Close-up on dark-haired woman holding phone with graphic of web of dollar signs

Smart Saving: 7 Savvy Finance Apps College Students Should Download Today

Saving and budgeting money are easier than ever for tech-savvy students with tools at your fingertips! Here are seven apps to simplify your financial life.

There's a reason the stereotype of a poor college student is so common. A 2022 study found that most college students have less than $250 left over after covering monthly expenses. That doesn't leave a lot of breathing room for fun or unexpected emergencies. When you're on a tight budget, it's important to make every penny count. Stretch your dollar further with these seven apps for college students that you can use to create a budget, track your spending, and invest in your future.

1. Acorns

Investing is important to building long-term financial security, but finding the cash to open an investment account and buy stocks and bonds as a college student can feel impossible. Acorns makes it easier to get started. Plans start at just $3 per month, and you can invest in the stock market using only your spare change. With Acorns' round-up feature, every time you use a linked payment method—such as using your debit card at the grocery store—the app will round up the purchase to the nearest dollar and deposit the extra change into your investment account. Once you've reached $5, Acorns will invest it in exchange-traded funds (ETFs): baskets of stocks and bonds. Over time, you’ll be surprised by how much your spare change has added up.

Related: Investing 101: Smart Stock Market Strategies for Students

2. BookScouter

After paying tuition and room and board, your biggest expense in college may be textbooks. With BookScouter, you can see how your university's bookstore prices compare to other textbook options. You may be able to find your required materials for much lower prices; according to the company, you can save up to 70% buying secondhand. BookScouter also offers textbook rentals if you don't want to hold onto your books. Once the semester ends, you can also use the app to sell your textbooks and get some of your hard-earned money back.

3. Changed

Because most college students take out loans, Changed can be particularly helpful. If you sync the app with your bank account and loan details, the app will round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and deposit the extra change to your account. Once you've built up $50, it will make a payment toward your student loans. By using the app while you're still in school, you can cut down on the interest that accrues. Over time, it could help you save a lot of money. The Changed app also allows your friends and family to help you. Instead of sending you a sweater you'll never wear or a gift card, your loved ones can make payments toward your debt and help you eliminate your loans faster.

4. PocketGuard

PocketGuard is a budgeting tool that allows you to track your spending. You can use it to manage your bills and view your spending trends over time. The app will notify you when you overspend in certain categories, and you can even set savings or debt repayment goals. It also provides insights into your spending habits, letting you know where you tend to spend the most money and what merchants you frequent. Those details can help you identify areas where you can trim your spending to save for your other goals. The basic version of the app is free to use, but the extra features are about $7.99 per month.

Related: Budgeting 101 Infographic: Saving Money in College

5. Tasker by TaskRabbit

If you're low on cash, download Tasker from TaskRabbit to help you find local, one-time gigs to earn extra money. Common tasks include assembling furniture, pet sitting, yard work, and power washing, with pay varying by job and location. For example, assembling furniture pays an average of $33 per hour in Orlando, while pet sitting pays an average of $21 per hour. You can set your own rates and availability, so you can work around your classes and earn money in your free time, then take time off when you need to study.

6. Too Good to Go

Even if you're running on a tight budget, you may want to occasionally splurge. The Too Good to Go app is a great compromise—you can purchase unused, end-of-day food from restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, and even grocery stores at a fraction of the usual cost. You could get anything from a steak dinner to an iced latte for one-third of the price and help prevent food from going to waste—a win-win situation!

7. UNiDays

UNiDAYS is a mobile app specifically designed for college students. It allows users to find student discounts at major retailers, both in store and online. It's completely free to join, and you can save a substantial amount of money on clothes, electronics, gym equipment, and more. For example, you can use UNiDays to find discounts on Dell laptops, Adobe Creative Suite software, or even virtual therapy sessions through TalkSpace.

Related: The Best Student Discounts: Food, Clothes, and More

Dealing with your finances doesn’t have to be hard—you’re a tech-savvy student who can use the tools at your fingertips to save money, pay down debt faster, and still have a great time in college. Find apps that make your life easier and sit back in surprise by how your financial situation turns around!

Learn even more tips and tricks to build up your bank account with Our Best Advice for Managing and Saving Your Money as a Student. 

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Maxime Croll

Maxime Croll is a Senior Director and Insurance Product Manager at ValuePenguin.com. Previously, she was the Director of Product Marketing at CoverWallet—a commercial insurance start-up—and also helped launch NerdWallet's personal insurance business. Maxime has contributed insurance insights and analysis to Forbes, USA Today, The Hill, and many other publications.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI


Heaven Johnson

Heaven Johnson

Back to School Scholarship Winner, High School Class of 2023

I’d like to thank everyone on the CollegeXpress team for their generosity. Not only have I been awarded this scholarship, but CollegeXpress makes it easier to apply and gives amazing tips for schools and scholarships. I am extremely grateful as this will help with my schooling and allow me to be able to enter into the field I’ve been dreaming of all my life. 

Rayan Hamdan

Rayan Hamdan

High School Student

I joined CollegeXpress just a few months ago. I had been struggling with severe anxiety, causing me to not be able to tour schools and make sure a college would be perfect for me. I came across CollegeXpress one day when I was searching for colleges online, and it completely changed the game. I was easily able to choose colleges that would suit me, and I also entered a few giveaways! Thank you so much!

Brooke Maggio

Brooke Maggio

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me tremendously in my college search in narrowing down the schools I’m interested in. Using the college search tool, I was able to narrow down my choices to schools that matched what I was looking for. I also used CollegeXpress for their scholarship search, which helped me find scholarships that I meet the requirements of.

Caitlin Eaton

Caitlin Eaton

$10,000 Scholarship Winner, 2021

I first discovered CollegeXpress during my sophomore year of high school while researching colleges that interested me. My SAT prep class the following year further familiarized me with the opportunities available through the organization. CX has personally helped me by exposing me to a diverse selection of schools as well as scholarships and life tips that have provided valuable guidance in my college search.

This scholarship will help me adjust to college life without worrying as much about tuition. This gives me more room to truly explore and benefit from all aspects of higher education. I plan to study Conservation Biology and work protecting species/ecosystems. I’m looking forward to getting field experience and seeing firsthand the problems research is solving.

Victoria Fuss

Victoria Fuss

March Madness Scholarship Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me dramatically. Moving on to the next level has been a dream of my mine since I was just a young kid, and the support and help CollegeXpress has given me will help me further my education. I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone at CollegeXpress!