If you own an iPhone, you probably have dozens of apps and can’t wait for new ones to come out. But while you’re shopping for apps for your phone, make a point to check out the personal finance category. Here are five iPhone apps that can help you keep a handle on debt, score great deals, and save some hard-earned cash.
If you’re taking a road trip this summer, AAA TripTik Mobile will be a handy little guide. This new app from AAA allows you to compare ever-changing gas prices. So you’ll never be taken by surprise again when pulling up to a gas station. TripTik Mobile is a GPS-based mobile version of the AAA TripTik Travel Planner, which displays gas prices and locates hotels, events, and restaurants approved by AAA that are close to your location. This is the first free app to offer updates on gas prices, in addition to directions, maps, and travel information, according to AAA.
Price: Free
Do you have trouble keeping up with all of your loyalty reward cards from supermarkets and pharmacies? CardBank has come the rescue. Now you won’t have to worry about forgetting your cards and losing out on discounts or holding up the line at CVS while digging through your bag to look for your card. With CardBank, you can store your reward cards on your iPhone. The barcode is scanned from your phone, so you won’t have to walk around with a key chain full of little plastic cards. And have no worries about privacy; the CardBank app doesn’t connect to a server and user or tracking statistics aren’t collected.
Price: 99 cents
Don’t let being away from home stop you from monitoring your budget. Similar to the Website, the Mint.com app allows you to track your spending. But now, you can track your money while you’re on the go. You can add your banking account and credit card information and Mint will display your balance in each account and help you stay on top of your spending. And if you like to be super organized, Mint can even categorize your purchases.
Price: Free
If you’re an avid coupon clipper, MobiQpons (Mobile Coupons) is just what you’ve been looking for. This convenient app features coupons for stores in your area. In addition, deals can even be customized for your favorite stores. The coupons are scanned directly from your phone. With MobiQpons, you can finally put the scissors down and reduce the amount of paper in your wallet. (Other than money, that is.)
Price: Free
Comparison shopping just got a whole lot easier. Most likely, there have been many times when you’ve picked up an item in a store and wanted to know if you could get it cheaper somewhere else. Don’t have a stack of store circulars at the ready? Not a problem. Using your iPhone, take a picture of the item that you want to purchase. The Save Benjis app will then do an Internet search and look for prices at other stores so that you can do some serious bargain hunting without breaking a sweat.
Price: Free
Sheiresa Ngo is the Consumer Affairs Editor at Black Enterprise.