I'm a Black Friday fanatic and this year I'll be working a new tool into my deal preparation: my iPhone. Besides pouring over ads on Thanksgiving, sketching out a plan of attack and making a shopping list I'll be using my smart phone as a tool to take my Black Friday shopping to a new level.
Black Friday Prep Work
Many Black Friday ads are leaked well before Turkey Day. That's where the FatWallet Black Friday Deal Finder iPhone app can come in handy. "Most shoppers do not have the time and resources to efficiently sort through all the various Black Friday ads to find the best deals," says FatWallet COO Ryan Washatka. "We created the Black Friday Deal Finder and iPhone app to do the work for our shoppers. With a single tool, users will be able to search for the best deals by store, product, brand, or price. There's no better way to plan your holiday shopping on a budget." Once an ad is leaked FatWallet tags each item so you can sort, search and shop for the best deals on products you're interested in most.
Waiting in Line
A large portion of your Black Friday morning can be spent waiting in line. You'll wait before the store opens and you'll wait to check out. Use your smart phone to keep yourself occupied and awake. Download the 101-in-1 games app, a popular (and free!) collection of puzzles, arcade action, sodoku and more. Before you know it you'll be at the head of the line.
On-the-Ground Reconnaissance
Black Friday can be tough if you're operating solo. That's where the free Localmind app can come in handy. Localmind allows you to communicate with people at any location around your city or state, to find out whatever you want to know about that location in real-time. Ask fellow shoppers if there are any Figit Friends left on the shelf or how long the checkout lines are. You may be able to score answers to your pressing questions faster than if you had to call customer service.
Quick Competitive Shopping
It's almost impossible to research what ever retailer is offering. But the free ShopSavvy app puts the power in your hands. Once you've found your Black Friday item, quickly scan the bar code and make absolutely sure you're buying it for the best deal possible. Andrew Schrage from MoneyCrashers says he uses The Find to make sure he's getting the best deal. "This app lets you enter in UPC codes on items you want to purchase to find the absolute lowest price," Schrage explains. "It gives results for websites as well. Thus, when you're at a store shopping, before you make the purchase, you can quickly find out if that app is being sold for less anywhere else, both in store and online." The Find also provides a convenient map so you know how to get to the store offering the best price. "Essentially, everything on Black Friday is going to look like a deal," says Schrage. "The Find will help ensure that you are purchasing something at the lowest possible price and won't experience buyer's remorse later on." Both of these apps will ensure you'll not only locate the lowest prices online, but you'll also receive pricing information about local retailers which will help you avoid shipping charges.
Keep Tabs on Receipts
My husband and I typically have our car loaded with Black Friday purchases before the sun rises. Despite experiencing the Black Friday rush our minds are still a little foggy which means receipts can easily get misplaced. That's where the Lemon app can help. According to Lemon, the average American receives three receipts a day and probably many more on Black Friday. That amounts to 300 billion crumpled slips of paper a year! Lemon is a free app that allows shoppers to take a picture of their receipts and instantly digitize them. Lemon pulls the numbers from the receipt picture and tracks the shopper’s spending for them. "These days, everyone is looking to curb spending, and we all hate paper clutter," says Lemon co-Founder Wences Casares. "Stuffing all your receipts into a shoebox is no way to take control of your finances." Having digital receipts also allows for easy returns just in case you regret some of your Black Friday shopping decisions.
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