8 Apps to help you save more money this year

By Kassondra Cloos | Published on October 21, 2025

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Saving money is rarely glamorous. It often boils down to dozens of small decisions, and socking away just a few dollars at a time. In the past, that took tedious monitoring and constant vigilance. But today, modern technology makes it pretty dang easy. Whether you’re looking to set up your first budget, level-up your couponing game, or dial in your investment strategy, there’s a digital platform designed just for that. Ready to start saving? Here are some of the best money-saving apps and browser extensions to help you set and achieve your financial goals.

Dosh

By connecting your debit cards and credit cards to the Dosh app, you’ll automatically get cash back when you spend money at participating stores and companies like CostCo, Lyft, Sam’s Club, and Blue Apron. The app also offers cashback for staying and dining at more than 600,000 partner hotels and 10,000 restaurants. When you accumulate $15 in rewards, you can choose to either transfer the cash to an account of your choice, or donate it to charity. Like most of the apps on this list, Dosh is available for both Apple and Android.

Trim

Trim’s algorithms can do everything from identifying unwanted subscription services to double-checking your monthly budget to make sure you’re on track. The app can also analyze your internet bill and contact customer service on your behalf to negotiate lower fees and one-time credits. It’s free to create an account, and these features are currently available to users at no charge.

Honey

Forget scouring the internet for promo codes. Honey is a Chrome browser extension that finds coupons for you when you shop online. The app will then apply the automatic savings to your cart at checkout. You can also use it to bookmark products you’re eyeing, and Honey will send you notifications any time the price drops. According to Paypal, the app’s umbrella company, the average Honey customer currently saves around $126 per year.

Pocketsmith

This free app helps you both manage your spending and track your growing nest egg. You can upload bank account statements to the money management platform for free (or pay to have Pocketsmith pull in the data automatically), then set up budgets to track and categorize every expense. The app also lets you display your earnings and spending in a calendar view — a helpful feature for the visual learners among us.

Acorns

A great beginner investing app, Acorns will automatically invest your spare change in an investment account of your choice. Built-in personal finance education widgets help teach new investors how the process works, and intuitive graphs show you how your money is projected to grow over time. The mobile app offers a few plans; the basic version costs $3 per month.

Goodbudget

Meet the digital version of the envelope budgeting system. At the beginning of each month, you can use Goodbudget to allot your income to a series of “envelopes,” or spending categories. Then, you input your transactions as the month goes on, and the app tells you how much you have left to spend in each envelope. The basic system is pretty hands-on. If you want your account statements to upload automatically, however, you can pay for the premium version ($10 per month or $80 annually).

Pocketguard

Track your net worth, cancel subscriptions, negotiate down bills, and hold yourself accountable to a debt-payoff plan with this intuitive app. All you need to do to access these budgeting tools is connect your checking accounts and savings accounts. Pocketguard will do the rest. The user interface is simple (albeit a bit simplistic), but the feature set is among the most comprehensive of any option on this list. The biggest downside is that there’s no free version; Pocketguard is $13 per month (or $75 per year).

Copilot Money

This critically acclaimed personal finance app is a one-stop-shop for financial planning. It’s similar to Pocketguard in the breadth of its featureset: it lets you set up budgets, sort transactions, split expenditures into multiple categories, track your investments, monitor property value, and calculate your net worth. It will also alert you about upcoming bills, helping you avoid missed payments and subsequent dings to your credit score. However, it’s a little more robust than Pocketguard. Copilot’s AI-driven engine offers budget category suggestions and can help you rebalance your budget to find a system that meets your needs. Better yet, all those features come in a sleek, modern-looking interface. The only downside? At $13 per month (or $95 per year), it’s one of the pricier budgeting apps on this list.

3 Ways to save even more this year

Hitting your savings goals isn’t just about adjusting your spending habits. Here are a few other ways to save more money this year.

Pick up a side gig: Maybe you’re trying to beef up your emergency fund. Or maybe you’re just ready to finally pay off those student loans. Whatever the reason, if you want to save a bunch of money fast, the fastest route is to earn more cash on the side. Pick up a seasonal weekend job, moonlight as a bartender, or lean into an artistic talent and sell crafts on Etsy.

Cut back on your social media use: If you’re prone to internet impulse buys, try dialing back your social media use. Instagram and Facebook ads are big gotchas for many millennials and Gen Zers, some of whom have confessed to developing online shopping addictions. Want to break the habit? Delete or disable your account, set up parental controls on your phone, or set screen time goals and commit to spending less of your life online.

Refinance your student loans: If you took out student loans for school, odds are good that your student loan payments are eating away at your budget each month. One of the best ways to lower your payments (and free up budget) is to refinance your student loans with a new lender. If you qualify for a lower interest rate, you could also save money over the life of your loan. Ready to take a peek at your options? Check your rate with Earnest for free. We never charge any origination fees or prepayment penalties, and we let borrowers Skip-a-Payment once per year if money gets tight.

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About the Author

Kassondra Cloos

Kassondra Cloos is a writer, editor, and former Earnest client. She refinanced her own student loans with Earnest after graduating and has first-hand experience with the refinancing process. She has been writing about personal finance and student loans since 2017. She also writes about sustainable travel and adventure for The Guardian, Outside, Backpacker, and many other publications. You can find more of her work via her travel newsletter, Out of Office.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This blog post provides personal finance educational information, and it is not intended to provide legal, financial, or tax advice.
As was announced by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), federal student loans have resumed accruing interest starting September 1, 2023, and federal student loan payments were reinstated starting in October 2023. Please note that you may lose benefits associated with your underlying federal loans, such as federal Income-driven Repayment Plans, Economic Hardship Deferment, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or other deferment and forbearance options, if you refinance into a private loan. If you file for bankruptcy, you may still be required to pay back this loan. See https://studentaid.gov/ for more information.