Nerd Chick Adventures: Save Money with your Smart Phone

 
As budget-conscious Nerd Chicks, it was hard to get us on board the Smart Phone band wagon. "It’s going to cost me how much every month to have my email sent to my phone?!?" was a refrain heard often by our spouses, friends, co-workers, you get the idea. It turns out, however, smart phones fall squarely in the category of tech gadget that we never knew we needed and now can’t live without. In past articles we’ve mentioned quite a few resources and applications smart phone owners can use to stay organized, work more efficiently, even stay in shape. You can imagine our happiness upon discovering that we can offset some of the monthly data plan cost by using our phones to save money with access to instant price comparisons, coupons and more. Allow us to share the wealth…
 
What sets smart phones apart from the flip phone of yore is they can access the internet anywhere there is cell service. We’ve discovered that this comes in quite handy when you’re standing in the store, holding that new tech gadget you’re considering purchasing, but wondering if you could get it cheaper online. Now we just launch our phone’s browser and search for it at google, amazon, pricegrabber, etc. This also lets us read user reviews to make sure that it’s worth the money in the long run. Not only have we saved money, we’ve saved ourselves a few impulse buys: turns out walking away because we can get it cheaper elsewhere often gives us time to realize we don’t "need" it so much after all.
 
One of the coolest shopping apps we’ve found to date is ShopSavvy for Android and iPhone users (FREE to download at
http://shopsavvy.mobi/).
 
Use your phone’s camera to scan the barcode of any item you’re considering purchasing and ShopSavvy will instantly report back a list of prices at local and online retailers so you can immediately see that you will save $20 if you drive down the block. Read user reviews to make sure it will be a good deal after you get it home and out of the packaging. After a few uses, ShopSavvy can even tailor coupons and deals to your interests and shopping history, and will show you instant coupons or rebates available on the item you’re comparing. The new "Price Drop" feature will even notify you if an item you’ve recently bought drops in price, allowing you to contact the retailer to match the price. Blackberry users can check out the FREE app available at www.edocrab.com (barcode spelled backwards) for similar functionality - scan barcode to get instant price comparisons, product reviews, etc. What a deal!
 
There is little we enjoy more than getting something for nothing, which is why we love ShopKick for Android and iPhone users (FREE to download at
www.shopkick.com).
 
Install this application and every time you walk into certain select retailers (including Macys, Best Buy, Target, and Sports Authority), you will accumulate "kickbucks". After enough visits, you can trade in your "kickbucks" for gift cards, movie tickets, and other cool stuff. The application will also send you special offers at participating stores. It currently only works in 18 major markets, but stay tuned – they are adding more all the time! As if we needed another excuse to go shopping.
 
Finally, now that you’ve found that perfect, Yoda action figure for the best price in town and have your coupon codes in hand, how do you easily calculate the final price to determine if you can also afford Darth Vader? With SaleSaver from
www.jumpgapsoftware.com (available through the iTunes app store for $0.99) simply enter the price, all of your store and coupon discounts and sales tax, and it will instantly give you the final price. You can also add up all of your purchases before heading to the checkout line so you don’t go over budget. No more long division while standing in line with an antsy toddler – what a sanity saver.
 
Looking for more great smart phone apps? We’re here to help! Send us a note on Facebook (facebook.com/nerdsoncall) or email us at nerdchick@callnerds.com.