THERE are loads of ways for Brits to use apps to slash bills this summer.
You can easily find the cheapest prices for food, petrol, flights and parking. If you use them regularly, you could easily save hundreds a year.
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CHEAPER PETROL
One great option for drivers is the PetrolPrices.
The name is the giveaway here. This app is designed to help you find the cheapest petrol prices in the area.
You can see the locations on a map, or find them as a list sorted by lowest price, distance, and even brands.
Site owners can upload their own prices, and users can report the fuel costs too.
It means you don’t have to drive around looking for the cheap prices – or face a price shock at the pump.
Another handy tip is using the Google Maps fuel efficiency feature.
Turn it on by going into Google Maps > Profile > Settings > Navigation > Route Options > Prefer Fuel-Efficient Routes.
“Google Maps can estimate fuel or energy efficiency for different vehicle types, including electric and combustion engine cars, as well as petrol motorcycles,” Google explained.
“The more fuel or energy efficient the route, the lower your vehicle’s fuel or energy usage.”
You should also tell Google your engine type in Google Maps > Profile > Settings > Your Vehicle.
That can give you even better fuel-efficiency.
“The most fuel or energy-efficient route can be different based on the engine type,” Google said.
“For example, diesel vehicles’ relative fuel economy advantage is generally greatest in motorway driving.
“Hybrid and electric vehicles tend to provide greater efficiency in stop-start town and hill driving where they can benefit from regenerative braking.”
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FOOD PRICES
For food savings, you’ll want to first take a look at Trolley.
It lets you compare prices for groceries across supermarkets, with a long list of stores including:
- Asda
- Sainsburys
- Aldi
- Home Bargains
- Morrisons
- Tesco
- Boots
- Wilko
- Coop
- Waitrose
- Superdrug
- B&M
- Ocado
- Iceland
- Savers
- Poundland
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The app says it’ll save you up to 30% on a weekly shop, but your own success will vary depending on what you buy and how much you spend.
Another option – recently tested by The Sun’s tech desk – is to use the Google Gemini chatbot.
You can use it to plan your food shop by asking the bot to find the cheapest prices.
It’s also worth noting that you can bag cheap or free food by picking up leftovers or stuff that would be otherwise thrown away.
Two apps – Olio and Too Good To Go – are packed with food bargains.
And if you want free food, Sky customers can bag a weekly treat from the Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range through the MySky app.
Just go to the Sky VIP panel (which is free to join) to claim your freebie.
We’ve seen ice lollies and pizzas so far, but there’s a new option every week.
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FLIGHT COMPARISONS
There’s no denying that Skyscanner is a brilliant option for finding cheap flights.
But you should also take a look at Google Flights, which has some clever tricks.
For a start, when you’re searching for flights, it can show you the cheapest window to book.
“For example, these insights could tell you that the cheapest time to book similar trips is usually two months before departure, and you’re currently in that sweet spot,” Google said.
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“Or you might learn that prices have usually dropped closer to takeoff, so you decide to wait before booking. Either way, you can make that decision with a greater sense of confidence.”
You can also turn on price tracking for specific dates (like if you’re off to a wedding) or for any dates (if you just want a holiday at some point soon).
This feature will only appear if you’re signed in to your Google account.
And right now, Google Flights is getting an upgrade with the Flights Deal feature.
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It’s currently only in the US, Canada, and India – but it looks likely to land in the UK eventually too.
The feature works using AI with Google saying it’s “for flexible travellers whose number one goal is saving money“.
“Instead of playing with different dates, destinations and filters to uncover the best deals, you can just describe when, where and how you’d like to travel — as though you’re talking to a friend — and Flight Deals will take care of the rest,” Google said.
For example, you could search for a “week-long trip this winter to a city with great food, nonstop only”, Google revealed.
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Then it’ll use Google Fights data to show you the latest options from loads of airlines.
CHEAP PARKING
Lastly, make sure you’re not overpaying on parking.
There’s a great app called JustPark, which you might be familiar with as a way to pay at some car parks.
But it also lets people rent out their driveways, which means you can bag some great bargains.
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We tried it out earlier this year and found £6 for all-day parking in London on a weekday.
You can book them far in advance, and even add on insurance that covers the excess if your car ends up getting damaged.
You can easily check and amend (or cancel) your driveway parking through the app from anywhere. So you could add extra time if you’re running late.
And it’s potentially a great way to bag a bargain for sports fixtures by getting near-stadium parking.
You could also turn it into a side-hustle by renting out your own parking space.
So you wouldn’t just be saving money, but making some quick cash too.
HOW TO RENT YOUR DRIVEWAY FOR CASH
Here’s how the process works on JustPark…
First, you go to JustPark and go through the Get A Quote process.
That involves handing over your name, postcode, and an email address.
Then you add the details for your actual space, choose the days and hours that you prefer, and set a price.
You’ll need to be the legal owner of the space, or have permission from the landlord.
JustPark will let you know when you get a booking from one of the 13 million drivers on the app.
As long as you’ve given clear parking instructions, you shouldn’t need to do much else.
You don’t need to make your space available constantly.
For instance, you could set it so that it’s only available while you’re out at work – or while you’re away on holiday.
You can take down your space from JustPark if you get tired of it – or if you decide it’s just too much hassle.
For short-term bookings, money is added to your JustPark account 48 hours after the it begins. And longer-term bookings will see payments added after the first month.
You can do manual withdrawals, or set up automatic withdrawals every month or quarter.
And it’ll take up to 10 working days for the money to come into your bank account.
