To help consumers fight rising household bills and tighten their financial belts, dozens of money-saving apps have been launched over the past few years. Here are my picks of the best downloads to help make Woman’s Own readers the savviest money-savers around

1. Quidco

Cost: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPad and Android

My favourite cash back website’s app provides the user with money-saving offers and in-store cash back deals available nearby and also gives them cash incentives to enter certain restaurants and stores and ‘check-in’ via the app.

2. 0870 (iPhone)/SayNoTo0870 (Android)

Cost: 69p on iTunes/Free to Android handsets

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android and Blackberry

Dialling numbers starting with 0870, 0845 or 0800 from your mobile phone can be really pricey. These apps convert those numbers to 01 or 02 numbers, which, if you are on contract, will be taken from your included allowance. Pay as you go customers can use the apps to only pay standard network charges to make these calls.

3. mySupermarket 

Cost: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (Android version coming soon)

This app allows users to scan products’ barcodes and shows their like-for-like value in different stores. It also shows you the best deals in-store for different categories and products.

4.  Vouchercloud 

Cost: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android and Blackberry

The best voucher-finding app around. Just search for what you’re looking for – be it a restaurant, cinema or high street store – and the app uses GPS to locate the latest offers and discounts closest to you.

5. Skype 

Cost: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android and Blackberry

As long as you have an internet connection, you can use this app to make free voice and video calls within the UK or abroad. You can also use it to instant message your contacts.

6. WhatsApp

Cost: Free

Available on: iPhone, Android and BlackBerry

If you download this app to your phone and your friends and family to do the same, you can text each other for free, using the same data plan that you use for email and browsing the web. It also boasts a great group chat facility.

7. AA Parking 

Cost: £1.50 for Nokia devices; £1.99 for Android and Windows devices and on iTunes

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android and Blackberry

This app uses GPS to search the area you’re driving in to find all parking restrictions and locations of free and paid for parking spaces.

8. Onavo 

Cost: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android

Use this app to compress your data by up to 80 per cent, letting you make the most of your data plan and helping you to avoid paying over the odds for excess data usage. The app can also analyse your data to unearth what costs the most to download and use.

9. Red Laser 

Cost: Free

Available on: iPhone, Windows and Android devices

Similar to the mySupermarket app, Red Laser scans the barcode of an item and tells you where you can find it cheaper. This app, however, is not limited to supermarket products and is best used for large electrical purchases.

10. HotUKDeals

Cost: Free

Available on: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android

The members’ driven deals website has launched its own app that will find deals and offers close to the user. You can also use it to set up alerts for certain items and submit your own deals using photos and web addresses.

 

Andrea Ventress, Money Expert

 

HAVE YOUR SAY! Do you know of any great money-saving apps not mentioned here? If so, make sure you add a comment in the box below. Plus, if you’ve got a great money saving tip, send it to our money expert for a chance to earn £25.