Essential Apps for Saving Money

a woman on her phone looking at food deals

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jump to category:

UNiDAYS
Student Beans
Jam Doughnut
Totum
Blue Light Card
Honey
Nectar App
OLIO
TooGoodToGo

published 30 July 2023

Nowadays, savvy shoppers have many tools to secure the best deals on big-name brands. Discount and money-saving apps have carved a significant portion of the market. These applications aim to help consumers save money on everyday purchases, from groceries and clothing to travel and entertainment. This article walks you through the best ones.

UNiDAYS

UNiDAYS is an app that provides students with exclusive discounts across various sectors, such as technology, fashion, food and more. Downloading and using the app is entirely free, with top brands such as Dell, Acer, Lookfantastic and Domino’s it’s no wonder why it's a staple of many students’ home screens. Students must sign up and verify their student status by providing valid credentials from their institution then you’re good to go. They also have a hints and tips section called The Edit, which advices on day-to-day student money saving. You can also try our very own student discount page for more offers.

Did you love UNiDAYS but have finished your time as a student? That’s where Gradlife steps in. Gradlife is designed to help graduates save money when they enter the wide world. Although it doesn’t have the same discounts, there are still many big-name brands and helpful tricks and tips to help you save money post-university and help write things like your CV. However, Gradlife is specifically for those with a UNiDAYS account and cannot be used if you never used UNiDAYS during your time as a student. Don’t worry about the setup; your app will automatically switch to Gradlife when you graduate.

Student Beans is a popular student discount app that provides a variety of discounts and deals just for students. There are plenty of options to save from categories such as fashion, technology, food and online lessons. Student Beans is free to use after verifying your student status and is best used simultaneously with other apps such as UNiDAYS because one app may have brand discounts the other doesn’t, so to maximise your chances of getting a significant discount for a brand you love!

Although the name may be confusing, Jam Doughnut is a free app that offers instant cashback of up to 20% from hundreds of retailers. Unlike other cashback schemes, you don’t have to wait months for an email or cheque through the door; with Jam Doughnut, it is guaranteed the same day. Money is paid into your virtual wallet when you confirm your purchase. With big-name everyday brands such as Costa, Just Eat, Morrisons, and ASDA, Jam Doughnut is well worth downloading.

The Totum app, formerly NUS Extra, is a discount service provided by the national union for students, aimed at providing students with exclusive deals and discounts. The Totum app and access to discounts are free, but most of the benefits require a Totum card which starts at £14.99 per year. The advantage of this physical card is it can also be used as a physical ID within the UK. Totum works with over 350 big named brands and can also be used to get 10% off your grocery shop at Co-op.

The Honey app is an excellent tool in an era where online shopping has become the norm. Launched in 2012 and now owned by PayPal, Honey makes saving money easy. When you shop online, the app comes into play during checkout; Honey automatically scans the internet and voucher sites such as [ours (link)] for the best available coupon codes that apply to your cart. If a valid code is found, it is instantly applied to your order, yielding excellent savings at no effort. Honey is supported by thousands of online retailers from fashion to tech, which ensures discounts across various products.

Honey also has a rewards program called Honey Gold. Each time you shop at participating retailers, you accrue points which can be redeemed for gift cards at popular brands. Honey also has a price tracker which notifies you when items you are interested in go on sale. Despite its benefits, it should be noted that Honey does not always find valid codes, and its effectiveness varies depending on the retailer.

The Nectar app is an excellent tool for customer rewards; it is the largest loyalty card scheme in the UK, launched in 2002 with millions of users. The Nectar app serves as a platform to accumulate and spend Nectar points. You collect these points by shopping at partner retailers such as eBay, Sainsbury's, Argos, Esso petrol stations, etc. These points can then be redeemed for goods and services from these retailers.

The Nectar app tracks your spending habits and provides tailored deals ensuring the rewards you receive are relevant to your wants and needs. Although Nectar generally doesn’t directly lower the price of goods, gathering points during everyday spending pays off with little effort on your part. We discuss other rewards apps and cards similar to Nectar in our [reward schemes (SJ link)] article, but as reward point apps go, Nectar is one of the best.

Olio differs slightly from the other apps on this list but deserves an honourable mention. It doesn’t save you money in a conventional way, such as reward points or discounts. Instead, Olio saves you and others money by acting as a platform to give away, borrow and lend household goods and food in order to prevent waste. Individuals donate food or household items such as books and clothes to people in their local communities, minimising the need to buy new and making food shopping lists a little shorter.

You pay a fixed price set by the store for a bag of mixed groceries or take-out food and then collect your order within the time slot. Recently I ordered a £3 surprise bag of groceries from my local Morrisons which had a value of £10, a 70% discount. All you have to do is bring a reusable bag to the store, and you’ve saved a bunch of money and cut food wastage. For more amazing tips check out this our article on reducing food waste and saving money.

I joined MyVoucherCodes as a Deal Expert, searching the web and sourcing the best deals, discount codes and sales to benefit our readers. I decided to combine these money-saving skills with my love of writing and become an Editor, sharing what I have learned to help you get the most out of your money. As a student for four years, I understand the need to budget and get more for less. As well as providing budget-friendly advice here at MVC, I have written money-saving works for well-known publications such as The Sun and Pick Me Up!

I love playing video games and later writing reviews at GameReport in my spare time. I also enjoy anything to do with technology and cool gadgets, and I'm constantly adding extras and components to my home gaming computer. Additionally, I love DIY. Having worked in a tool store as a student, I enjoy fixing things, whether my car or home.