As Black Friday and Cyber Monday draw near, certain apps can help you organize your shopping strategy and find the best deals. Our picks for the best apps to download to your mobile device for your holiday shopping needs are:
TGI Black Friday
To get a jump on your holiday shopping and early leads on Black Friday sales, TGI Black Friday could be the next best thing since coupons. With this app, you can make a wish list and find great coupons. Even better, you can compare prices between different stores and purchase the one you want, all on your mobile device. TGI Black Friday also sends you instant alerts on new Black Friday ads. And, if you’d like, you are able to share your list with others. TGI Black Friday is free and compatible with iOS and Android.
RetailMeNot
The RetailMeNot app enables you to search for both online and in-store coupons for your favorite stores. Scroll through a list of the hottest deals on the home page or search for a more specific store or deal. This app uses your mobile device’s location information and trims down the list of deals to the ones closest to you at the time. This app is for Android and iPhone devices.
Slickdeals
With the Slickdeals app, you can unite with other holiday shoppers and share unique deals, coupon offers and shopping tips. This interactive app helps you learn about deals and stores you might not have thought of or heard about. Links on the app can take you right to the retailer’s deal, and you can look up deals that are close to home. This app is for iOS and Android.
Flipp
Perhaps you just can’t help but collect and save the printed ads and fliers from local retailers, but somehow you always end up losing them when you need them most. For any physical fliers you find in the newspaper, a digital version exists as well; with the Flipp app, you transfer those papers into a digital file. By searching the store’s name, you can locate the flier and “clip” the deal you want to save. For the stores you shop at often, Flipp can have their new fliers pop up through the app automatically, which you can present to the cashier at checkout. This app is for iOS and Android.
Amazon
The Amazon app just might be the one-stop shop for all you need. One of its unique features is the ability to scan items of interest, compare prices and check availability. With millions of items to choose from via its website and through other merchants, you could get your holiday shopping list done in a day. All purchases through Amazon’s app is routed through its secure servers.
A Note About Security & Protection
Shopping on your mobile device is convenient, but under certain circumstances, providing payment information can open you up to hackers and identity theft. Follow these safe mobile shopping practices:
- Add a password to your phone. It’s a simple and effective safeguard.
- Look for “https” in the URL (instead of just “http”). The extra “s” indicates an added level of security.
- Never shop from a free Wi-Fi connection.
In addition, you may wish to purchase smartphone protection from a company like Protect Your Bubble. These measures will help you thwart identity theft and ensure a quick replacement if your device suffers damage or mechanical breakdown.
