Burned out and broke? Nine apps to download, sites to visit for easy saving success

<p>Our phones can tempt us into plenty of regrettable purchases. Or – if we're smart about it – they can actually help us save, with very little effort on our part. <i>Frances Cook</i> reports. </p> <p>A brief scan of the headlines is all you need to know on whether or not many of us are doing it tough. </p> <p>Unemployment <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/04/whos-feeling-job-market-recovery-and-where-has-downturn-hit-hardest/" target="_blank">up to 5.6%</a>, interest rates climbing, and inflation above target levels.</p> <p>Frankly, we all need a win, and we need it to come without too much mental effort, because we’re all a bit tired. </p> <p>So let’s make it happen – time to save money with a minimum of mental effort. </p> <p>Here are some of my favourite apps and websites to help us stay on top of our money, without spending all our mental effort on the rising tide of bills. </p> <h2>Grocer and Price Pulse</h2> <p>We all need to eat, but not for that price, are you kidding me?</p> <p>Grocer pulls prices across the big supermarkets so that you can see who’s actually cheapest for what’s in your trolley, instead of trusting whoever has the loudest yellow sticker.</p> <p>Meanwhile Price Pulse is a free browser extension that compares prices across the major grocery chains, as well as their price history, so that you can tell the difference between a genuine special and a “special” that’s just the regular price with a sticker slapped on it. It will even help you switch to buy from the cheaper option.</p> <p>Check out pricepulse.co.nz or grocer.nz. </p> <h2><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/learning/" target="_blank"></a>First Table</h2> <p>Fun doesn’t have to be completely off the menu, it just might be a bit more strategic. </p> <p>First Table partners with restaurants around the country to offer half-price meals to diners who book the first sitting of the evening, typically before 6pm. </p> <p>Turning up on time is non-negotiable, but the discount is genuine, and the food can be great. </p> <p>A date night or a catch-up with friends is far more fun when you’re not stressed about it destroying your entire budget for the week. </p> <p>And hey, it’s always nice to support the hospitality scene when it’s tough for them too. </p> <p>Check out firsttable.co.nz. </p> <h2>Gaspy</h2> <p>Fuel is one of the biggest costs pushing up inflation, and it’s not getting much better as we watch the Strait of Hormuz switch from open, closed, open, closed.</p> <p>Gaspy helps you out with crowdsourced petrol prices, updated by actual humans driving actual cars past actual stations. </p> <p>The margin between the cheapest and most expensive pump in the same suburb is bigger than people think, and it costs you nothing to check.</p> <p>See gaspy.nz.</p> <h2>Love Food Hate Waste</h2> <p>This one is less an app and more of a mindset shift – they’ll help you stop throwing out perfectly good food that just needs to be used in a different way. </p> <p>The website offers meal planning tools, “use it up” recipes for the vegetables that are getting sad, and portion guides so you stop cooking enough rice for a rugby team. </p> <p>Wasted food is wasted money, full stop.</p> <p>See lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz.</p> <h2>Powerswitch or Billy</h2> <p>Have a play on powerswitch.org.nz or billy.govt.nz, to compare power plans and find out fast if you’re getting fleeced. </p> <p>A lot of power companies bank on us never checking for a better deal, but it can save you literally hundreds of dollars. Consumer NZ says the average saving for a Powerswitch user is $500 a year.</p> <p>Ten minutes on these sites can beat hours of couponing.</p> <h2>LinkedIn Learning</h2> <p>Easy to overlook, because you wouldn’t think it’s a money app at first glance. </p> <p>But at a time when getting a pay rise, or even a job at all, is harder than ever, upskilling is a key strategy to help you keep earning. </p> <p>LinkedIn Learning has thousands of courses from top professionals, spanning everything from spreadsheets, to leadership, to coding. </p> <p>Normally it comes with a subscription fee, but here’s the hack – most of our public libraries already hold that subscription on behalf of their members. If you’ve got a library card, you’ve got free access. </p> <p>A course completed on a few evenings could be the difference to support that pay rise conversation, or even a shift into a new, better paid line of work. </p> <p>Check out linkedin.com/learning. </p> <h2>TradeMe and Facebook Marketplace</h2> <p>Secondhand is my favourite hack, particularly for finding good quality at a much lower price. Before you buy anything at retail price, have a wee scroll. </p> <p>Nine times out of ten, someone nearby has bought one, regretted it, and is trying to get rid of it for a third of the price. </p> <p>Let them solve your problem for you.</p> <p>See trademe.co.nz or facebook.com.</p> <p>Sure, none of this will bring the unemployment rate down, or stop the Official Cash Rate going up further, but it takes back control for the things that we can control. </p> <p>Don’t pay a loyalty tax if you don’t have to, keep fun in your life with a bit of strategy, and hunker down for what’s been a rough ride so far. </p> <p><i><b>The information in this column is general in nature and should not be read as personal financial advice.</b></i></p>