Finance tips

July Kiplinger’s Magazine Features the Best Bargains of 2011

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The month’s issue of Kiplinger’s Magazine features their Annual Guide to the Best Bargains.  I don’t agree with everything the magazine has to say on bargain shopping, but I do like their tips on Mobile shopping to find Bargains and using Social Media to find deals. Before are some of the tips from the magazine I thought you might find useful.

Deal Alerts. Instead of going to deal sites, get alerts via Twitter by subscribing to deal aggregators such as @deals­plus and @CheapTweet. Or subscribe to Deals on Facebook (now available in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco through your Facebook account) or Google Offers (in Portland, Ore.; Oakland, Cal.; San Francisco; and New York City). You can get also get an instant discount if you note your location with a mobile phone using Facebook, Foursquare and other mobile social networks. But in exchange for the discount, you give up precious privacy because these coupons show in real-time where you’re located.

Mobile Money Saver: Coupon Sherpa. Use Sherpa to get in-store coupons, which you can show on your phone’s screen at checkout. Available on iPhone only.

Mobile Money Saver: ShopSavvy. You can scan an item’s bar code with your phone’s camera or enter product codes manually, then compare prices at other retailers. Available on Android and iPhone.

Mobile Money Saver: ShopKick. Download this app to find deals at stores, and earn points for gift cards and other rewards just by walking into a store and scanning (or purchasing) products. Available on Android and iPhone.

Mobile Money Saver: Scoutmob. Get discounts at restaurants, coffee shops and stores in your city with this Groupon competitor; if you use the deal, you get incentives for return visits. Available on Android and iPhone.

Mobile Money Saver: HotelPal. Book a hotel room at the last minute or on the go. The app uses GPS to locate the best hotel deals in your area, or you can type in a zip code. Available on Android and iPhone.

I’m going to be giving all these mobile apps a looksy. Do you use any of these? What do you think of them if you do?

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Since 2008, Mary Hall has been the author of The Recessionista Blog, which is read by thousands of regular readers in over 160 countries. An internationally recognized expert on the art of the living the good life for less, she has been a commentator on local, national, and international radio and TV shows. Her advice has been featured in over 2,000 media outlets, including The New York Times, Reuters, Life & Style magazine, ABC News, NBC News and now The Huffington Post, among many others.