Now is a wonderful time to be a smartphone owner. With an iPhone or Android phone, you can find deals and savings that would require hours of digging otherwise. And if you shop around, you can also find phones themselves at very low prices.
I’m going to share some of my favorite tips and apps for finding deals, so you can enjoy the nicer things in life without breaking your bank.
Explore Used Tech
Whether you’re looking for gadgets for yourself or your small business, you can find great deals if you’re willing to consider used technology. Gazelle.com, for instance, offers the chance to trade in your own outdated gear in exchange for other gear. Likewise, major carriers offer used cell phones, so you can find great deals on recent and even current smartphones.
Talkatone
I can’t think of many better ways to enjoy tech while saving money than to invest in a high quality internet calling service. Talkatone is an app that lets you call anyone over wifi or 3G/4G, using your Google Voice account. Furthermore, you can make voice calls to Facebook friends, even if they don’t have a “standard” phone. Use an app like this (or perhaps Skype) to prevent incurring expensive calling plan overages, or to reduce the size of your plan. (Free on Google Play)
Price Check by Amazon
Be a savvy shopper no matter where you go. With this amazing app, you can take a picture of just about any product to see its price on Amazon. You don’t even need to snap the barcode; just the product box is good enough. (Free on Google Play and iTunes)
The Coupons App
For a more comprehensive savings tool, I highly recommend the The Coupons App, which is loaded with information about all kinds of deals. You’ll find everything from gas price comparisons to discounts for restaurants. Search for your favorite products or scan item barcodes to see if there are any discounts available. And when you do have a coupon, simply have a cashier scan it right from your phone. I’d say this app pays for itself, but it’s free, so you can’t go wrong trying it out. (Free on Google Play and iTunes)
KAYAK
If you plan on traveling, don’t miss out on deals from travel-comparison apps. Between its quality design and ease-of-use, I like KAYAK’s app the most myself. But Priceline, Hotels.com, and Expedia are just a few well-made apps for finding travel deals. With enough savvy, you can save hundreds of dollars on a single trip using KAYAK. (Free on Google Play and iTunes)