The best money-saving apps for Windows Phone
Crack out your Nokia Lumia and prepare to hear a louder jingle in your pocket when using these wallet-happy digital nuggets
Last week, we ran a popular article that highlighted the best Windows Phone apps for money management. However, your Lumia also holds the key to reducing dough on day-to-day goods and services, as these apps show. Install them now and start saving!
What is it? An automatic deal-finder based on your interests and locale
Why we love it? Whether you’re looking for bargain getaways or boxes of nappies, Groupon has the variety to deliver (and surprise). Every day you’ll get a bespoke list of offers through the app and, as long as the required number of people have bought the one you’re interested in, the deal will be ‘on’ and you’ll be on your way to saving pennies. Swipe through each deal to find locations, contact information and, most importantly, the small print of each bargain.
Who’s it perfect for? Those looking for spur-of-the-moment treats or industrial-sized quantities of everyday goods.
What is it? A free text, photo and call service for keeping in touch.
Why we love it? The simple interoperability between platforms and devices it’s available for. There’s no advertising, it’s easy to use and, providing you have a half-decent data or wifi connection, the call quality is superb. Live Tile support flags up messages and you can even switch to your GSM network through the app if your call quality drops below a certain level.
Who’s it perfect for? Friends and family that live apart. Whether you’re in different counties, countries or continents, as long as you and your buddies have this installed, you could save yourself hundreds in call costs.
What is it? A geek’s way to monitor home utility meters.
Why we love it? The interface can look quite daunting, but the developer has clearly gone to great lengths to simplify the process as much as possible. Just start entering readings and you’ll quickly be able to analyse usage and costs – broken down into charts and graphs. You can choose from dozens of different currencies and because it’s not provider specific, it’ll work for most people. The trial version is free for two weeks, then you’ll have to invest.
Who’s it perfect for? Advanced money-savers who like the idea of extrapolating usage data to predict energy and water costs to reduce bills.
What is it? A real-time, location-specific digital coupon app
Why we love it? Initially set-up in the UK, but now available in in the USA, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Malta and Ireland, Vouchercloud is hard to beat when it comes to pure money saving. Fire up the app and it’ll tell you the deals closest to you from shops, bars, restaurants, theatres and hotels among a glut of others. Download the deal to your app wallet and show it to the vendor to claim your offer or discount. It couldn’t be simpler.
Who’s it perfect for? Modern-day bargain hunters.
What is it? An instant price-comparison app for most things with a barcode.
Why we love it? The premise is simple: point your Lumia at a product’s barcode (or QR code) and you’ll be told how much you can buy it for online from a number of retailers – with direct links. If you’re based in the USA, you’ll also get prices from stores local to you. If applicable, you’ll be given customer reviews of the product and the ability to pin searches to your Start Screen for quick price checks and the chance to share deals with others.
Who’s it perfect for? Car boot and second-hand-store hagglers
What is it? A user-generated fuel finder for UK drivers
Why we love it? The concept of a community sharing knowledge to help others save money is a good one in our book. Especially as the price of petrol in the UK continues to rise. Simply search for a specific location to highlight the cheapest and nearest gasoline. You can filter by type of petrol, brand and how recent the data was updated, plus the ability to update the data yourself. The information isn’t always up-to-date, but we found it more accurate than not in our testing.
Who’s it perfect for? Economising UK road warriors
What is it? A simple way to stop you paying over the odds when splitting the bill
Why we love it? We’ve all been there: a lovely night out with friends at a restaurant, ending with a panicked and inaccurate bill-settling procedure that leaves you out of pocket. Well, no more. This app will not only split a meal bill, but is powerful enough to keep track of full-blown group holidays that involve car rental, hotel bookings, tickets and suchlike. The end product is a detailed breakdown of who owes what and who’s paid what.
Who’s it perfect for? Group holidaymakers.
What are your favourite apps for saving cash? Let us know!