How to save money shopping online with automatic couponing

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Remember scouring circulars and physically clipping those discounts, then having to remember to take them with you when you shop? Forget all that! Thanks to technology, coupon apps and browser extensions do all the work for you automatically.

"There's so many sources of coupons - you can look at your newspaper, you can look online, and you want to make sure you pick a system that works for you," said Kimberly Palmer of NerdWallet, who is a personal finance expert.

An easy way to do it? A coupon app and browser extension.

"Browser extensions are really useful when you're actively shopping online," she said.

If you've downloaded the extension, it will pop and alert you that there's a lower price on the item at another store. It pulls in the extra coupon code for you and it can save you a lot of money.

Palmer recommends the Honey browser extension, which constantly scans the internet for coupon codes.

"If there's a coupon code that you can use, it will actually automatically apply it. So that saves you a lot of time," she said.

Other coupon sites to check out are Coupon Cabin, Flipp, Coupons.com, and TheCouponsApp.com. If you're an Amazon shopper, Amazon Assistant will alert you to lower prices on the marketplace.

"The Camelizer extension is also helpful for Amazon pricing, because it lets you know the price history of an item, you can set up a price alert. So it actually tells you when a price drops if there's a big ticket item that you really have your eye on," said Palmer.

Cashback extensions put money back in your wallet.

"Basically, it applies cashback, when you make a purchase, you can get 8%, even 10% cashback," said Palmer.

NerdWallet recommends Rakuten as well as Dosh. Just accumulate $25 through the app, then transfer it to your bank, PayPal, or Venmo.

"All these apps and extensions are free. They're all free. And you usually just have to provide your email address and maybe a few other identifying details about you," said Palmer.

But do make sure to think about the information you're providing and check the privacy settings of any service. Also, consider setting up a separate email account for these kinds of sign-ups.