As a business owner wife and mom more times than not I end up with another password or code to get into something like my bank account or a bill I need to pay. Then there is the apps I use that sometimes ask for a password, code or email account and more times than not I can’t remember which password I’ve used or email.

This where I’ve had to STOP. CHECK. SAVE. Because if your like me you may have walked into a store or restaurant and suddenly thought, “Oh! I have their app!” And sometimes that little thought has saved me money.

Other times? Well… let’s just say it has cost me money because I couldn’t remember my password, couldn’t get the app to work, or stood there trying to figure everything out while people were waiting behind me.

And that is exactly why I realized something. If we’re going to use apps to save money, we need a plan. I don’t want to download twenty different apps, forget which ones I have, forget my passwords, forget what rewards I’ve earned, and then discover a great deal when I’m already standing at the register. I want to be prepared before I walk through the door.

I’ve put together a simple little “5 Reasons I Need an App” checklist to help us stop and think before we fill our phones with another app. Not only that I’ve created a printable you can share with your friends and family.

1. Will this app actually save me money? The first question we need to ask is am I downloading this because I shop here all the time? Will I get coupons? Rewards? Points? Free food? Birthday offers? Special prices?

If the answer is no, then maybe I don’t need another app taking up space on my phone.

2. Does it offer rewards, coupons, points, or free items? Not every app is the same. Some give you points. Some give you digital coupons. Some give you special offers. Some have birthday rewards. Some have free items just for joining.

And sometimes the best deal isn’t something you automatically get every time you open the app. You have to look for it. That’s why my new rule is: STOP. CHECK. SAVE. Before I pay full price, I’m going to check. Buttercup if your in a hurry ie Charlie don’t come with me because I’m on a mission to save money.

3. Will I use it often enough to justify the space? This one is especially important for me because I take pictures and I make videos. I work on my blog. My phone storage is important to me. So I’m not going to download every app just because somebody says, “Hey, there’s a deal in the app!”

If I’m only going to visit that business once a year, I may not need the app permanently. But if it’s somewhere my family visits regularly? That’s different. That’s an app I may actually want.

4. Is there another way to get the same savings? This is the question I wish I had asked sooner. Because sometimes we think we have to use the app. But do we? Can we use the website? Can we enter our phone number? Can we use a rewards card? Can we sign into our account another way? Can we find the offer online?

Popeyes is a perfect example of why I want to know the answer to this question before I’m standing in the restaurant. I’ve had those moments where I’ve gone to use an app and suddenly there’s a problem. Now I’m standing there thinking, “Okay… what do I do?”

Popeyes currently says Rewards members can access the program through Popeyes.com as well as the app, so having that website option can be an important Plan B when the app isn’t cooperating. Some rewards features are limited to participating locations, so checking the specific offer and location still matters.

That’s the kind of information I want written down in my little savings notebook. Because I don’t want to discover the backup plan after I’ve already ordered dinner. Even though some places will let you add your points after you’ve made your purchase.

5. Am I willing to keep the information organized? For me this may be the biggest one of all. Because having an app doesn’t help me if I can’t remember how to use it. So I’ve decided I’m making myself a little Coupon & App Savings Notebook.

TIP: Not a notebook filled with passwords. Please don’t write your actual passwords in this notebook.

Instead, I’ll have a little card for each business. Something simple. The business name. The app or website. What rewards I can earn. What kind of offers I should look for. What I need to do at checkout. And a reminder of where my password is safely stored.

For example: Password: Stored in my password manager.

That’s enough. I don’t need my actual password sitting in a notebook in my purse, my car, or my shopping bag.

Foer me I have a small notebook that fits inside my mini backpack but I also have a card file in both Charlie and David encase I’m not with them and they need a app we use. For you I could see something like a tiny recipe box.

You know those little index-card boxes? We used to use in school? That’s what gave me the idea. Each business gets its own card. So before I walk into a restaurant or store, I can pull out my little savings notebook and look at that business. That’s it. Simple. Easy. Something I can actually use.

Maybe my card says:

BUSINESS: Popeyes

APP/WEBSITE: Popeyes App / Popeyes.com

WHAT I CAN EARN: Rewards points

BEFORE I ORDER: Check current offers
Check rewards
Check coupons

PLAN B: Try the website if the app isn’t working.

PASSWORD: Stored securely in my password manager.

NOTES: Check expiration dates and offer restrictions.

If both the app and the website isn’t working don’t give up ask a manager for help. I f he says he can’t help get his name and call the corporate office and let them know what happened and see if they can fix the problem.

We all know we can make the perfect plan and we can write everything down. We can leave home knowing exactly what to do and then something happens. The app won’t open or the Wi-Fi doesn’t cooperate or we can’t remember our password.

The offer we wanted to use may have expired or the restaurant doesn’t participate or the website is different from the app. Or there’s a line behind me and suddenly I’m sweating because I’m trying to figure out how to save $3.17 while everybody else is waiting.

I’ve been there. More than once. And that’s why I want a Plan B. Actually, I probably need a Plan C, too and even a plan d if Charlie and David are with me. Because if we’re trying to save money, we shouldn’t let one little technology problem cause us to lose the savings we were counting on.

For my family the main thing I need to figure out is how to get everything working and put into the notebook before I Get David and Charlie Using These Apps… If you will excuse me for a bit I’m going to figure this out for myself first.

Because if I hand David an app and tell him, “This will save you money,” and then he can’t get logged in, the offer won’t work, or he has to stand there for five minutes trying to figure it out… He’s probably going to say, “Forget it.” And honestly? I can’t blame him.

I’m not exactly the most patient person when I’m standing in a checkout line either.

Charlie and I aren’t the most patient person and I’ve been the woman holding up the line because I’m trying to make an app do something it doesn’t want to do. So let’s avoid that before they act like me Buttercup and throw the phone out the door.

Let’s learn the tricks before we need them and let’s know where our rewards are. Then lets know where our passwords are stored and let’s know whether the website works. Then let’s know whether we can use our phone number. Let’s know what happens if the app isn’t working. And let’s know what we’re supposed to do before we walk through that door.

Here’s what I want my new routine to look like. I pull into the parking lot. I pull out my little savings notebook. I find the card for the business. I check the current offer. I open the app. I check my rewards. And then I walk inside.

STOP. CHECK. SAVE. And if the app doesn’t work? I don’t panic. I check my Plan B. Plan C and even Plan D. Because saving money shouldn’t require us to stand in a parking lot pulling our hair out. And it certainly shouldn’t require us to give up on the savings altogether.

Have you ever walked into a store or restaurant knowing you had an app but couldn’t remember your password? Have you ever had an app stop working when you were trying to use a coupon? Have you ever lost money because you didn’t know there was another way to get the same deal?

I want to hear about it.

Because I’m building this little Coupon & App Savings Notebook for myself, David, Charlie, and hopefully you will too.

One business. One card. One savings opportunity at a time. Because before I pull out my wallet… I’m going to pull out my phone. And if the phone doesn’t cooperate? I’ve got a Plan B, C and D. STOP. CHECK. SAVE. And maybe, just maybe, we can keep a little more of our hard-earned money in our pockets.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates