If you have a BlackBerry, you will want to check out this guest post about ways to coupon and save money with your BlackBerry.

Using your BlackBerry to save money

Owning a BlackBerry can put a serious dent in your budget. Not only does the device itself cost between $100 and $200, but the monthly charges really add up. At a standard $30 per month for data, you’re paying $360 more per year than you would for normal cell service. That’s tough for any budget-conscious person to justify. But what if you could use that BlackBerry to save you money? You’d probably consider it the best smartphone ever, right?

They’re not very well publicized, but there are a number of money-saving coupon apps available for the BlackBerry. They’re just like regular coupons, but with a few twists that make them even better. If you load a few of these apps onto your BlackBerry, you’ll be sure to save plenty of money along the way. Think about it this way: if you can find $30 per month in savings, the BlackBerry plan is paying for itself. Even if it’s a little less than that, you’re still subsidizing your data plan. If you’re saving more, well, all the better.

Location-aware

Coupon apps take advantage of your BlackBerry’s GPS unit, which allows it to deliver deals that are near you. Think about it: when you get coupon mailers, you get deals from all over. There might be one deal that’s 10 miles from you, and another that’s 5 miles in the opposite direction. It takes some planning to get out and take advantage of them. BlackBerry coupon apps remove that step.

Think of all the ways this can help you out. Say you have a few grocery stores that are nearby. If you run the app at home you can figure out which one has the best deals, and then choose to shop there. If you’re already out you can find deals that won’t take you too far out of your way. Wherever you are, your app will find deals nearby. So not only are you saving money, but you’re saving time and hassle, too.

No more clipping

One distinct memory I retain from childhood is sitting down with Mom and Dad on Sunday mornings. Dad would read the paper, Mom would go through the coupons, and I would read the funnies. Once I was done I’d clip out all the coupons Mom set aside. Then on Friday we’d grab the envelope of coupons and go shopping. I took a little pride in remembering which items I’d clipped, picking them off the shelf and putting them in the cart without any directive.

Unfortunately, I also remember the few times when Mom and I forgot the coupon envelope. It usually happened mid-shop, and it was too late to go back. And so Mom would grumble and gripe for the rest of the shopping trip. Oftentimes she’d refrain from purchasing coupon items, stubbornly changing plans so that she didn’t need then until the next time she went shopping.

When you use coupon apps on your BlackBerry there is no clipping. I mean, you could try, but it would be quite awkward. Coupon apps either use a scannable barcode, or else are valid when you simply present them to the cashier. In both cases you need not clip and bring coupons with you. They’re all right on your BlackBerry — which you carry with you everywhere, anyway.

Beyond coupons

Your BlackBerry can be more than your coupon machine. It can also store all of your loyalty cards, so you don’t have to worry about them, either. The app, CardStar, has partnered with dozens of merchants and their loyalty cards programs to make shopping life just a little easier for you.

After downloading the app you can go through your wallet and find all of your loyalty and discount cards. If your merchant is on the list, you can just select it and input the barcode numbers. If it’s not, you can still enter the barcode numbers, and then select the style of barcode. Instead of presenting your card at the register, you can present your BlackBerry. The cashier scans it, and you’re done.

There are some scanning issues at some outlets, so you might want to carry your loyalty cards at first, just to make sure. But once you confirm that they can take your CardStar, you can ditch them all and lighten your wallet. And, again, there’s no worrying about forgetting your cards. They’re all with you, all the time.

The best BlackBerry coupon apps

If you’re ready to get started saving money with your BlackBerry, here are a few apps to get started with.

• Valpak. You surely recognize Valpack, since they direct mail their coupon packets to nearly every household in the US. The Valpack BlackBerry app provides many of the same deals, but customizes them for your current location.
• Groupon. This location-based deal app has taken the internet by storm. It provides a daily deal for hundreds of cities in North America.
• Cellfire. It has coupons that work directly at grocery stores nationwide (with a few exceptions). It also has a number of regional stores, so you’re not stuck with only the national ones.
• Radar Coupons. It updates deals every day, and finds stores within 10 minutes of your current location.
• Entertainment Book Companion. If you buy an Entertainment Book for big savings, you can download the companion BlackBerry app and save even more!
• UPC Price Check. Wondering if you can get a better deal online than at the store? Just scan the UPC with your camera and this app will tell you. This the only paid app on the list, but it costs just 99 cents.

WIth all of these ways to save, you can start to subsidize your monthly cell phone bill, and maybe even turn it into money earned. There are plenty of ways you can make your BlackBerry work for you. Put money into your pocket instead of taking it out.

Joe Pawlikowski is the editor of BBGeeks.com, a site that helps BlackBerry users get the most out of their devices offering tips and reviews on everything from games to BlackBerry car mounts.