New For 2014: The Best Apps For Holiday Shopping Deals
When it comes to Black Friday, the most organized and thorough person gets the best deals. Sure, you can head out blindly, hoping to wander into some great savings, and you probably will, but if you take the time to plan your shopping list you can really save a ton. Thankfully, the organization for Black Friday shopping has gotten a lot easier, thanks to these great apps all available for free on your smartphone. You can use these handy apps on your phone to plan your day, track the deals and even get back to your car safely. Now that is a truly smart phone.
The Black Friday app from Slickdeals is probably the most robust app of them all. Not only is the user interface very slick and friendly, but it has a huge following of savings-hunters supporting the app, reporting savings and offering advice. You can also set up specific alerts for items you want and customize all your Black Friday deal information so you aren't bombarded by savings on items you'll never buy. This app is available for both iPhone and Android and it's totally free.
Part of the world of Black Friday is clipping all those coupons. Forget spending hours on the couch with your scissors and file sorting and organizing actual paper coupons. RetailMeNot allows you to surf through all the websites and coupon codes online, and gives you coupons for the cashier to scan at the checkout using your phone. You'll save all that time from clipping and sorting, and you'll look like a true professional when you head into any department store and just show your phone for some savings. This app is also available on both iPhone and Android for free.
This free app does all the surfing of Black Friday ads for you. It will scan all the store circulars and then help you organize with a to-do list that you can share with your friends. That way, if you are one of those people that spans out with a massive team all over the city, you can share your lists and really maximize your savings. Compare prices, compare opening times of stores, and get yourself truly organized to make the most of your Black Friday shopping experience.
One of the biggest risks of setting out early for Black Friday is the pain of parking and, even worse, losing your car in the parking lot when you have an arm full of bags and you just want to sit down. Make sure to get Tadd Car Finder on your iPhone and you'll be saved of all the hassle. The app uses your GPS to set the location for your car so you can get to and from the store with ease. This app is easy to use and could possibly save you hours of time. Time that you could be using getting to your next deal. Tadd Car Finder is free and available for iPhone only.
Another free app exclusively for iPhone, Flipp will help you maximize all of those store flyers. More than 300 stores have their flyers loaded into the Flipp app, allowing you to search through the deals, create a shopping list, and save a bundle. The user interface on this one is a lot like surfing the actual flyers, making the experience perfect for those that aren't as web-savvy or need a little extra help with navigating the world of the app. Plus, you can also share your seals with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or email, which can help everyone save money this year.
Deborah Flomberg is a theater professional, freelance writer and Denver native. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.