There are so many money saving apps available now. But which ones really work? As a busy mom, I want apps actually help me save money on groceries, food, travel, shopping, entertainment, and more without wasting my precious time.

So I’ve compiled a list of the top money saving apps you should download today for free! You won’t believe how much you can save.

Pin me!

Ibotta

Ibotta gives you cash back on items you normally purchase at more than 275 retailers. To date, I have earned $145.46 using this money saving app. Ibotta is great for grocery and household items, but you can also be rewarded for online purchases for clothing, electronics, and more for online retailers like Amazon.

I recommend browsing through the Ibotta app before you go shopping to see what items are offering cash back. Sometimes they’ll reimburse you for the entire amount of a product, making it free for you. But if you are like me and forget, you can always check it after you get home for savings on items you already bought. Just be sure to save your receipt, especially if the store doesn’t have a loyalty program.

I use the Ibotta app most frequently for money savings at Costco, Meijer, and Walgreens, but they are sure to have your most frequented stores! Not only do they give cash back on specific items, but also reward you for buying generic items like milk, vitamins, apples, or even any grocery receipt. You choose the things you purchased from their easy-to-use app, then take a photo of the receipt to upload. For some retailers, you can connect the store’s loyalty card and don’t have to worry about the receipt.

Ibotta offers bonuses for multiple offers redeemed each month and you can earn more through teamwork by connecting with friends. Click here to join or use referral code dywkpw when downloading the money saving app so that we can save more together!

Rakuten (formerly Ebates)

Rakuten (which you may know as Ebates) may be my favorite money saving app, especially since I have received $539.12 cash back so far! Rakuten partners with your favorite retailers and gives you cash back for shopping with them online or in stores.

Simply start your shopping trip on the Rakuten app to activate the cash back. Choose your retailer and then proceed to shop as normal on their website. Not only do you get a percentage of your purchase back, but they also have coupon codes and sale info in one convenient place.

This money saving app is not only easy but super popular. In fact, 12 million users have earned more than $12 billion in cash back on shopping trips since 1997. That’s a lot of savings! Rakuten is great for saving money on clothing, travel, beauty, kids items, toys, household items, and most everything you buy. It originated as Ebates but added even more services like ride shares and food delivery savings since becoming Rakuten.

And if you sign up with my referral link, you get $10 cash back after you spend $25 or more on something you were going to buy anyway. Rakuten is sure to become your favorite money saving app, too!

Acorns

While other money saving apps on this list are great for coupons or cash back on things you buy, Acorns is designed to help you save your own money by investing in the market. The Acorns app can make anyone an investor by building a portfolio of stocks, bonds, and other investments out of your spare change.

Start by connecting your credit and/or debit cards to their secure site, and Acorns automatically rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar, investing the difference for you. You can also schedule recurring investments if you want to grow your portfolio more quickly. There are no trade fees or minimums, just $1 per month for your own diversified portfolio built with help from a Nobel laureate.

I love the Acorns money saving app because it makes the intimidating task of investing accessible to the average person. In about five minutes, my Acorns account was set up and ready to go. The automatic Round-Ups mean I don’t have to think about investing, and Acorns will even add money from their partner retailers to your account when you shop with them. These Found Money partners include companies like Airbnb, Sephora, Nike, Walmart, Liberty Mutual, and more.

Using only basic Round-Ups and a few Found Money purchases, I have saved $606.05 that was invested in my portfolio. I love that I don’t have to be an expert because the pros with the Acorns money saving app are taking care of it for me. Plus, they have an entire section dedicated to growing your knowledge if you want to become for financially savvy.

Want to save money with the Acorns app? Click here to set up your easy investment account today.    

Checkout 51

Checkout 51 is a similar money saving app to Ibotta, but with fewer bells and whistles. You’ll find rebates and coupons for cash back on name brand grocery items from lots of major retailers like Aldi, CVS, Kroger, and Target.

You select the offer you want to redeem, upload your receipt, and cash back is added to your account. I have earned $31.40 in savings on this app so far. Try Checkout 51 today here.

Raise

Raise is a money saving app that lets you buy (and sell) gift cards to stores, restaurants, travel sites, and more. The gift cards are sold at a discounted rate so you can save money on all kinds of things.

For example, this week I bought Chipotle gift cards for 10 percent off. Holy Guacamole! Raise is also great for gifts so don’t forget about it for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation, teacher appreciation, Christmas, and birthdays!

When you buy an electronic gift card on Raise, it is emailed to you for instant download so you can print and use. But my favorite part of the Raise app is the virtual wallet that keeps your gift cards organized on your phone so you can use them anytime. They also have some physical cards that are mailed.

Raise has a one-year guarantee on purchases so you can feel confident you have a working gift card. I have $60.25 savings to date on this app! If you sign up for Raise today using my link, they’ll give you $5 off your first card.

I hope you see why these are my top five money saving apps. Combined, they have saved me $1,382.28 and counting!

You can also get creative and stack your savings. For example, you could start with the Rakuten app and select to shop at Raise. This will give you one percent cash back on your gift card purchase. You could then buy a gift card for Rite Aid for 4.6 percent off. This purchase will be rounded up for savings in your Acorn app. Go to Rite Aid and buy CLR Bath and Kitchen Cleaner with your gift card, which you can then redeem for $1 cash back on Checkout 51 and $0.75 on Ibotta. All that without coupons and promo codes!

This is an example from the day I wrote this article and may not be available exactly like this when you read it. However, it gives you an idea of how these free apps can help you save money on everyday purchases.

What are your favorite money saving apps? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below. And if you are looking for more ways to save, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter for exclusive savings ideas and more right in your inbox. You’ll even get 50 Simple Ways to Save Money just for signing up!

Be sure to check out these money savers:

Who Does Grocery Pickup Best? Walmart Grocery vs. Kroger ClickList

4 Easy Ways to Save Money Now

How to Save Money on Prescription Glasses

8 Ways We Raised $35,123.51 for Our Adoption Without Debt