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Aren’t we all trying to save a few dollars here and there? The student budget life can definitely be a grind at times. Trying to save a few dollars by buying the no name products at the grocery store or getting that cheap beer that can be okay at times but you would definitely prefer those premium brands when given the choice.
Well with the help of the five apps below, we are here to hopefully save you a couple bucks so you can enjoy those little things in life that much more often!
If you get excited about finding a loonie in the pocket of a jacket you haven’t worn in 2 years, this app will make you bounce off the walls.
Drop is one of the easiest apps to use. By simply downloading Drop, then 1) Choosing five of your favourite brands from a list that includes Starbucks, McDonald’s, Amazon, Tim Horton’s, LCBO and many more, 2) Link your debit card or credit card, 3) Now that your card is connected you can automatically earn Drop points everytime you make a purchase at any of those five brands. There are no redeeming codes, scanning or pictures required. Just buying as per usual will earn you points automatically. You accumulate points every time you make a purchase, which can be used to redeem gift cards curated to your favourite places such as Frank and Oak, Adidas, UberEats, Reebok, Starbucks and many other very well-known brands. Drop makes spending money on everyday items that much more guilt-free!
Download Drop, HERE!
We all have that one buddy who likes to flex the fact that they have their car up at university/college and can take advantage of all the things you can’t do as well by foot. Sometimes if you’re lucky, they will drive you to class, pick you up alcohol or maybe even grab that huge load of groceries you could never do by foot. In these cases you can be a good friend and tell them about the app GasBuddy. GasBuddy helps those people overlook the financial burden of having that car -- the cost of gas.
Gas can be a huge expense on a student, however, GasBuddy provides you with the lowest priced gas stations in the area. Through its large community, users post real-time prices of gas locations, which in the end can save you $340 a year by simply telling you where and when to get gas. That could get you A LOT of Juul pods -- actually about 80 pods in case you were curious. GasBuddy can give you alerts as to when prices may hike and also through its motion detection native, it can provide you with information about which trips are costing you the most fuel or how much that big road-trip you are thinking of may cost you!
Download GasBuddy, HERE!
To think there is something out there that can give you money back for buying something. Crazy right. Ibotta does this with your purchases when you dine, go shopping at your favourite stores or travel. All you have to do is find the offerings that you like on the app (which is way easier and organized than having to look through piles of coupons and rebates), go to the store and make your purchases, then take a quick picture of your receipt, and boom get that cash right back to where it belongs. Ibotta can help you save money at places such as eBay, Bed Bath & Beyond, Uber and Groupon! Getting an app as simple as this can help students pocket much more money for other purposes!
Download Ibotta, HERE!
Sometimes the best way of saving money is to just track where all this money seems to disappear too. Far too often, we find ourselves thinking that we haven’t spent that much money, but then we look at our bank account and realize it’s much lower than we thought. Dollardbird can help resolve this issue by planning your payments so you can see what your disposable income should be. It offers you a sense of what your budget should be and compares your spending in a certain time frame to your overall average. Organized in a calendar layout, it is easy to see what you spent in the past and what you are planning to spend in the future. This can give you a better understanding of what you are doing with your hard-earned money.
Here is a list of what Dollarbird comes with:
Download Dollarbird, HERE!
I’m sure many of you know of Groupon or maybe heard of it at some point. Well now is the time to actually use it and take advantage of the benefits it offers you! Groupon is a great way to save money, try new things and get great discounts all in one place. Groupon has numerous offerings on their app including great new restaurants, clothing store discounts, or even that vacation you’ve been dreaming about having with your friends. Groupon can help you save money in all those cases. For us younger individuals who have very minimal patience, Groupon allows you to book, use or buy whatever you chose right then and there. There is no need to wait around, these can be used immediately so you won’t have to waste a minute of your time! Last but not least, if you aren’t really vibing the offers that day, there is no need to panic because you will have the opportunity to browse through numerous other offerings the next day!
Download Groupon, HERE!