Personal Finance Advice

By Farnoosh Torabi, Manilla Financial Editor

With the arrival of so many budget-friendly mobile applications, saving has never been quite so simple. Literally, at the tap of a finger, you can discover where to snag the best deals in town and even download and redeem coupons instantly while checking out at the register. Here are my top 10 favorite apps (all free) to help you stick to your budget this holiday season – and all year round.

CouponSherpa: Forgot your coupons at home? CouponSherpa will come to the rescue. The app lets you locate in-store coupons based on your location right away. Once you locate your coupon(s) on your phone, present it at the store register. Many stores will either scan the code from your smartphone or manually enter the code into the register.

RedLaser: RedLaser assists with on-the-go comparison-shopping for a wide variety of products. Its exceptional barcode scanning will tell you if the item you’re considering is cheaper elsewhere.

Manilla: Save time and money with the Manilla app, which lets you streamline all of your bills, finances, travel reward programs and subscriptions in one single place. Manilla automatically retrieves and files your bills and statements and sends you helpful reminders so you will never miss a payment or lose valuable coupons or points.

GroceryIQ: Grocery shopping was never easier – or more affordable. With the GroceryIQ app you can build your grocery list from a database of millions items and locate coupons to help reduce your bill.

AllPoint: Tired of paying so many ATM fees? If you can’t locate your bank’s ATM AllPoint helps you find the next best thing: a surcharge-free ATM in a nearby location. Your bank may charge you, but the ATM won’t. A savings of at least a couple bucks.

HowCast: This is a great app that can help Do-It-Yourselfers save time and money. For example, learn how to make great DIY holiday presents or easy cocktails for your holiday mixer with HowCast’s free downloadable how-to videos.

Mint: For those who crave a better handle on budgeting, Mint is the perfect app. For example, if your goal this year is to buy a new car, Mint will tell you how much you need to start saving now to achieve this goal.

CheapGas: If you plan to do a lot of driving this holiday season, make sure to download this free app to locate the cheapest gas station closest to you wherever you’re traveling. Prices are based on data collected and updated frequently by GasBuddy.com.

Kayak: As you make travel plans this holiday season, make sure to take advantage of the free Kayak app which scours the web to find you the lowest and best deals for flights, hotels and car rentals. The nifty app also helps you stay organized while you travel, by tracking your flight status and providing contact numbers for airlines. It also lets you know ahead of time what sort of fees the airline charges for checked bags.

SnapTell: SnapTell lets you compare prices and product reviews of books, DVDs, videos games and CDs on the go. Just take a photo of the product and instantly receive buyer feedback, as well as pricing data. You can also find out where the item is stocked in your area. It’s perfect for saving money during holiday shopping.