Outflank the masses with these 10 Black Friday apps

If you're about to brave the Black Friday crowds early tomorrow morning (or late tonight, to each their own!), you best be prepared. These 10 apps will help you streamline and save during your Black Friday deals hunt.

Now that Thanksgiving Day is officially here, it’s time to turn your attention to tomorrow: Black Friday. Ready or not, the holiday shopping season is officially upon us and if you’re ready to brave the crowds and the chaos, some incredible deals can be yours. Those willing to hit the stores and their ensuing madness should best be prepared though, and what better way than keeping everything you need stored in your pocket?

These apps will help you scout deals, check for better prices, and even keep track of the important things you may overlook – like where you parked your car. While you enjoy this day of relaxation and mentally prep for the insanity of tomorrow, check out this guide and app your way to a smarter, savings-friendly Black Friday. 

Black Friday, Free for iOS

From the discount aggregator website Fat Wallet, the Black Friday app helps you locate all the deals available this year sorted by categories or retailers. Since the deal information comes straight from the website, there are also hearts to rank the quality of each deal. Obviously, more hearts means this is a deal you don’t wanna miss, while smaller hearts might be skippable items you can find other times of the year.

 

TGI Black Friday, Free for iOS, Android

Deals seem to good to be true? How about an app with PDF scans of the ads to prove it? You can view all the sales with the paper ads right on the app as well as create a shopping list so you can hit the storms armed with everything you plan to get from the crazed rush. You can also use the app to compare prices to other retailers to see if you’re getting the best deal.

Zoomingo, Free for iOS

For those who decide to hit up Black Friday on a whim, check out Zoomingo to find deals nearest you. The app lets your thumbs up or down various deals so you can sort for items that are more tailored to your style. Each time you vote, you’ll also earn points that go toward winning weekly prizes.

SnapTell, Free for iOS, Android

Retail stores have become a showroom of some sort, letting consumers touch and feel products in real time before finding a better deal online. Use SnapTell when you leave for Black Friday so you can check whether the sale items are worth the on-site purchase or better bought online. The app is powered by Amazon and can scan for price comparisons by simply taking a picture of the product, or scanning the barcode.

Shopkick, Free for iOS, Android

Even if you’re not planning to buy anything, you can use Shopkick to earn rewards just for walking into stores. It’s like Foursquare but with shopping rewards at every turn, like gift cards to CVS or a latte at Starbucks. If you’re assigned the dreaded task of driving shoppers to stores, might as well use the app to rack up some points for future perks.

SnipSnap, Free for iOS

Extreme Couponers, rejoice. With SnipSnap, no longer will you have to walk around with a ziplock bag full of cut-outs. The app lets you scan retailer coupons and save them onto your phone to redeem without all the extra bulk. SnipSnap will also notify you if coupons are expiring, in case you run into those special deals that last up until 1 p.m. on Black Friday. Just remember to privatize any coupons that have personalized codes so you don’t inadvertently share the goods and have it redeemed by someone else.

Discount Calculator, Free for iOS, Android

The discount calculator is a must have for stores that offer percentages off random inventory instead of marking the exact final price on each item. You can also add tax percentages to see how much you’re looking to spend for those who live in states where sales tax applies. Different developers are behind the iOS and Android version, but each get the job done. 

Find My Car, Free for iOS, Android

Congratulations! You’ve braved the masses at Black Friday, and now it’s time to head back for the stuffed car ride home. Since you probably shopped til you dropped – or are about to – it’s quite possible you could totally forget where you parked your car. Both the iOS and Android version of the Find My Car app help get the job done when you input the initial location of your car. After your trip, just hit find to get a directional map of where you’ve parked.

Fastmall, Free for iOS, Android

If you’re looking for deals outside the big box stores, Fastmall will help you navigate the labyrinth that is your local shopping center. The app includes options for saving your car’s location, finding elevators (anyone with a stroller will be thankful for that feature), the coffee shop, and with a simple shake will direct you to the closest bathroom. The app also doesn’t rely on GPS or Wi-Fi, so once you’ve downloaded the map, you can use any of the features even if your connection is unstable or you’re trying to save battery. You can check here to see if your local mall is included in the app’s growing database. 

Santa’s Bag, $0.99 for iOS

Most everyone hitting Black Friday sales is looking for holiday gifts. A lot of thought and heart — and budgeting — goes into this search, and the organized among us will want to try out Santa’s Bag software to aid the process. The app helps you store ideas for everyone on your list as well as set price limits and monitor your spending. Santa’s Bag also has an option where you can split a gift among friends, and has Dropbox backup and storage so you can keep tabs on all this from your desktop as well.