.
My Savings With GasBuddy: $50 (a modest estimate)
9. Shop Fetch
Shop Fetch – This is the app my local supermarket used to use. Since I do most of my grocery shopping at Aldi, I didn’t use this app a ton. However, I’ve seen other smart money bloggers recommend Fetch, so this is one I should probably look into deeper.
When I used it, I had to scan every item which was kind of a pain. I believe it’s more like Ibotta now where you can just take a picture of your receipts.
Definitely check out the Shop Fetch app as another app to give you free money back.
My Savings With Shop Fetch: $20
10. Krazy Coupon Lady
The Krazy Coupon Lady – When did the Krazy Coupon Lady get her own app? She finds the best deals for you every week. And she even finds those deals where you can get things for free or even make money on a purchase, usually by stacking store deals, printable coupons, and app rebates.
Weekly roundups by store (like Costco, Walmart, Target, and Walgreens) are my favorite. She does all the hard work of extreme couponing for you. Pretty sure I should never need to pay more than 42¢ for soap again. And razors? Diapers? Toilet paper? There are always deals for those.
I just found Krazy Coupon Lady before my latest Walmart trip and found $10 worth of deals I didn’t see on my other apps, so this one is sure to save me even more money in the future. Check out the Krazy Coupon Lady app before your next shopping trip to get the absolute best deals, freebies, and money-makers.
My Savings With The Krazy Coupon Lady: $10
BONUS! More Free Apps For Saving Money
Here are even more recommended apps for saving money, finding coupons and deals, and earning money that are next on my list to check out and put to work for me:
- Sweatcoin – the app that pays you to walk
- Groupon for finding discounts on local activities, restaurants, lodging and more
- RetailMeNot for coupons and deals for stores and restaurants
- VarageSale for selling your things or buying things secondhand for a lot cheaper than new
- Uber Driver for your driving side hustle
- Checkout 51 for even more cash back on your groceries
- Digit for saving money, without even thinking about it
Use Free Money Apps As A Simple Way to Save Money
These apps have genuinely helped me keep $1,000 cash in my pocket without hardly trying, so I know they can work to help you save money too.
If you want to make sure you’re getting the best deal and not overspending, using these free money apps can help you build up your savings and get some pretty sweet freebies in no time.
Trying to save more money?
- Here’s an epic list of 100+ easy ways to save money
- And here are the top money-saving things I wish I knew in college.
Share & Save These Smart Money Tips For Later
Originally published in February 2018, this post was updated March 2020.