From apps that track local deals to browser extensions that automatically apply coupons or cash-back offers, a few simple downloads can make a big difference. Our tech columnist Marc Saltzman shares his top picks to help you shop smarter and save more this season for this month's The Download.
Despite a challenging economic year (or perhaps because of it), we're likely to splurge on thoughtful gifts for our loved ones this holiday season.
But, why pay more than you need to?
Thankfully, there are a handful of tools in your arsenal—apps, websites and browser extensions—each designed to sniff out the best deals available at retail and online. And they each work a little differently, so it pays to leverage multiple solutions.
To help identify the best deals, here are five fantastic freebies to download at the App Store (for iPhone, iPad) or Google Play (for Android devices) or to access on a web browser.
Focusing on your local retailers, Flipp not only aggregates all those paper store flyers we get delivered to our door each week, but it also highlights the best deals, too—including Black Friday sales.
Simply browse by store (such as Staples or Walmart) or type in a word in the search window to begin flipping through ads. Tap and hold to learn more about a product, or quickly tap to virtually clip it into your “smart” shopping list (it also lets you type in a word, like “Nintendo,” and it will show you the best related deals nearby). You can also take advantage of the Watch List feature that tracks deals based on what you have your eye on.
Flipp is ideal for consumer electronics, household items, clothing and even your weekly grocery shop, and it will also hold all of your loyalty cards—like Optimum, Aeroplan and Scene—for easy scanning at the checkout counter.
It’s one thing to save money while shopping smartly, but what about apps that can earn you money?
Rakuten pays cash back every time you shop online through participating retailers—and there more than 750 such stores in Canada.
Sign up for a free account (and get a $5 bonus) and then launch the Rakuten app or website whenever you want to start shopping. Now you can tap on the logo of a supported store to search for products—such as Temu, Sephora, lululemon, Simons, H&M or PetSmart—or type in a keyword in the search bar at the top, and once you buy the item at the store you’ll start earning cash that can be sent to you via cheque, deposited into a PayPal account, or better yet, as an Interac e-transfer.
There is also a free browser extension, should you prefer Rakuten to automatically find and apply coupons (and compare prices), so you get the best deal.
The percentage you get back varies from retailer to retailer, but Rakuten.ca says Black Friday and Cyber Monday members can earn up to 15 percent cash back at more than 100 stores.
Slickdeals is considered the largest online deal-sharing community, with about 12 million users according to the company.
Here’s how it works: Every online or retail deal discussed on forums is voted on by the community, and the hottest ones move up to the Popular Deals section (such as 35 percent off a new 75-inch 4K LG TV). The best of the Popular Deals is then screened by the company’s Deal Editors, to see if the deal is good enough to graduate to the coveted Frontpage of the app or website. There is also a dedicated Black Friday section.
If you want to price-watch an item, you can sign up for Deal Alerts, and be notified if such a bargain is posted. In fact, a Slickdeals browser extension—available for Chrome, Edge and Firefox—gives you early access to Slickdeals best-of-web deals.
While it favours U.S. deals, Slickdeals also offers Canadian coupons, promo codes, weekly ads and freebies.
Honey, now owned by PayPal, is another “sweet” way to save money on purchases.
This popular browser extension tool searches the internet to bring you the best prices, including coupon codes across thousands of websites.
To get going, click to add Honey to your favourite web browser—be it Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox or Opera – and shop online like you normally would. Honey will sense where and what you’re shopping for and let you know if the price is higher or lower than usual, it finds a better price elsewhere, and if there are promo codes available (it will even apply them to your cart).
There is also the Honey Gold rewards program, where you can earn “gold” (points) towards gift cards. PayPal Honey’s activate button will pop up whenever there’s gold available. Click or tap the button whenever you see it and get gold on eligible purchases, and then redeem for gift cards from some of your favourite stores.
Don’t forget about online marketplace apps, too, as you likely will find great deals—and not just over Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Many items are new, too, in box, from those who received gifts (or bought items themselves) and are willing to resell. Or maybe it’s an open box or used items, which should be priced accordingly.
The website and app make it easy to chat with sellers. You can negotiate a price instead of offering what they’re asking, but don’t lowball, either (it can be insulting!). Take note of a seller’s star rating (out of five), as it invokes trust; the more the reviews (and of course, the higher the number of stars as an average), the better. Be sure to meet the seller in a public place (and maybe bring a friend along) and inspect the items before you hand over the cash to ensure it’s as advertised.
Also know that some sellers on Kijiji are small businesses looking to augment their traditional sales channels.
Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and the author of the book Apple Watch For Dummies (Wiley).
