We’ve officially arrived at the silly season and with all the summer afternoon drinks, trips down the coast, last-minute Christmas presents and the unavoidable office Christmas party, things are going to start getting just a little bit expensive. So, as our heartfelt gift to you, we have compiled the best free apps to help you save some much-needed dollars ahead of all the festivities.
Libby
Summer reading is always a must, whether you’re looking for an audiobook to listen to while you bask in the holiday sun or need something to get you through the holiday commute, The Libby App is going to be your new favourite platform. This library reading app gives you free access to thousands of eBooks, audiobooks and magazines through your local library so you never have to pay for the latest new release or your favourite monthly magazine again. Just download the app, pop in your library card details and you’re ready to go. Don’t have a library card? You can join most libraries online meaning the only thing that’s left to worry about is picking what to read.
Available on IOS and Google Play.
EatClub
They don’t call it the silly season for nothing, summer is packed full of after work drinks, date nights and even the odd pub crawl, which starts to sound a bit hefty on the wallet, but with EatClub you can order that second cocktail with zero added spending guilt. They offer up to 50% off top bars and restaurants around Australia when you dine between certain times. The best thing? They also do discounts on takeaway orders, so when you’re feeling a bit sorry for yourself the next day, you don’t have to worry about the second-day splurge.
Available on IOS and Google Play.
HotDoc
The holidays can really take their toll on your health but with HotDoc, finding an available bulkbilling doctor near you is made easy. Founded by a doctor in Melbourne, you might have already heard of this gem when it came in above TikTok and Disney+ as one of Australia’s most downloaded apps during the Covid vaccination rush. Whether you’re looking for a GP, dentist, psychologist, optometrist or physiotherapist, this app connects patients with practitioners and shows all available appointments near you, including bulk-billed telehealth appointments, making it even easier to sort your health out without breaking the bank.
Available on IOS and Google Play.
Fuel Map
It isn’t summer without a quick trip down the coast and Fuel Map makes that weekend away a little more affordable by finding you the cheapest place to fill up. The app works as a crowd-sourced database of national petrol stations and shows real-time fuel prices around the country, giving you the ability to add in current prices as you see them as well as sourcing prices from government resources in NSW, WA and QLD. In certain locations you can even see the fuel prices for tomorrow so you can pre-plan the most economical toilet break.
Available on IOS and Google Play.
ShopFully
With the cost of living only going up, groceries are no exception, but ShopFully helps to make the weekly supermarket bargain hunt a whole lot easier. The app works by compiling all the current deals in grocery stores near you so you can check on who has the best sales on the products you actually want. You can search certain items and scroll through current catalogues to find hundreds of new deals listed daily. You can also store all of your loyalty cards within the app, making it even easier to save on the small things and reap the big rewards.
Available on IOS and Google Play.