Joy oh joy, it’s the time of the year again!
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are literally breathing down our necks, which means that most of us are racking our brains to come up with the perfect gift list.
After all, these two days mark the official start of the holiday buying season.
We’re here to tell you about 10 apps and tools you can use to help you score the best deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
10 Apps & Tools for Black Friday / Cyber Monday Shopping
Naturally, the savvy Black Friday shopper prefers to have a handful of tricks and tools at his or her disposal to make the most of start-of-the-season holiday shopping.
Still, there comes a time when counting coupons, checking gift guides, managing suggestions from family and friends, and double- and triple-checking 42 different websites becomes cumbersome and straight-up impossible.
That said, allow us to tell you about 10 of the most useful apps for keeping you organized and focused as you prepare to score the best deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
#1: Amazon
I mean, is it really necessary to explain why Amazon is on the list?!
It’s highly recommended that anyone who wants to catch incredible deals during the Black-Friday-Cyber-Monday-shopping-season should use Amazon.
The ‘endless aisles’ of Amazon is what makes it the (current) king of e-commerce websites and gives it a huge advantage over other retailers.
Let’s face it, Amazon is a favorite among online consumers and that truth is what will drive millions of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers to the site to rack up on holiday deals.
Not to mention, Amazon is starting its Black Friday sale a week early on November 22, 2019.
To us, this translates to having an entire seven days to “Add to Cart” and “Save to Shopping List” over and over again as you decide what you really want to purchase.
START HERE: After downloading the app, take your shopping prep a step further and check out this list of the best deals offered by Amazon for Black Friday 2019.
#2: camelcamelcamel
Have you heard of camelcamelcamel?
Well, it’s one of those tools that you need to have in your arsenal for Black Friday planning and shopping.
As a free Amazon price tracker web app, camelcamelcamel immediately notifies you of price changes (current and historical) through price drop email alerts.
The best part about it is that in each email there’s a link (button) that will take you directly to the Amazon product page so you can be among the first to purchase items when their prices drop.
Using camelcamelcamel is sure to help put you in the (Black Friday) game this year, especially if your goal is to save money on top of Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts.
START HERE: Sign up for a free camelcamelcamel account and plug in alerts for your favorite items.
#3: eBay
Much like Amazon, eBay has an expansive inventory of items that will be on discount bliss during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
And, also like Amazon, eBay is staring its Black Friday deals early. The site has already launched its “Black Friday but Better Sale” on both its website and mobile platforms.
So, quick, if you haven’t already, download the eBay app and take advantage of their amazing dealss.
#4: Etsy
Handmade, vintage gifts are usually at the top of simple and sentimental gift-giving.
In fact, the demand for handmade goods—a trend that gained momentum around 2015—is still on the rise.
That being the case, we couldn’t leave Etsy off the list of great apps for Black Friday.
Etsy offers millions of items for purchase that cater to nearly every imagination, personality, and creative type.
START HERE: Etsy has a section dedicated to displaying its most popular Black Friday items, making it easier for you to pick out a creative gift for anyone on your list.
#5: Facebook
Trust us when we tell you that there is no shortage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads floating around Facebook.
So it’s highly likely that you’ve already encountered an ad or 10 while scrolling down your timeline.
The best way to take advantage of Black Friday planning using Facebook is to follow accounts that share deals, coupons and alerts for your favorite brands.
QUICK TIP: Get in the habit of saving any Black Friday or Cyber Monday ad that you think you’ll want to view later or come back to during your planning.
#6: Twitter
Ah, Twitter.
Hashtag heaven, am I right?
If you’re big on hashing and/or tagging your way around to snoop out the best deals, Twitter is definitely the app you’ll need on your Black Friday team.
Twitter remains the holy grail of hashtag searching – so, please, go out and #BestBlackFridayDeals and #CyberMondayPromos to your heart’s content.
#7: YouTube
As all of us would expect, brands are turning to influencers to help them spread the word about their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.
That said, having YouTube on standby doesn’t seem like a bad idea – especially when you want to (virtually) consult your favorite influencer about his or her favorite gift picks for this holiday season.
START HERE: YouTube is also a great place to find information tips, and tricks for getting the most out of the Black Friday / Cyber Monday shopping frenzy.
#8: Instagram
Are your favorite brands on Instagram? We’re willing to bet that if they are, you follow them.
We’re also willing to bet that you already have the Instagram app on your phone.
This is our entire argument for why Instagram needs to be in your app lineup for Black Friday 2019.
Think about it like this: Your Instagram feed is a collection of the accounts and posts you want to see. So, since browsing your feed is a natural thing, you won’t be expending any extra effort to stay up-to-date on the deals and promotions being offered by the brands you follow.
A LITTLE MORE: Consider adding #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday to the hashtags you follow. This will help you quickly find other Instagram accounts that are sharing awesome deals that you need to know about.
#9: Gmail
Since it’s a given that brands will be emailing deals, alerts and coupons for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, having a way to access and manage all your Gmail accounts in one place makes a whole lot of sense.
After all, how else would you stay on top of emails from clients (business Gmail) and all those price drop alerts you’ll be getting from camelcamelcamel (personal Gmail)?
#10: AliExpress
We can’t count AliExpress out of the mix for Black Friday 2019.
A quick visit to the AliExpress app and you’ll notice that the site is not coming up short on Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and promotions.
The highlights of this year’s deals look pretty similar to last year’s with things like clothing, shoes, accessories, and tools and equipment at the forefront.
We’re confident that this will be a great app to score awesome Black Friday deals on a few odds and ends this year.
Calm the Chaos of Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Honestly, the best way to relieve stress during times like this is to plan ahead.
Things can get pretty chaotic if you push gift planning and Black Friday prep off until the last minute.
As a starting point, you’ll probably want to consider downloading the 10 apps and tools mentioned in this article. And if you’re worried about how to best manage all the deals and alerts that’ll be coming to your inbox, one easy fix is to use Shift as a way to effortlessly navigate between all of your Gmail and app accounts.
We hope you’ll agree that using these 10 apps are sure to give you a pretty good edge in snatching up some great deals and promos this Black-Friday-Cyber-Monday shopping season.