Money Savers: Summer Essentials!

So I was walking around Publix (a major grocery store here in the southern United States) and I started thinking about summer break. I will have four hungry kids running around the house demanding that I feed them. And not just your three main meals! These minions will want snacks! Lots and lots of snacks!! The realization: that we only have about a month of school left, made me see that I need to start stocking up on summer time essentials ASAP! Today, in the by one get one free sales at my local Publix I started my summer stockpile of things like cereal, crackers, and juice. 
I know what you're thinking, "but mom, how does your local grocery store sales save me money?" Well....While I was shopping I starting flipping through the money saving apps I keep on my cell phone. I have a few favorites that definitely help with my summer food budget:

My favorite couponing app is Ibotta (we both get a few bonus dollars if you use my link to register!). Ibotta is a digital couponing app. When you get home from shopping you go into the app and select all the items you purchased. It makes you watch a ten second commercial or asks you a multiple choice question about the product to unlock the coupon but it's worth the few seconds. Once you've unlocked all your coupons you will scan the bar codes on the product packaging with your phone, and take a photo of your receipt. Within 24 hours the money appears in your account and when you reach $20 you can cash it out into a paypal account or select from a bunch of different gift card options. Super easy! There are a ton of other coupon apps out there. Ibotta seems to have the best selection and easiest user interface, at least for me, but here are some other links for coupon apps I pair with ibotta. Sometimes they'll have the same discount and you end up getting items for free once you submit to each app!
Checkout 51
Saving Star
MobiSave

Aside from coupon apps there are quite a few more that will end up saving you money. Walmart has their Savings Catcher feature that allows you to scan your Walmart receipts and they then look for local stores with better prices digitally. Then they refund the difference between the better price and the one you paid onto a Walmart gift card. Of course, this limits your spending of that money to just Walmart but we all stop there on occasion. I have about $30 in my Walmart account right now (I save this particular app for a rainy day- like when I pick up a nail in my tire and have an unexpected repair).

Receipt Hog lets you take photos of your grocery, gas, and other receipts in exchange for points. You then turn your points into cash, amazon gift cards or magazine subscriptions. Quick and easy!

ShopKick is a pretty neat app! You open the app before you go into the store and it gives you "kicks" just for walking in! Then it gives you the option to scan a few random items within the store to earn more "kicks." You trade the "kicks" in for gift cards and merchandise. It also gives you bonus "kicks" if you purchase any of the random items it has you scan. Pretty simple and the gift cards add up! It funds my occasional visits to Starbucks!

If you do not currently use Ebates! Go download it immediately! Seriously- what the hell is wrong with you? Why don't you already use this site?!? This is the GOAT (greatest of all time!!) of money saving apps!! If you shop online, if you book rental cars or airline tickets online, if you are a Groupon addict, like myself, then you NEED this app! When you log into the app it has lists of companies that offer small percentage refunds when you purchase via Ebates! On our last vacation we booked our rental car, airfare, and hotel online and when we got back I had a 7%-9% refund in my Ebates! account (about $100). I know that 9% doesn't sound like much but it adds up fast! Ebates! deposits your savings every three months into a paypal account. My checks are generally between $25-$100 depending on how much shopping I do online. 

I have one more suggested app for you that I have just recently started using. It's called Raise. It allows you to purchase gifts cards at a discount. You can also sell unused gift cards to them. I purchased my first gift card from them last week and it worked perfectly. I save 10% on an itunes gift card which I then used to renew my husband's MLB at bat subscription. They offer gift cards to most major retailers- iTunes, target, walmart.... etc... etc...

Do you guys have a favorite money-saving trick? An app you absolutely love? Let me know!!

I hope these help you guys save a little bit of cash to fund your next adventure!