iPhone/Smart phone: Top four money-saving Apps

Find out how to save hundreds of pounds just from using your smart phone!

When mobile phones first came out, we were all amazed by the pixelated moving blocks that starred in the popular game snake.

Now, the mobile phone industry has been revolutionised by the invasion of the smart phone and its loyal army of Apps, which can do everything from hunt down recipes to giving you driving directions.

But are any of these Apps and actually useful? And more importantly, can any of them actually save you money?

Well, I’m going to find out by testing some of the most popular Apps that claim to save you cash.

VoucherCloud

So, you’ve had a busy week and want to let your hair down on Friday night but the only problem is you’re short on cash.

Well, why pay full price for something when you can get it cheaper at a simple click of a button?

Yes, VoucherCloud is a free App that will come to your rescue whenever you want to avoid the perils of paying full price.

It has hundreds of discounts on restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres, days out, beauty services and travel that you can use wherever you are.

For instance, you can use the App to get 40% off adult tickets at the Odeon and 40% off your bill at Yo Sushi.

Other highlights include a 2 for 1 scuba diving experience and 20% off Nicky Clarke hairdressers.

Sadly, VoucherCloud does not currently appears to be available on any Smart Phone except the iPhone. Boo hiss!

Similar Apps: If you have a thirst for even more voucher Apps, then the following are pretty good too: Voucher Codes and Piggycode UK and if you want to track down a sale near you, then check out Local sale finder and The Fashion Pixie. You can get 30% off Gap at the moment using FashionPixie! And those of you in Leeds should check out Pink Gorilla, it's got some awesome local deals and freebies.

Red Laser

It may sound like some sort of sinister James Bond weapon but Red Laser is a brilliant free App that will save you bundles of cash in an instant.

It works by using the camera on your iPhone as a clever barcode scanner, so you can scan items and find out where you can get them cheapest.

This can be particularly useful for when outsmarting shops that have a ‘cheapest price guarantee’

Retail super-giants, John Lewis have recently enjoyed a surge in profits, so I was keen to knock them off their high horse by seeing if I could get some of their stock cheaper elsewhere.

After all, their ‘never knowingly undersold’ scheme promises that they will match cheaper prices or refund the difference.

We were confident they would live up to their promise, as a friend - a self-proclaimed cheeky scouser - had tried it a few days ago and told us it worked, but we wanted to find out for ourselves.

So, armed with my editor's Red Laser equipped iPhone, I set out to see if I could uncover some higher-price scandal.

I found Red Laser really easy to use - you just point the camera at a barcode and it scans it with a satisfying beep. It then accesses the internet and displays the prices that various retailers are selling the item for.

Needless to say, I got a few suspicious looks from staff as I scurried around the shop, pointing my loudly beeping iPhone at every barcode in sight.

But my efforts eventually paid off, as I excitedly discovered that a particular Sat Nav was in fact cheaper in Comet.

I triumphantly marched to the tills and showed my Red Laser findings to the sale’s assistant, who confirmed that I would be eligible for a price match or a refund of the difference, if I did choose to buy it.

Before you grab your laser beams and shoot off to your nearest John Lewis though, you should be aware of their terms and conditions of their ‘never knowingly undersold offer.’

Firstly, it doesn’t include websites so if you can find it cheaper online rather than in a physical shop, you're out of luck. Secondly they have to investigate each case, so the reward of your efforts will not be instant.

All in all, I'd say Red Laser is an efficient and intelligent App that not only looks cool, but can really save you money. And did I mention it's free?

Top Table

When you’re looking to impress someone by treating them to a sophisticated meal, the last thing you want to do is pull out a soggy printed out voucher

But with Top Table’s App you can get sneaky discounts on thousands of restaurants around the country, without making it too obvious that you’re a bit of a cheap-skate.

Not only does this free App show you the locations of restaurants near you, it also offers customer reviews and plenty of special offers including 50% off meals and 2 4 1 deals.

You can book tables directly through the App, meaning wherever you are, you could be just around the corner from a deliciously frugal feast. Yum.

Living social

If you’re unfamiliar with Living Social’s website, they offer fantastic offers and deals based on ‘group buying power.’

This means you’re tempted to hundreds of fabulous prices on things including spa days and photo shoots.

Well, the temptation just got worse, as now you can access Living Social’s plethora of splendid deals wherever you are, just through a click of your smartphone.

The deals change daily, so there’s always something different that you can purchase and with savings at around 60%, you’ll always be getting a great bargain. Read Club Together to save money online for more details on other sites where you can use people power to get discounts!

Share your favourites

These are our favourites, but what are yours? If any lovemoney readers have any other money-saving apps feel free to share your wisdom in the comments box below, or even better join the debate on Top iphone apps that save you money currently raging in The Tech Shed.

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