Yes, I have an iPhone but to be honest I'm still kind of old school when it comes to bargain shopping. I like clipping coupons, filingshop savvy avatar them in my binder and carrying them around with me in my big Madewell purse. I enjoy printing out coupons for various retailers before I go to the mall just in case I may end up buying something. (I saved $10 at Aerie just last week with a printable coupon they handed out on their Facebook page.) So the thought of using my iPhone to hunt deals and save money seemed a little foreign. Although I normally consider myself an optimist, I didn't really expect to get much out of the Shop Savvy App. I was wrong.

What is ShopSavvy?

ShopSavvy 4 is an app that contains prices and inventory from thousands of online stores and more than 26,000 local retailers with more than a million locations, according to their company blog. When you download the app you can scan barcodes on just about any product and find out where to find the best price for it online and in your local community. There is a free version and a premium version for $1.99. (Check it out in iTunes or Android Market.)

How Does ShopSavvy Work?

After downloading the ShopSavvy app I got to work scanning every barcode I could find. First up, I grabbed my recently-purchasedsmart new rich copy of Christine Romans' book "Smart is the New Rich." I recently picked it up at a Barnes and Noble store for about $15 thanks to my Member Discount. I thought I was getting a good deal, but a quick scan with ShopSavvy proved I could have done better. Online several book retailers like Half.com, Amazon and Alibris were selling new copies for $7.51, half the price I paid. Just imagine using a service like this on a big ticket item like a flat screen TV, a power saw or an MP3 player.

What Are ShopSavvy's Features?

Not only does ShopSavvy include the barcode scanner, but once you scan a product you'll find out where to find the best deal on it, plus you'll have access to product reviews by other shoppers, an image of the product, and customizable shopping lists. Don't have time to shop online? That's not a problem with ShopSavvy-- they'll map out the local stores that carry the product and even give you phone numbers so you can make a quick call to ensure it's in stock. With one click you can even review the store's price match policy to see if they'll honor a competitor's price tag.

How Much Money Will ShopSavvy Save You?

shop savvy

Within a few seconds of playing around with ShopSavvy I discovered I could have saved about $7.50. And I'm sure if I poked around my closet and pantry I'd see plenty of other opportunities where ShopSavvy could have saved me big bucks. I can also see how ShopSavvy would help negotiate better deals with retailers. The next time I'm in the market for a big ticket item I'll pull out my iPhone, scan the product and show the salesman the price their competitor is offering. Not only does ShopSavvy provide an easy, quick way to research products, but it gives you more confidence to know you're getting the best price possible. And that's definitely worth a lot to me.