Though employment numbers are rising and fears of a full-blown pandemic recession are easing, many Americans are still struggling with expenses and saving money has become essential. The good news is there are plenty of websites that can help you do that, connecting users with deals and discounts on everything from grocery shopping to clothing and gas. Here are some of the top options for pinching pennies.
RetailMeNot
RetailMeNot provides digital codes to apply at checkout when shopping online. The site also includes holiday sales and even clearance sales across all categories.
Groupon
Groupon offers a massive selection of localized deals and discounts. Those who sign up for alerts will get notifications about everything from special sales to new promo codes or price drops on items or services you may have recently viewed.
LivingSocial
Like Groupon, (with which it merged in 2016), LivingSocial offers deals on goods, services, and travel. It offers discounts on everything from Sam's Club to Valvoline Instant Oil Changes.
Related: Cheapest Oil Change: Jiffy Lube vs. Valvoline vs. Walmart and More
Slickdeals
Slickdeals offers shoppers discounts on purchases across a variety of categories (groceries, video games, computers, home, clothing and accessories, and more) for a selection of stores. Users can shop by deal or by store, and can sign up for personalized deal alerts.
Coupon Sherpa
The Coupon Sherpa motto is "coupons you can trust." The site promises more than 30,000 tested printable coupons, coupon codes and grocery coupons that shoppers can use in stores and online.
Related: 16 Insider Tips and Secrets for Frugal Online Shopping
DealNews
DealNews experts sift through online savings opportunities and promise to post more than 400 deals every weekday. The site guarantees to list only products that are the lowest price available from reputable companies. The site covers clothing, computers, electronics, games, toys, and even airfare deals.
Ben's Bargains
Ben's Bargains is a survivor of the original dot-com crash and continues to post deals sorted by brands, stores, or categories. The site also includes a blog that provides product reviews and guides. Users can also create customized deal alerts.
Coupons.com
Coupons.com offers free, printable coupons, digital coupons, coupon codes, and summer discounts. The categories covered by the site include food, personal care, baby and toddler, household, health care, and more.
Related: 14 Ways Parents Waste Money on Kids
Brad's Deals
Aside from listing hundreds of stores and showcasing deals on purchases, Brad's offers shopping guides, personalized deal alerts, and coupons from well-known stores such as Amazon, Best Buy, Expedia, and Home Depot.
Offers.com
Many of the thousands of coupons, and deals available on Offers are for well-known stores and brands including Adidas, Walmart, Samsung, Hotwire and Dell. The site offers coupons and coupon codes, as well as savings tips and exclusive deals only available at Offers.
Woot
In addition to coupons and deals on products across a range of categories, Amazon-owned Woot maintains forums for shoppers to share deals of their own. It once ran a Ken Jennings "Debunker" blog that was less about deals than entertainment; its archives still make for a fun break from shopping.
Savings.com
Click on Savings.com's coupons, promo codes, or advertised discounts and you are taken directly to retailer sites, where coupon codes are applied to your purchases. Deals are available at such well-known brands and stores as Home Depot, Gap, Macy's, and more.
Money Saving Mom
Money Saving Mom offers a large collection of printable and digital coupons. The site includes the latest deals, store deals, giveaways, and freebies and a blog that covers everything from how to make money to time management tips.
Related: 50 Freebies and Discounts You Can Get on Your Birthday
The Krazy Coupon Lady
Users can shop by store, or by coupon type (coffee coupons, diaper coupons, dog coupons) or by specific deals when they're relevant (back to school sales, for instance, or Black Friday deals). The site also offers tips on how to save money, and store hacks.
Honey
Honey is a browser extension that sets itself apart by detecting discount codes while you shop online. It finds and applies the best coupons at checkout automatically, without users having to search for a code themselves. It also offers a Droplist, which allows users to add an item they have their eye on; Honey sends notifications when the price on that item drops. It also includes an Amazon Best Price feature that compares the prices of all sellers on Amazon to find the best price.
Similar to Honey, Capital One Shopping offers a free browser extension that automatically compares prices across tens of thousands of retailers in seconds and scans for promotions that can help you save money on your online purchases. On top of that, you can earn rewards and gift cards while shopping.
Related: This Online Shopping Tool Can Save You Money Automatically
Rakuten
Use Rakuten to apply coupons and earn cash back when shopping, with money delivered through PayPal or by check. The site earns the money from stores in return for directing shoppers there, then shares some with you.
MyPoints
MyPoints offers promo codes and deals to members, who also earn points for every dollar spent when shopping through the site. The points are added to users' accounts, which can be cashed out and redeemed for gift cards or a transfer via PayPal.
InboxDollars
InboxDollars provides cash-back opportunities in exchange for participants taking online surveys, reading emails, playing video games, and watching videos for its partners who include brands such as Netflix, Target, and Walmart. The site claims to have paid more than $59 million in cash rewards.
Ibotta
Ibottaoffers personalized cash-back offers in-store and online for common household purchases such as eggs, bread, and milk. Users pay for items directly from the Ibotta app and get instant cash back on the purchase at hundreds of retailers, many of them national chains.
TopCashback
TopCashback, which is free to join and has 11 million members worldwide, says it guarantees higher cash-back rates than its competitors. Users browse the site to shop thousands of retailers and exclusive cashback offers. The site also sources coupon codes that can be used with the merchant cash back offers.
BeFrugal
BeFrugal is partnered with more than 5,000 retailers. Shop through them as you normally would after clicking a coupon, and the site pays you via PayPal, check, Venmo, direct deposit, or gift card.
ShopAtHome
Users get a $10 bonus for signing up with ShopAtHome, which offers rebates and cash back on purchases from a wide range of stores including Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Amazon.
Swagbucks
Get paid through Swagbucks by watching videos, searching the web, and answering surveys. Those who complete the required amount of tasks earn gift gards for retailers such as Amazon or Walmart or can opt for cash back via PayPal.
Booking.com
Booking.com saves users money by connecting travelers with the deals on everything from quaint B&Bs to luxury hotels, resorts, villas and apartments. Users can also sign up to have deals sent directly to their inbox.
HotelTonight
Granted, people are traveling less these days, but in the event you need a hotel room, HotelTonight may be a good place to start. The mobile-only service specializes in offering heavily discounted room rates especially for travelers who have flexible schedules or are seeking to book a room at the last minute.
Hotwire
Hotwire users can access a network of Hot Rate Hotels — the name given to its exclusive catalog of discounted hotel rooms — with a low-price guarantee. The service says it has saved users more than $3 billion.
Airbnb
Forgo pricey, cramped hotel rooms and rent a whole house instead. Airbnb gives renters virtually unlimited access to abodes of all shapes and sizes — though these days, many property owners are looking for longer stays. Vrbo is another great option for vacation rentals and lists many of the same properties, sometimes for less.
Related: 20 Amazing Airstream Trailers You Can Rent on Airbnb
Flipkey
Flipkey saves travelers money on rentals that often cost less than hotel rooms, according to the site, which features a long list of domestic vacation destinations from Myrtle Beach to Cape Cod and San Diego. Users can also sign up to get personalized recommendations and deals sent to their inbox.
GasBuddy
GasBuddy uses data provided by the network's millions of users to provide the best prices at local gas stations. The site says Americans have saved more than $12 million with its help, or as much as 25 cents per gallon. It's free to join.
Autoblog
Autoblog offers users a tool for finding the cheapest gas. Just type in a ZIP code and Autoblog shows local stations with the cheapest prices.
Related: 20 Ways to Get Better Gas Mileage
AbeBooks
AbeBooks offers access to a range of items such as vintage books, collectibles, signed books, first editions, and curated collections. Those looking for cheap textbooks can also use the site to search for the best prices from third-party sellers across the world.
Related: The Best Places to Buy Books Online
Cheapest Textbooks
Cheapest Textbooks lets users browse options from hundreds of sellers, promising buyers as much as 95% when they buy books and 70% when they rent. The site can also be used to sell old textbooks.
Related: Better Than the Bookstore: Best Sites for College Textbooks
Bigwords
Bigwords compares textbook prices from multiple online stores. The site claims its prices are 35% to 45% cheaper than other online textbook stores and as much as 90% cheaper than list prices.
Studentrate
This price comparison search engine offers deals and discounts on all textbooks with coupons, promo codes, and cash back.
SlugBooks
SlugBooks is a price comparison tool that lets users search instantly for the lowest price from a range of online competitors. Among the online options are Amazon, Texbooks.com, and Wordery.
PaperBackSwap
Bookworms don't have to pay for the hardcovers and paperbacks they love to devour — or even pay monthly subscription fees for ebook clubs. PaperBackSwap allows readers to do just that: swap books with other members for free (with the exception of postage, which you pay when you mail a book to a member). Choose from more than 1.2 million titles.
Amazon Assistant
As the name implies, the tool is designed to increase savings on Amazon, giving price notifications, product comparisons, and alerts about deals you've been watching.
Camelcamelcamel
Amazon shoppers can fine-tune their shopping strategies with Camelcamelcamel, which lets users create price drop alerts so they buy when prices are low. Signing up gets users access to Amazon price history charts for millions of products.
Related: 22 Insider Hacks and Secrets for Shopping on Amazon
Keepa
Keepa is a browser extension that allows you to set up price watches directly from a product page. Keepa will rack products for you and notify you once the product drops below your desired price. You can also use Keepa to compare and track Amazon prices.
Pricepirates
Track and compare prices from online auctions as they happen in real time on sites including eBay and Amazon Marketplace. The tool also can help users save money from thousands of online shopping sites across all product categories.
TechBargains
TechBargains partners with a variety of popular online stores to alert users to price changes, sales, or the publication of coupons. Many items listed on the site, as the name implies, are tech-related.
Gazelle
Save a nice chunk of change on an electronics purchases by buying a certified, pre-owned version on Gazelle. Users can also sell old laptops, smartphones, or tablets for a fair price through an easy online process.
Swappa
Swappa is a place to buy "gently used" electronics such as smartphones and tablets at steep discounts. Those looking to sell or exchange can also make some money by offloading old gadgets.
$5Dinners
$5Dinners offers recipes, strategic shopping tips, and meal plans that enable families to cook entire meals for $5 or less. The site also offers ecourses, points the way to printable coupons, and features a cooking curriculum and life skills for kids.
Related: 100 Cheap & Easy Dinners
Freecycle
Freecycle is a global community of nearly 9 million members that lets you do your part to help protect the planet and live sustainably. Once you sign up, you can browse groups and find people nearby who are giving away things you need, or looking for things you might be throwing away. The organization is dedicated to thrift and waste reduction, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
Swap
A consignment and thrift store, Swap offers shoppers steep discounts — up to 90% off retail prices. The site features affordable, quality, secondhand apparel for all ages.
ThredUp
Shop from a huge selection of gently used clothing and accessories at hefty discounts, some items as much as 90% off. You can also make a few bucks by selling stuff collecting dust in your own closet.
Rent the Runway
Designer clothing is expensive, but Rent the Runway offers the catwalk's best for a single night or for an ongoing rotation at work. You choose a piece, the site ships it, and you ship it back when you're done. Dry cleaning and returns are free.
GoCarma
GoCarma provides participating drivers with discounts on carpooling tolls in participating cities. Users must have the GoCarma app set up on their phone, and will get a small Bluetooth device for a car's glove box. Users report saving $150 monthly on tolls.
Getaround
Getaround is a car-rental alternative that lets drivers find, reserve, and book cars by the hour or the day. Cars, trucks and vans are available. There's no subscription or monthly membership required. You pay only for the time you rent a vehicle. You can also share your car on the site to earn money.
Turo
A peer-to-peer car rental site Turo promises safe car sharing despite coronavirus. All cars are clean and disinfected, and the service provides contactless check-in. You can also cancel for free up to 24 hours before your reservation — or share your own car on the site to earn extra cash.
Zipcar
The oldest U.S. car sharing company is still at it, in more than 500 cities and towns with more than 12,000 vehicles, from tiny cars to moving vans and even the occasional luxury ride. Membership is $70 annually, and cars are rented by the hour (but can be taken out for entire days as well).
Ladybug
Drivers save money by browsing multiple car rental sites with a single search. Just plug in the pickup location, time, and date to find the lowest rates.
AutoRentals
Autorentals offers rental deals at airports big and small. Using the site you can search major cities from New York to Los Angeles and Chicago to find the best deals on rental vehicles.
Glyde
Glyde lets visitors buy premium used cellphones and make some money by selling or trading in their own phones. The site features Apple phones, ranging from the iPhone 6s to the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
SpotHero
SpotHero can be used to find and compare pricing on parking spots near your destination. You can also prepay for spots and make monthly parking reservations. The service allows for touch-free payment via its app.
ParkWhiz
ParkWhiz lets users save money while avoiding the hassle of looking for a spot or finding a garage. Book a space at the rate you choose and use a ParkWhiz pass for savings of up to 50%.
Parking Panda
Using Parking Panda to search and compare available parking options and prices across 40 cities in real time. You can prebuy spots and redeem your purchase seamlessly.
Flipp
Flipp is a collection of digital ads, deals, and coupons. The site updates its deals regularly and says users can save as much as $45 every week. Stores featured include Kroger, Family Dollar, Walgreens, BigLots, Walmart, and Lowes.
Related: 50 Ways to Save at the Grocery Store
Twicular
Use Twicular to browse weekly discounts and specials from favorite grocery stores and add them to Twicular-based shopping lists. Users can recycle shopping lists over and over. The site also features weekly specials and mobile coupons.
Checkout 51
There are more than 5,000 participating gas stations where users can earn cash back via Checkout 51, and offers are added every week for gas, groceries, and other everyday items. Earning the cash back requires simply heading to a store or gas station, buying what's on offer, and taking a photo of the receipt.
AllConnect
This broadband marketplace allows users to search, compare, and order internet, TV, security, and utilities services for their homes. The site allows for shopping more than 30 brands, from AT&T to Verizon and Xfinity.
Insure.com
Users can browse insurance plans depending on their situation, location, family size, and budget. Categories include auto, health, life, and home insurance.
Related: 21 Ways to Reduce Your Monthly Bills When Money Is Tight
Undebt
Undebt is a free service that includes a debt snowball calculator and easy-to-follow payment plans designed to help get debt to zero. Users can add and manage unlimited accounts and choose between payoff plans.
Related: 26 Tactics for Getting Out of Debt
AwardWallet
Track reward points, programs, and frequent flyer miles. The service includes hotel, dining, and shopping rewards and alerts users of upcoming expirations so there's no lost freebies or awards.
DogVacay
DogVacay lets users browse local dog sitters for when they plan to go away, saving money by choosing the best rate and feeling secure that sitters have been vetted. It claims to be the nation's largest network of five-star pet sitters and dog walkers.
Related: What are the Most Expensive and Cheapest Dog Breeds?
Wine Searcher
Wine Searcher helps wine lovers find the best prices. Just type in the wine you're looking for and the site returns the best prices from a variety of online stores.
Vivino
Vivino price agents find the best wines for the price in each category. A community of tens of millions of users can help guide users to the best low-priced wines at local stores.
Related: 20 Affordable Wine Clubs That Will Satisfy Even the Snobs
Textnow
Eliminate monthly phone bills with this phone service within an app. With a TextNow account (activated for $10), users get a 10-digit phone number and can make unlimited calls and send unlimited texts over Wi-Fi. Users get. TextNow is known for its mobile app on smartphones and tablets, but users can also make calls and send texts from their computer. The service also includes voicemail and conference call capabilities. Go ad-free for $10 a month or high-speed with hotspot capabilities for $20.
Related: Is a ‘Burner Phone’ for You? Compare 17 Cheap Prepaid Providers
Trim
The trim app analyzes your spending patterns to identify ways its staff can take action and save you money. Trim negotiates such things as cable, internet, phone, and medical bills, and even cancels old subscriptions for you.
Raise
Raise offers a cash back program when you buy full-priced gift cards, through which you can earn as much as 15% back to spend on future purchases. There are also promo codes and coupons available.
Hip2Save
Deals, coupons, recipes, and even DIY tips in a variety of categories including latest deals, Amazon deals, baby deals, and even photo deals.
Cheapism
At Cheapism, we find the best cheap products out there and tell you what they are. On our blog, we also write about travel, food, lifestyle, health and fitness, home life, and more, all with an eye toward the best ways to save money.
