If you're a smartphone owner, you probably like to maximize your efficiency, and there is no shortage of apps that claim to save you time and money.
There are apps for coupons, vouchers and special offers galore, many of which require you to sign up and come up with yet another login name and password to use their services.
However, the popular ShopSavvy [1] app for iPhone [2] and Android [3] devices doesn't make you jump through hoops - it just works.
The app opens with a small bar code scanner window on your screen. To scan the product, just hold your smartphone over the bar code until it lines up and focuses in the window. You'll hear a short buzz, and the phone does the rest of the work for you, comparing prices in local stores and online.
The editors over at CNET [4] gave the app 4 out of 5 stars, praising features that let you save items to a wish list, email links to friends and alert you when a price meets your criteria.
The app is not foolproof, though. Scans of items from smaller retailers may not register, and inventory and pricing are not always 100 percent accurate.
The upshot? It's free, so if a quick scan reveals that you can pick up a few things on your list at Walgreens rather than Target, you've eased the pressure on your wallet and your gas tank.
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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