3 Tools to Transform Your Phone Into a Bargain-Finding Machine

As someone old enough to remember the days before smartphones, I am still constantly amazed at how much these little machines can do. And I'm not just talking about scrolling through social media. Your pint-sized pocket computer can also be a powerful personal finance tool.

This is more important than ever as we head into the biggest shopping season of the year. To help you make the most of your phone's powers, here are some great tools to help make your bargain hunting more successful.

1. Use store apps

One of my favorite ways to use my phone while shopping is to comparison shop on the go. No more waiting until after I've purchased something to realize it's on sale at the store down the street. Instead, I can instantly check prices at all of my regular stops from one place to make triple sure I've gotten the best price.

I keep the apps for a few staple stores on my phone. This includes Walmart (because love it or hate it, Walmart has good prices on many things), Lowe's, and my local grocery stores.

I especially love store apps that include handy little barcode scanners. I don't even have to laboriously search for the right item -- it searches for me! The Walmart app, for instance, has a little barcode icon in the search bar. If you click that, you can use your phone's camera to scan the barcode of any item, and the app will automatically find the item (if it has it). This is great for making sure you're looking at exactly the right product for an apples-to-apples comparison.

Oh, and let's not forget another great aspect of retailer apps: coupons. Many stores will offer app-exclusive coupons you can use in store at checkout or as part of an "order online, pick up in store" promotion. (My local craft store chain is notorious for this!)

2. Don't overlook bank apps

This one may seem a little out of left field, but your mobile banking app may hold more deals than you realize. And that's especially true when you have credit cards.

For example, my American Express mobile app gives me easy access to all of the Amex Offers available for my Amex cards. These deals range from extra points at certain stores -- I've been earning an extra 1x point per $1 on hardware store purchases for a couple of weeks now -- to statement credits, like getting $25 back on my grocery delivery service (terms apply).

Most card issuers offer these kinds of partner deals that you can apply to a specific card. The deal will trigger automatically when you use that card to make an eligible purchase. (Citi cardholders can add Merchant Offers. If you have a Chase credit card, look for the Chase Offers.)

Capital One's deals work a little differently. Instead of applying to a specific card, they work through browser cookies. So, once you activate a deal through the Capital One Shopping portal, a new window to the retailer will open automatically. You'll need to complete your purchase in the new window (so the cookies can track it) for the rebate to apply.

3. Maximize cash back apps

The app stores are awash with awesome cash back rebate apps these days. Some of them work through browser cookies, like the Capital One Shopping portal. Others work offline, too, by letting you submit receipts. Here's a general overview:

1. Download the app and make an account.
2. Search through available offers and activate any/all that fit your spending.
3. Purchase the items from an eligible retailer.
4. Open the app and use your phone's camera to upload a photo of your receipt.
5. Redeem your rewards for cash back or gift cards (depending on the app).

How much you can earn will vary a lot depending on the specific coupon app, as well as the types of items you tend to purchase. It's worth pointing out that you're rarely going to get enough of a rebate to pay for 100% of the item, so don't spend money you wouldn't otherwise spend just to earn rewards. (That goes for rewards credit cards, too!)

Another thing to consider is the privacy impacts. Whoever receives your receipt will be able to see everything you purchased, whether it's for the rebates or not. Make sure you're comfortable with that.

Additionally, these apps generally make money by sharing your shopping information with retailers and advertisers. Some folks are fine with this, while others (myself included) don't think a $1 rebate is worth that level of sharing. It's entirely up to you and your comfort level.

Too much of a good thing?

Sometimes, our phones can be too good at helping us shop. When this happens, we need to know when to rein it in.

Maybe this means deleting apps that make it a little too easy to shop (I'm looking at you, Amazon app). Or perhaps it means putting limits on how long we spend on social media apps and their endless ads.

Whatever the case, remember that even the best bargains are only deals if you can afford the item and will actually use it. Otherwise, you're just spending money you didn't need to spend.