15 Best Money Saving Websites That Save Big Bucks
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I love finding ways to save money. With a family of five we actively look for ways to cut costs so we can maximize our budget. The best money saving websites make it simple to live a more frugal lifestyle so we can spend our money on things we value. Thankfully, there are plenty of money saving apps that help you save money in every area of life. Below are just a few of the types of money saving sites you can use to save cash:
- Money saving websites for Moms
- Money saving food apps
- Money saving travel apps
- Money saving apps for shopping
The above list covers the majority of the money saving websites. In this post I’ll cover some of the top money saving sites we use on a regular basis to cut costs.
The best Money Saving Websites to Help Grow Your Money
While we love to save money there’s one key reason why we use different money saving sites – it frees up money we can use to save or invest. We don’t actively coupon, per se, as it the time spent is not worth the savings.
However, many money saving apps can be accessed from your phone and used in real time making it a no-brainer. Doing so allows us to spend less, stay within our budget and have extra money to spend on other, more important priorities.
Here are the 15 best money saving websites we use to save cash every day.
1. Trim
How many subscriptions or memberships do you have that you simply don’t use? The answer may surprise you and can easily rack up wasteful spending that keeps you reaching goals.
This is where Trim can help save you money. Trim is a free to use app that can cancel those useless subscriptions, letting you bank the savings. Trim can also negotiate bills (like cable, utilities, phone, etc.) to help you save even more.
I personally hate calling providers to cancel subscriptions or negotiate lower rates. I’d rather let Trim do it for me so I can focus my energy and time on other tasks that make me money! Read our Trim review to get a better idea of how they help you save money.
2. Amazon Subscribe & Save
We’ve spoken about Amazon Subscribe & Save in the past. Amazon Subscribe & Save works quite simply. If you buy something over and over, you can set up a regular interval to receive said item and get up to an additional 15 percent off. We do this with several items in our home that we need on a somewhat regular basis and save ten percent on the overall purchase.
While you do have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of Subscribe & Save, we love it as you pay as you go and can cancel at any time. If you don’t need a particular item when it comes due to ship, you can delay it as long as you need with two quick clicks.
3. Tiller
Not every money saving site on this list helps you save money when buying something. Some, like Tiller, let you track your spending so you can find money saving opportunities. We all know not everyone likes to budget, but using a service like Tiller makes staying on top of your finances much simpler.
Tiller makes monitoring your spending simple. The service connects to your bank account and automatically pulls all of your transactions and puts them in a Google Sheet. This lets you go through your spending and find potential savings opportunities.
Tiller offers a free trial for the first 30 days, and is then $7 per month if you decide to keep the service.
4. ThredUp
Clothing costs can add up quickly with a big family. That’s why we recommend one of the best money websites for Moms – thredUP. If you have young kids, you know how quickly they grow and how hard it can be to keep them in clothes that fit.
ThredUP is a solid go-to option to reduce the overall cost of clothing for your family. ThredUP works fairly simply. In essence, it’s an online consignment shop for women and children.
When your children outgrow their clothing, or you’re done with a particular outfit, you sell it to thredUP for cash.
You can also buy clothing from thredUP to help minimize clothing costs. Orders over $50 ship for free and they have a 30-day refund policy.
5. LivingSocial
Groupon helped pioneer the “daily deal” space, with LivingSocial not too far behind. We prefer using LivingSocial as they seem to have a better selection and when you’re able to get three friends to purchase a deal, you get the deal in question for free.
LivingSocial is one of the best money saving sites because they just offer so many deals – up to 90 percent off! You can find deals in your city, or many other cities, for things like:
- Dining
- Entertainment and Events
- Destination spots
- Personalized items
This makes the app perfect for fun date night ideas for couples or a reduced cost excursion on your next trip. You can either use the LivingSocial app, or use their website like a search engine to find money saving deals.
6. Ebates
Who doesn’t like to get money back for making a purchase? It’s not impossible when you use a cash back portal like Ebates.
*Related: Want other choices to save money shopping? Here’s our guide on the best free coupon sites to use to save money.*
It works like this: you make your purchase through the portal and Ebates kicks back anywhere from 7-10% of the total purchase price as savings.
When you shop on sites like Old Navy or Amazon, Ebates is a good money saving website to use to help lower your costs. They even give you a free $5 when you sign up.
Read our Ebates review to learn more about how Ebates works to help save you money.
7. Hotels.com
We love to travel. Unfortunately, traveling with a family can get expensive quickly. When we are unable to use travel rewards Hotels.com is one of our favorite money saving travel apps that helps us hack our travel expenses.
Hotels.com allows you to search based on location you want to be in the given location, and can filter search results based on particular amenities.
The best part is that Hotels.com does not charge a cancelation fee, so if your trip needs to be changed or canceled you avoid any charges.
8. SurveyJunkie
SurveyJunkie isn’t a traditional money saving website like many of the ones previously listed. In fact, SurveyJunkie is a legit survey site that allows you to earn cash in your free time.
Survey sites won’t let you get rich quick but they can be a great way to monetize your down time. SurveyJunkie is a bit different from other survey sites in they give you points even if you don’t qualify for a survey.
SurveyJunkie has a low $10 payout threshold and you get earnings credited to your account right after completing a survey. What makes SurveyJunkie one of the best money saving websites is that you can redeem earnings in things besides cash – like Amazon gift cards so you can save money on items you need from Amazon.
9. Ibotta
How would you like to get money back when you go grocery shopping? Money saving apps like Ibotta help you do just that.
Ibotta is simple to use. You download the Ibotta app to your phone and go to the grocery store. While at the store you look through available rebates. When you find a rebate you like, you click on it and go about your shopping. Once you return home you upload the receipt and they credit the savings to your account.
Ibotta is not just a money saving food app, but it also works at department stores, restaurants, when shopping online and more. Ibotta also gives you $10 when you sign up!
10. fiverr
If you’ve not heard of Fiverr, the concept is simple. You pay someone $5 to do a simple task you need done. Fiverr has exploded over the years as a part of the gig economy with people looking to make money on the side. Using a service like Fiverr can be a great way to save money on simple tasks.
*Related: Need a cheap place to make copies? Read our guide on the cheapest places to make copies near me to find the best options to save money.*
We’ve personally used Fiverr for logos and e-book cover designs. Here are some other tasks you can have completed by a person on Fiverr:
- Write headlines
- Draw pictures
- Transcribe audio files
- Design business cards
- Create spreadsheets
- Do voiceovers
As you can see, there’s a wide array of tasks you can commission on Fiverr. Many professionals who take tasks on Fiverr also offer add-ons if you need something beyond a simple task done – something we’ve taken advantage of as well. If you need a task done relatively quickly, Fiverr can be a great low-cost option.
11. Instacart
Are you looking for a way to save time during the week? If you’re like our family, grocery shopping takes time you’d like to use on other tasks. Instacart is a part of the growing grocery delivery service.
*Related: Like to use your phone to save money shopping? Read our guide on the top apps to scan receipts for money to reduce food costs.*
I know what you might be thinking, how does paying to have groceries delivered save money? It’s quite simple. Without doing the actual shopping, you remove yourself from the temptation of throwing stuff in the cart you don’t need. You can also use the time on more pressing needs.
Instacart often runs promotions for new customers and you can use manufacturer coupons to lower your total bill.
12. HomeAway
I mentioned in #7 how we love to travel. However, with three kids that often means we need two hotel rooms when traveling. Because of that we like to rent a house as often as we can as it helps save money on our travel in a variety of ways – from cheaper lodging to the ability to prepare our own meals.
We use HomeAway (owners of VRBO and VacationRentals.com) to book rental homes as they’re one of the best money saving travel apps in the space.
HomeAway lets you search by proximity, price, and other amenities – just like Hotels.com. You simply type in your destination and start searching for properties based on your needs.
13. Gazelle
Do you have any old cell phones, tablets or other electronic devices laying around your house? We do and they can quickly become a nuisance thanks to the clutter. While it’s tempting to throw away those old devices, you can make money by selling them to sites like Gazelle.
What makes Gazelle one of the best money saving websites is that you can sell multiple items to them and use that cash for other needs (or reinvest into a new device). Plus, they pay for the shipping. Gazelle takes both Android and Apple products, in addition to other electronic devices.
If you’re looking for a similar website that specializes in Apple products, BuyBack Boss works much like Gazelle but only buys back Apple products.
14. $5 Meal Plan
One of the first things we did when trying to save more money was start a meal plan. Meal planning is as simple as it sounds. You plan out the meals you want to make and then plan your shopping around what those meals require. We spend less on groceries and when things get busy we’re not left trying to figure out what to make for dinner.
$5 Meal Plan is one of the best money saving websites for Moms and Dads alike because they give you the resources you need to start meal planning. They provide meal plans, including ingredients, to help you to save money and make great meals – and it starts with a 14-day free trial.
If you’re looking for a way to save money and time, a site like $5 Meal Plan is a great way to accomplish both.
15. Checkout51
The final money saving website on our list is one of the best money saving apps. Like Ibotta, Checkout51 is a great option if you’re looking to save money on food costs and want to reduce your grocery bill.
Checkout51 works much like Ibotta, with a few twists. Checkout51 updates rebates on Thursdays. You go to the store and claim your rebates, finish your shopping, and go home to upload your receipt. The one drawback is they currently only send payment via check and do not allow for a PayPal-like option.
However, like with Ibotta, you can also use Checkout51 on online purchases as well as at any store that itemizes receipts.
If you’re looking for a way to keep more cash in your pocket, check out a few of the best money saving websites listed here. Find the ones that work for you and start saving more money!
What are some of your favorite money saving websites? What do you believe is the best money saving app available? What are some other ways you like to save money every month?
John is the founder of Frugal Rules, a dad, husband and veteran of the financial services industry whose writing has been featured in Forbes, CNBC, Yahoo Finance and more.
Passionate about helping people learn from his mistakes, John shares financial tools and tips to help you enjoy the freedom that comes from living frugally. One of his favorite tools is Personal Capital , which he used to plan for retirement and keep track of his finances in less than 15 minutes each month.
Another one of John's passions is helping people save $80 per month by axing their expensive cable subscriptions and replacing them with more affordable ones, like Hulu with Live TV.
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33 Comments
We don’t do the Amazon subscription service now because we get better deals by combining coupons and sales. This works because of the infrequency of needing the items. But I see us using it once kids come and maybe even their Mommy & Me service (I think that’s the name).
I love using Morningstar as well. I frequent Fat Wallet too, but mostly for the forums. Sometimes I go into the deals section.
We’ve found the same thing to be true Jon in that some of the subscribe and save deals just aren’t as good of a deal. You really need to do your research on it if you’re looking at something to subscribe to.
I use to order from Retailmenot when I was living in the U.S. I can testify that what you see is exactly what you’re going to get. They also deliver the items pretty quickly.
I use RetailMeNot all the time!
I love Groupon and RetailMeNot. I use both of them all the time! I use retailmenot for coupons and groupon for hair and dental appointments.
We’re the same way, especially with RetailMeNot. It’s my first stop when buying something online.
I use about 75% of these. I’m also a big fan of the coupons at checkout and price blink browser add ons. They automatically check for promo codes when you’re shopping online so you don’t have to google or anything.
That’s a great way to do it Stefanie – money AND time savings!
I’ve been reading a lot about Personal Capital and will have to check them out. I haven’t heard of many of the other sites so I have this page bookmarked. I do use amazon subscribe and save for one item though. If it’s something you buy regularly and can only get it online I recommend it.
You should check them out Tonya, especially since they’re free. We get a couple of things on the subscribe and save, mainly so I can just avoid Wal-Mart. 🙂
I am going to check out Personal Capital. I have been itching to move to something new. I have been hearing more and more about this one. It is hard to change when you have been using one for soooooo long.
I know, it can be difficult to make that change. I really like it as it allows me to have everything in one place.
Great list of money-saving websites. I will have to look into freecycle. Sounds like an interesting website.
Thanks Michelle! Freecycle is one I’ve been meaning for us to check out, you can’t beat free!
What a great lists of money saving websites ya got there John! Thanks for that.
The only one however that I have used is Freecycle. Since I really don’t buy anything new, I tend to frequent sites like Freecycle, Craigslist and Kijijji. But not before I take a trip to a few local Thrift shops to see if they have what I need. Those are the place I’d rather spend my cash.
Maybe I’m just too old school 🙂
Thanks for the research and take care.
Lyle
I don’t think that’s old school at all Lyle – it’s being smart. 🙂
I wrote a two-part post where I shared a total of 10 sites that help people save money. Surprisingly none of them overlapped with yours (unless I have bad memory). Sites like coupons.com and Pocket your Dollars have literally saved us thousands.
I seem to remember that and I totally overlooked Coupons.com!
Some of these I’ve heard of or used and some I haven’t. I’ll have to check these out next time I’m going to be making a purchase anyway to see if I can same some money. 🙂
Sounds like a plan Kayla – saving is pretty easy through many of these options.
I use retailmenot all the time. I haven’t paid full price for a pizza in years.
Can’t complain about that!
Perhaps I need to up my game. I haven’t heard of most of these. But I am a HUGE believer in Subscribe and Save right now. We are closing in on the end of three years of getting diapers this way – with a couple more to go yet. I think it is the best idea yet. If I scrimped and hunted, I might be able to save a couple cents or even a dollar here or there by combining coupons and sales. But the guaranteed 20% off is worth it to me. Plus I never fear that I’ll need to run out in the middle of the night, in a blizzard, while the kids are sick, Mr. Maroon is out of town… (you get the idea) to buy something as essential as diapers.
Some people automate savings (which is genius, by the way). I automate diapers.
We just started using Subscribe and Save a few months ago for an item or two and really like it. Plus, it helps me avoid Wal-Mart! We discovered it too late for diapers as our youngest is potty training at the moment, but I totally understand where you’re coming from.
Ha ha, I can’t blame you on that one!
For the Canadians out there, I use save.ca,websaver.ca, and the Canadian version of retailmenot and coupons.com.
I think sites like Groupon/Living Social are only money saving sites when it’s something you actually want to buy and there’s a deal on it. I find most of the time, the products and services offered are things I wouldn’t really use, even with a deal.
Sometimes people feel pressured to buy the deal because it’s only on for such a short time and then don’t even end up using it (such as yours truly). I ended up selling one of my groupons to someone else.
That’s a good point on Groupon/Living Social. It has to be a really good deal on something we’d use anyway. We use it for date nights quite a bit as a couple of the restaurants we like commonly have deals through them
Thanks for this comprehensive list. My list only consists of Groupon and Living Social so this list will definitely be bookmarked!
Glad to help!
Thanks, John. You have introduced me to some great websites that I have never used before. I agree that consumerreports.org is well worth the price of admission. I consult it for both small and large purchases (everything from laundry soap to automobiles). Their buying guides are also very useful (and often free to non-subscribers). Thanks again for your excellent recommendations.
Not a problem at all Jason. I really like using Consumer Reports as well, especially for larger purchases – they’re often the first site I go to.
I use Ebates.com. they basically pay you for shopping online. you go to their site and choose the store you would like to buy from and they take you to the site. you get a percentage from your purchase. i highly recommend it to everyone.
These are some great website resources! I already use some, but I plan on checking out some of the others listed.
Definitely use Amazon prime a lot. I can decide to buy something and have it so fast! It’s my go-to for holiday shopping, that and Freeshipping.org since I hate to pay shipping too!