It’s not particularly glamorous and it’s not even that much fun, but coupon clipping can be an effective way for cost-conscious college students to cut down on their grocery bills. Last week, Savings.com released Favado, an application designed to simplify the time-consuming process of finding sales and coupons at local stores.

Favado’s creators claim the app can save shoppers as much as 70 percent on grocery and drug store items.

Available for free for both iPhone and Android phones, Favado allows users to enter their zip code and select from a list of stores closest to them. The app displays all of the items currently on sale at each of the stores selected, and marks where coupons are available with a paper clip symbol. Users can make shopping lists directly within the app by entering items manually or pulling from the sale listings.

Favado also draws data from a network of money-saving bloggers who provide regional data on the week’s top deals.

The “Top Deals” section is one of the app’s most useful features. For example, after entering three stores and my location, Favado presented me with more than 700 deals — a great selection, but, admittedly, a lot of information to process. The “Best” section listed all of the top deals and honed in on 29 that were actually worth checking out. In case you were wondering, Tops Friendly Markets has some serious deals on candy this week.

In general, the app is well-designed and easy to navigate.  A handy search feature makes it easy to compare sale prices of any particular item.

Unfortunately, at this point, it is not possible to show the cashier any coupons directly on your phone. Users have to send their lists via email and either print the coupons from their home computers or clip them out of the paper, adding an inconvenient extra step to the process. Hopefully, this will eventually change. Digital coupons are a work in progress that may become a feature of the app in the future, according to the app’s official website.

Downloading this app might not put you on the same level as the fanatics featured on TLC’s “Extreme Couponing,” but it could save you enough cash for next semester’s textbooks or a Spring Break trip to Florida. Or an extra six pack.

Published on October 20, 2013 at 10:16 pm

Contact Linda: lggorman@syr.edu