Kat’s Money Corner: Black Friday apps can save you time and money
Every year it seems the stores are rolling out their Black Friday sales earlier and earlier. But, if you enjoy the thrill of a good, day of Black Friday sale, you’re going to want to check out these savings apps. As much fun as it is sorting through countless ads after your Thanksgiving Day meal in order to map out your shopping plan of attack, these apps will save you loads of time and money.
Plan Ahead
For Black Friday shoppers, there’s nothing quite like the rush of scoring a great deal during the after-Thanksgiving sales. It used to be that the savviest shoppers compiled lists, maps and clipped coupons in preparation. Now, consumers are using their smartphones to plan for the biggest shopping day of the year. And, they’re not just downloading deal apps to get ahead.
Electronics are always a sought-after item on Black Friday. This year, the Web is thick with rumors about high-end tablets for less than $100. Beat the crowds, as best you can, by using an app like Waze. Waze is a community-based navigation app. You can set your route to the mall using real-time information and avoid getting stuck on the highway because of a fender bender or construction.
Another great app that helps you prepare for the long day? The Starbucks app, of course. You can do everything from menu scanning to loading up your app with cash ahead of time to ensure you’ve got the caffeine you need to last the day. The coffeehouse often sends deals or coupons to app users, so keep an eye out for savings. Now, many Starbucks locations are even offering advance ordering and payment, so you can avoid the lines altogether!
Get the Rundown
Apps like Brad’s Deals and DealNews are a great resource for collecting and curating the best Black Friday deals. These apps allow shoppers to search by item, store, and even price point.
However, if you’ve narrowed down your Black Friday shopping to particular retailers, it’s in your best interest to download apps for those specific stores. For instance, Target will undoubtedly be adding savings on top of savings through its Cartwheel app, and I suspect competitors like Wal-Mart and Costco will do the same.
With all that said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t come clean and admit that in my family, we’re Cyber Monday shoppers. We check off our shopping lists online and I often find good, if not better, deals, and free shipping. Of course, it’s less of a thrill, and it’s definitely not something I could do with family and friends. So whatever your shopping style, enjoy it, and get some great deals!
Kat's Money Corner is posted on Dollars & Sense every Tuesday. Kat Hnatyshyn, when not blogging or caring for her little ones, is a manager with CommunityAmerica Credit Union. For more financial chatter, click http://twitter.com/savinmavens or visit http://communityamerica.com.
This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Kat’s Money Corner: Black Friday apps can save you time and money."