7 must-have apps to save big this holiday season

With the right tools at your fingertips, this can be your reality. We've researched and reviewed seven fantastic options that can help you save both time and money during your holiday shopping spree. 

Cashback shopping apps like Rakuten let you earn cash back when shopping online. According to Rakuten, thousands of retailers participate in the savings.

Rakuten shares a portion of the commission it earns with you. Once you earn enough cash-back savings, you can choose to receive a check, have it paid to your PayPal account or use the American Express rewards program.

Some of the most popular retailers you can find deals with through Ibotta are CVS, Walgreens, Target, Lowe's, Petco, Domino's Pizza, REI and more than 1,500 brands and retailers.

If you scroll to the bottom of the app, you'll see a section called "Special Deals." If you scroll, you'll see a panel called "Free made easy: All free offers all in one place."

Copy the code to insert into the Referral code box on Ibotta "Create account" page: mpiaurm

PayPal Honey leads the pack by automatically entering coupon codes into the promo code field when checking out at 5,500+ retail sites.

How it works: You can use the PayPal Honey app directly, but you are better off using it the way it was designed as a browser extension. Once added to your browser, it tracks where you are shopping and applies the best coupon codes without you needing to do anything. Just watch the total price drop as you are checking out when there is a match to a good discount.

The PayPal Honey browser add-on is available on Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Edge browsers. Again, for security, only download directly through your browser and not from a link or email offer.

PayPal paid $4 billion dollars for the automated coupon code technology browser add-on. That's when Honey became PayPal Honey you will find here.

Amazon Warehouse has millions of open boxes, refurbished, renewed and used goods. Few know that retail giant Amazon has a renewed outlet shopping area that can save you when buying items in good-to-like-new condition.

Make sure you get a very good understanding of an item's condition before buying. You are protected by Amazon's policies making it easier to return the rare dud.

Pro tip: I like to track larger dollar items and then create a calendar entry in my phone reminding me of the last day to reprice a purchase so that I can potentially get money back when the price goes down after the sale.

As we gear up for the holiday shopping season, remember that saving money doesn't have to be a chore. With the right tools and strategies at your disposal, you can enjoy a stress-free shopping experience while keeping your budget intact. Whether you choose cash-back apps, discount tools or retailer-specific offers, there's something out there for everyone. So, why not dive in and start exploring these options? 

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