Finding the Most Affordable Deals Just Got Easier With These Apps

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I would always go with my dad to a discount grocery store called Marc's. Anytime we needed some to buy something, whether it was batteries or apples, we would go to Marc's first, not because it was the closest store to us, but because nine times out of ten Marc's had the lowest prices.

These days, finding the lowest price looks a lot different. While I'm sure Marc's still has good deals, you could do more for your personal finances by downloading price comparison apps. These apps save you time and money by comparing items across thousands of merchants and telling you if you're getting the absolute best deal. They can also give you coupons and cash back offers, set price alerts when things go on sale, and reveal price histories to give you an idea of how an item's price fluctuates over time.

With that in mind, let's look at how the following three apps could help you find some good deals.

1. Price.com

If you know what items you want to buy in advance, Price.com is an app that can help you scout out low prices. The app checks multiple stores for new and used items and will give you a list instantly of merchants who are selling what you want. It also has coupons and cash back offers, which you can apply at checkout.

For example, I've been hunting for a deal on a new Canon camera lens -- the EF-S 10-18mm. If I buy this lens directly from Canon, I'm going to spend $300. But Price.com tells me I could buy the same lens new off eBay for $182 or from Walmart for $198. It also tells me I can get 3% cash back at both stores.

This app can also show you travel deals. So if you're leaving home for the holidays, check out what hotel coupons it has to offer before you book with your favorite travel credit card.

2. Krazy Coupon Lady

The Krazy Coupon ladies really love saving you money: Somehow they find every deal. While the app can be super overwhelming with its notifications (I get like 20 per day), it can clue you in on the hottest deals happening at popular retailers. You can also get custom deal alerts from your favorite stores, like Costco and Amazon.

One thing I like about it is that it can tell me about deals happening near me. This has come in handy when we're trying to decide what restaurant to go to, as the app can tell you about secret dine-in offers and hacks to get the best value for your money.

3. BuyVia

BuyVia is a price comparison app. The biggest perk for me is the barcode scanner, which I use in stores to see if I can find an item cheaper elsewhere. The scanner isn't super advanced, however, and requires a strong internet connection. Once you have a barcode, you'll be taken to a webpage on which you can find popular retailers -- like Amazon, Target, and eBay -- that may be selling the product you're looking to buy.

Like Price.com, you can use the app's search bar to compare prices for certain products. When I searched for my Canon lens, I found the cheapest price was $181. That's only $1 cheaper than the eBay page I found through Price.com, but get this -- BuyVia found this $181 price from Walmart. While it's not being sold by Walmart directly (it's sold via a third-party retailer), that's still $17 cheaper than the Walmart page I found through Price.com, which goes to show you that you should always use multiple apps.

All in all, these apps can be used in tandem to help you scout out the best deals. Even if you don't have specific gifts in mind, they can show you what's on sale and give you some inspiration. And if you've already made a holiday shopping list, good on you -- take a look at these apps and see how much cash you can free up for your savings account.