Manage Holiday Shopping Right From Your Smartphone

To me, one of the best things about the holidays is giving gifts, and experiencing the joy they bring. But with a large family and plenty of friends to buy for, it takes a pretty big effort to keep my shopping organized and, more importantly, on budget. Fortunately, I’ve found several wonderful, free apps that help me keep track of what I’m buying and how much I’ve spent—and can also point me toward some terrific deals! Here are a few that I highly recommend.

For Android smartphone users, Christmas Gift List is the handiest way I’ve found to create shopping lists, add notes, photos, and links about items I’m interested in, and set a budget—all in one place! You can also check off items that you’ve purchased, and even keep track of whether or not a gift has been wrapped. Santa’s Bag performs similar important tasks for iPhone users. It lets you track all of your gift buying, create your budget, and even sort the gifts you’ve bought—and the ones wished for—by store.

You’ll find the all kinds of great deals using the SnipSnap Coupon app for iPhone and Android. You can search hundreds of retailers for digital coupons, save your printed coupons using your phone’s camera feature, and set reminders to alert you to expiration dates. When you checkout at the store, just present the coupon on your phone to have the barcode scanned—you don’t have to print anything out and worry about finding paper coupons!

Finally, here’s a way to turn all of your holiday legwork into a unique gift all its own: the Charity Miles tracker app for iPhone and Android tracks all your steps, allowing you to earn money for charity for every mile you tally. It’s easy to use: just download the app, and then choose from among 40 sponsored charities. The ground you cover is used to calculate how much the app’s business sponsors contribute to the chosen charity on your behalf.

Before you jump online or head to the mall to start your holiday shopping, consider adding one of these apps to your smartphone. They’ll help save you time and money, and even donate to a worthy cause or two along the way!

14 Thoughts on "Manage Holiday Shopping Right From Your Smartphone"

  1. Janice Dandridge says

    Can’t receive or send pictures in messages

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We’re sorry to hear that, Janice. Please try turning your phone off, then back on again. This will allow your phone to sync with the nearest tower. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, we’re happy to do additional troubleshooting at 888-345-5509. Thank you for taking the time to post today!

  2. FRANKLIN SAMES says

    Just in time for Xmas Shopping a devastating event happened. My trusty Iphone 5 failed me. I’m thinking battery since it seemed to not hold a charge as long. An appointment at the Apple Clinic for Wed. is in order. My shopping is on partial hold pending diagnosis. Your giveaway could be my Xmas gift so count me in!

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for posting, Franklin, and we are so sorry to hear about your phone! If we can be of any assistance to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. We hope you enter our contest, and we wish you the very best of luck!

  3. Roland says

    White Christmas. An old song but still a great one. Happy Holidays Ashley!

  4. Alfreda says

    I hate this little phone. I didn’t think it would be soooo little.

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We’re sorry to hear that, Alfreda. We want to make sure your phone is just the right fit, which is why we offer a 30-day risk-free guarantee on our devices. I reviewed your account, and I see that you were able to setup a return and find a device that is larger and more to your liking. If we can assist you with anything else at this time, please don’t hesitate to call us at 888-345-5509. Thank you for taking the time to post, and we hope you have a lovely day!

  5. DIANE JACKSON says

    I look for your FB entry each day and yet I have never seen the winter. You say it is on the FB post, but where. Today’s post reads:
    1 hr ·
    Another day, another great prize to win in our 12 Days of Giveaways! Just make sure you’ve liked our page, then add your answer to our question of the day with a comment below. We’ll update this post tomorrow morning with the random winner’s name! For more details, be sure to read our blog here: bit.ly/2ATuPRQ
    Here’s the question for today—do you send holiday cards, and if so, how many people are on your list? If you’re the lucky winner, you’ll get a new Samsung Galaxy J3 smartphone. We wish you the best of luck!

    Where is the winner??

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      We apologize for any confusion, Diane. We update the post with the winner the following morning, so you’ll need to scroll down the page to see that post. The most recent post at the top is the post of the day. Thank you for posting, and we wish you the best of luck in the contest!

  6. letitia d speights says

    How do i access apps on my Galaxy J7. I have only been able to use ones when I click on the gray square with dots in it,. I do not know how to access other apps such as the ones mentioned in the blog. Thanks.
    Tish Speights

    • Ashley at Consumer Cellular says

      That’s a great question, Tish. Your phone comes pre-loaded with some apps, which you can locate by tapping the “app finder”, which is the gray square with the dots in it. You can download more options from the Google Play Store, with millions of free apps to choose from. You’ll find this option on your home screen. Just tap it, then use the search icon to look for any app you choose. We’re happy to walk you through this process, so please give us a call at 888-345-5509 at your convenience. Thank you for posting today, and we hope you enjoy the wonderful world of apps!

  7. Gayle Strickland says

    no link to assist with downloading digital coupons

    • Nicole at Consumer Cellular says

      Hi Gayle, the link to the SnipSnap Coupon app is included in the post and directs to the Google Play Store here. This can be used if you have an Android smartphone. If you have an iPhone instead, you can search the app store for a coupon app.