Cultus
At this point, anyone who owns a smartphone knows how to use an application. There are several different applications that can help college students or teens preparing for college save money in many ways. Most applications are free and will be compatible with any type of smartphone. Some can be used on other devices like tablets and even your computer.
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Mint:
Mint is one of the most popular money and finance apps available on both iOS and Android platforms. Learning to use it before or during college can actually give you jump start on managing finances for your entire life. Mint helps you tie together your spending, bills, and payments by creating charts and graphs. Once you set it up for yourself, it is customized and allows you to see all of your personal financials easily in graphic form.
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Chegg:
Chegg is an application that helps you search for the lowest prices on new and used textbooks in both traditional and digital formats. You can then opt to buy or rent the textbooks you need. If you do buy textbooks, you can utilize the application to sell them back when you are done with that class.
SmartyPig is a savings application with a twist. The application helps you save for something specific like a big purchase, special event, or just accumulate savings. It helps reach your savings goals faster by adding in a 1% interest to your savings and also offering cash rewards that can be redeemed for retailer gift cards that come with up to 11% savings.
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WhatsApp:
Although this is not specifically a money saving app, it really does save money in the long run because it allows you to text internationally for free. This is especially helpful for college students studying abroad. Keep in touch with family and friends for free. It allows you to text, call, can send pictures back and forth.
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BillGuard:
BillGuard is 100% free app that helps protect you from credit card fraudulent activity. Since College students are at the age where you can apply for and use credit cards, it is a great idea to learn about protecting yourself from fraud and learning how to track spending. It is easy for new credit card holders to let spending get out of control. Using a tool like Bill Guard to ensure that spending does not get away from you. Being careful with early credit card spending is so important so that mistakes in over spending do not continue to haunt you for the rest of your life.
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GasBuddy
Gas Buddy is an iPhone application that shows you where the best price gas stations are in your area. Of course, this application is great for anyone who drives, no matter what the age. The app also helps you find nearby gas stations, which is important when travelling. Knowing which gas stations are the least expensive is an extra added benefit.
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Coupon Sherpa
Coupon Sherpa is a mobile couponing app that helps the busy college student always on the go find coupons when you need them. What college student has time to clip coupons ahead of time? This helps you look up and use coupons when you need them.
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Saved Plus
Saved Plus is a free application for iOS and Android that automatically saves money based on your spending. When you make purchases, a percentage of each purchase that you set will be transferred to your savings account. In addition to saving the money for you, the app lets you set savings goals.
Bio: Tegan Connor is a blogger and Brand Manager for Neverland Store. She enjoys writing about lifestyle tips for college students and young adults.
