Mike's NBC-TV stories

Back to school shopping apps for 2017

The busy summer season and thermometer may indicate otherwise, but make no mistake: back-to-school shopping time is upon us.

As PC Mike Wendland shows us, however, it doesn’t have to be a painful process with the right app.

Ebates helps you shop and save money through cash back rewards, coupons, and more at about 2,000 retail and wholesale stores. Using the app doesn’t involve much more than downloading it and signing up. You can earn up to 40 percent cash back. Pay close attention for chances to get double the rebate, too. The app is free for iOS and Android.

If you’re out shopping and worried another retailer might have better prices, try the app called ShopSavvy. Simply aim your smartphone’s camera at the barcode of a price tag and you can see how much the item currently costs at other stores. Prices are updated constantly, so you won’t have to worry about missing a deal. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Shopular aims to make sure you never miss a deal at your favorite stores. The app delivers coupons, online cash back, weekly ads, promo codes and more from many of the giant retailers like Target and Walmart. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Mike is a veteran journalist whose video "PC Mike" reports have been distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations since 1994, making him one of the most experienced tech reporters in the country. His tech stories and videos have appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, the Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today and in numerous national newspapers and magazines. In addition to the PC Mike tech blog, he also publishes the Roadtreking.com RV Travel Blog in which he travels North America in an RV reporting about interesting people and places.