We college students aren’t always the best at keeping track of money. From that daily cappuccino to even printing all those essays at the library, it’s not hard to lose track of your cash. Spending and saving smartly isn’t always easy—and mastering finances is an important life skill many college students don’t have—yet. Luckily, there are several apps that can help us budget and save! The best part? All of these apps are free!
1. Mint
Compatible with iPhone and Android
If you only download one app after reading this article, make it this one. With Mint, you can connect your credit cards, checking accounts and other financial information in one place, allowing you to get a quick visual of your spending habits at once—all in cute, colorful graphs. You can make your own budget, and Mint will warn you when you’re getting close to exceeding your limits in certain categories that you set. The app will also send you bill reminders. You can also set goals (like budgeting for that post-grad trip to Europe) and Mint will calculate how much you need to set aside each month.
2. One Receipt
Compatible with iPhone
Remember that time you needed to return that dress but you couldn’t for the life of you find the receipt? Enter One Receipt, the app that consolidates all of your receipts, both e-receipts and print, into one handy app! The app will automatically pull in electronic receipts, but you can also snap a pic of a print receipt, and the app will do the busy work of storing and indexing the numbers. The app will also compile stats on how much you’re spending each month and on what—so you’ll get a breakdown of how much you’re really dropping at Starbucks each month.
3. Level Money
Compatible with iPhone and Android
A self-professed “mobile money meter,” Level Money tallies up what “spendable cash” you have (for fun stuff!) and breaks down how much you’re spending. The app connects to your bank account and determines what you have left to spend (after bills are accounted for). It calculates how much you have left to spend by day, week and month—so you’re always on budget.
4. RetailMeNot
Compatible with iPhone and Android
We know cutting up coupons sometimes conjures images of your grandma parsing through the newspaper, but hear us out: They can save you a lot of money. Ditch the scissors and download this handy app that gives you access to thousands of discounts, all in one place! You can even set up the app to send you alerts about deals nearby! RetailMeNot has coupons from tons of your favorite stores, such as H&M, Ulta, Walgreens, DSW and Best Buy.
5. Ibotta
Compatible with iPhone and Android
Ibotta gives you cash-back rewards after completing simple tasks, like taking a poll or watching a video. You can browse through hundreds of rebates at stores like Sephora, Target and Whole Foods. Ibotta has a selection of in-store and online rebates, so no matter where you are, you can probably get a little cash back! If you buy something in-store, just take a picture of the receipt, and Ibotta will deposit money into your account. While the rebates are often small (often a few dollars or less), cashing them in consistently on stuff you would be buying anyway can have an impact.
6. ShopSavvy
Compatible with iPhone and Android
Don’t just splurge on the overpriced textbook at the campus bookstore—you can probably find one cheaper elsewhere. ShopSavvy allows you to compare prices at both physical stores and online. You can scan a barcode with your phone and the app will tell you if you can get it cheaper somewhere else. Beyond the app, you can also install an extension to your Google Chrome browser, which will notify you while you’re online shopping if you can get the item you’re looking at for a different price. Talk about easy!
7. shopkick
Compatible with iPhone and Android
shopkick allows you to earn “kicks” (read: points) just by walking into a store, scanning an item or buying something. Once you accumulate enough kicks, you can redeem them for gift cards and products! The app will also notify you of deals and coupons you can use nearby. There are tons of go-to stores on the app, including Best Buy, Macy’s and Target. Once you want to cash in your kicks, choose a gift card (hello, Starbucks!) and the gift card will appear in that app, ready to be scanned by a cashier. You’re probably walking into stores anyway, so why not take advantage of this awesome app?
While making a budget isn’t the most fun thing in the world, these free apps make it easy (and dare we say it, fun?) So download a few and start saving!
