Top Apps for Holiday Shopping

December 05, 2011 |  Posted By : Barbara  In : Top App Lists

The holidays are a time to reunite with loved ones and let them know how much you care–with gifts! But with that brings mental images of crowded malls, frantic shoppers, long lines, and–for many–a hefty credit card bill. Insert, mobile apps—the helping hand to organizing your shopping list and budget, saving you time & money with the best deals, price comparisons, nearest store locations and paper-free ways to keep you sane this shopping season.

Below are the top apps that will spread joy to your holiday shopping days this season. Just be sure to start shopping now!

Price Check by Amazon– Free

Ever find yourself in a store and you see a good deal, but you’re wondering if you can find it cheaper on Amazon? Then this app is a must-download: Price Check by Amazon! This app allows you to do price comparisons with Amazon.com on-the-spot, by scanning the barcode or taking a picture of the item. You can even say the name of the item to have Amazon search for it! Compare prices, see a description and user reviews, and if you find the item cheaper on Amazon.com, you can purchase it through Price Check with Amazon’s 1-click check out option. Get this app for free in the App Store or Android Market.

RedLaser – Free

This barcode-scanning app has been downloaded over 12 million times–need we say more? Not limited to just barcodes, RedLaser allows scanning of all types of codes. Its scanning function is combined with Milo, a feature that searches inventory of local and online stores, PayPal and eBay’s payment service.  You can check prices, find items in stores nearby, and even break down to the nitty gritty of food allergens and nutrition information for your items. Download for free in the App Store and Android Market!

Gift Plan – $2.99

Did you happen to forget a friend’s birthday one year, or did you find a great sweater but can’t remember your brother’s size? You can be sure that won’t happen again with Gift Plan!  Gift Plan is an app that allows you to thoroughly organize your gift lists for not just holiday shopping, but birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. Set up lists of potential and past presents, make a note of people’s likes and dislikes, keep track of your loved ones’ clothing sizes, and even set birthday and anniversary reminders. To make it even easier, you can import information from your Facebook and iPhone contacts.  In addition, the app can be passcode-protected on your phone to prevent nosy gift receivers from seeing your gift list. Get this app for $2.99 in the App Store, today!

Key Ring Reward Cards– Free

If you love rewards, you must have a ton of store cards. If you have a ton of cards, you probably keep half of them in your wallet. Well, Key Ring comes to the rescue! With all the shopping you’re going to be doing, you want to make sure you’re earning rewards for as many of your purchases as you can. With Key Ring, your loyalty cards are digitized and stored in a database on your smartphone. Since you’ll always be carrying your smartphone with you while you’re shopping, you can make sure you’re never stuck without your loyalty card again! Get this app for free in the App Store and Android Market.

Coupon Sherpa – Free

Forget cutting out coupons–Coupon Sherpa will help you find relevant coupons in your area for all sorts of purchases each day! In addition, Coupon Sherpa features exclusive promotional deals, and lets you share the coupon love with your friends & family. What sets this app apart from the rest of the coupon apps is its reliability—you can be sure that almost all coupons you find with this app work. Be sure to download this app for free in the App Store or Android Market!

Dealmap – Free

Got friends and family over for the holidays and need to take them out? Dealmap, a Groupon competitor acquired by Google, gives you a map of discounts from stores, shops, and restaurants in your area.  Just enter your zipcode and voila!–a list of promotions in your area. Sure, some deal apps gives you a list of deals in your city, but Dealmap gives you a map, making it easier for you to select deals that are closest to you. In addition, if you find a deal not featured in Dealmap, you can submit it into the database to share with others! Get this app for free in the App Store and Android Market.

Lemon – Receipts Refreshed – Free

If you hate having to keep a stack of receipts (because it creates clutter but you feel you just might need those receipts one day), or if your receipts get lost in your email inbox, then this app should come in handy for you. Lemon is a “refreshing” app, that allows you to convert your paper receipts into digital copies, creating a database in one place of all your purchases.  You never know if you’ll need that receipt you’re about to throw away, so you might as well take a picture of it and store it with Lemon! Grab this app for free in the App Store and Android Market.