As a university student, I am always desperate for student discounts and begging for bargains. Said discounts are hard to find, and grocery store coupons are so confusing.
However, not all hope for my penny-pinching ways is lost. While scrolling Tik Tok mindlessly until 2 a.m. as usual, I stumbled across three apps and websites that are an absolute godsend for saving money.
When I saw these creators couponing their way into getting $80 worth of toiletries for $2, I thought they were crazy, then creative. After deep-diving through these videos for about an hour, I decided to try it for myself.
UniDays
If you’re constantly searching for that student discount on Spotify, Duolingo, Adobe or HBO Max then UniDays is for you. This app shows you student discounts on different products and subscriptions that you can purchase right in the app.
To get these discounts, all you have to do is log in with your university email and password. From there, you can easily browse different categories of deals, including technology, beauty, fashion and lifestyle. You can even search and “favorite” your favorite brands to be alerted every time they release a discount.
I’d recommend checking UniDays before any online shopping spree or trip to the mall, if people even still go there. They offer discounts on everything from toothpaste to designer clothing, so there’s a discount for everyone.
Krazy Coupon Lady
This website is perfect for saving on groceries and necessities. Krazy Coupon Lady is a hub for coupons and discounts on almost any grocery store you can think of, which can make a huge difference when saving on food.
Budgeting as a college student is already hard and grocery prices feel out of control recently, but this website has helped me look out for current and upcoming deals on everything I need. They make it easy to view and access all the deals you could need.
You can browse and favorite stores to check for convenient coupons at your go-to shopping spot. The one drawback is that you have to make multiple transactions to use all the different discounts, so I would recommend going at a time when the store isn’t busy, so you don’t hold up the line or annoy any employees.
Ibotta
If penny-pinching isn’t enough for you, you should check out a rebate app like Ibotta. With Ibotta’s help, I don’t just save on what I buy, I get paid to buy it.
This app offers to pay you back for purchases you make as long as you scan your receipt in the app. I would recommend checking the app before every trip to the grocery store to see what purchases can help you make a small return.
This app’s best features are the “money makers,” which identify items that you can make a profit buying. These items are typically on sale for a low amount, so the Ibotta’s rebate return rate will give you more than what you paid for it. Even if you are only making a few cents or dollars back on your purchases, those few dollars can be life-changing for college students (or at least get you an iced latte at Big Cat).
It is important to note that Ibotta is a market research app and makes money off of sharing consumer habits and feedback with other corporations. Typically, the deal comes from Ibotta receiving a referral commission, so they earn money off of every consumer they send to purchase a product.
The Krazy Coupon Lady logo. Photo courtesy of Jessica Milanez.