Five money-saving apps to try

Digital tools to help you make the most of your finances.
Published October 17, 2018

Whether you are looking to master your small business’ finances, or just want to get a good look at your personal budget, these five apps will help put you in control.  

Checkout51 – to get cash back on your groceries

Checkout511 essentially pays you to buy groceries – yes, seriously. Every Thursday, the app updates with a fresh list of offers. You choose the ones you like and purchase them at your grocery store. Then mark off the offers you claimed, upload a photo of your receipt, and your account will be credited with cash back. When your account reaches $20, you can request a cheque.

FreshBooks – for small-business owners or freelancers

With FreshBooks, you can make and send invoices, record your business expenses, and keep track of your hours worked. The app also creates reports so you can see how your business is doing at any time and even lets you accept payments from clients through the app itself. It’s all about helping you keep track of your business finances and maximize your productivity.

GasBuddy – to find the best gas prices around

You know the struggle – driving 20 minutes out of your way to fill up, planning your errands around gas stations based on today’s best prices. GasBuddy aims to make that easier – simply enter your postal code and it’ll tell you gas prices in your area so you can find the best deal. The app also lets you report gas prices you’ve seen and offers gas giveaways and fun challenges.

Mint – for all-around personal finance management

Made by Intuit, the same people behind TurboTax and QuickBooks, Mint is designed to keep your financial life all in one place. The app lets you track bills, helps you create and stick to a budget, and even provides your credit score. The idea with this app is to link all your accounts, cards, bills and investments so it can give you a full picture of your financial situation and how you can improve it.

Smart Receipts – to track all those bits of paper

Smart Receipts is perfect for people who travel a lot for work. Keeping track of receipts for every meal, cab ride and tip and then sorting it all out for monthly expense reports can be tedious, to say the least. With this app, you can scan or upload your receipts and it will organize them for you. Then you can create an expense report right in the app itself, and you’re done. No more hours-long tally sessions with a calculator and ink-stained fingers.