OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Everyone likes to save money.
One mom said she can help you save hundreds with just your phone.
Cassandra Foster is a busy working mom. She has two daughters, ages 3 and 4, and she's always at Target.
In the last year, Foster has saved $728 just using Target's app. She usually uses several other apps to round out her savings.
How she gathers deals & coupons
On Saturday nights while she's watching 'Saturday Night Live,' Foster scrolls through her Target app. She checks deals on the app and figures out what she needs and wants. Then she checks for manufacturers' coupons and any coupons or savings mailed to her because she's a Target red card holder.
Savings from one shopping trip
On the day we shopped with Foster, she found a Keurig coffee maker, regularly $120, for $80.
She also found a sheet set which had no signs of any deals on the shelf. But when she scanned the sheets using her Target app, it gave her 20 percent off. She had a $10 off of any purchase coupon the store had sent her for being a red card holder, and she used her red card for an additional 5 percent off. The price for the sheets was right around $9.
Perhaps her biggest savings find was for a car seat.
"Right now, Target has it on sale for $260. Cartwheel app has additional 30 percent off and we use our Target red card so it makes it almost 50 percent,” said Foster.
How the Target app works
The app keeps track of what you're buying. It tells you what's on sale and what's not. If something you scan is not on sale, the app will give you suggestions for things that are.
Savings are tallied and applied at check out.
Now, you can pay with your app right at the register.
"No longer do you have to put in a pin number with your red card. You just scan one barcode and you're out the door," said Katelyn Lenhart, a team leader for the Target at 119th and Metcalf in Overland Park, Kansas.
Foster reminds you Target lets you stack coupons, too. This means you can add manufacturer coupons to a purchase.
The Target app is free, but some shoppers told us it can be confusing until you learn how it all works. Several moms suggested to us you take time to explore the app.
Lenhart said if you have any questions, just ask.
"Every single team member in the store is trained on... the Target app and the Target wallet so they can help customers navigate that app," she said.
Other apps you can check for deals
Foster recommends other apps for savings, too.
The RetailMeNot app helps her find coupons.
She uses Flipp to see local circulars all in one place.
There's also Ibotta, which is like reverse couponing. Upload your receipts and the app will pay you back for things you could've and should've gotten a better deal on.
