Top smartphone apps to find last-minute deals on gifts [Photos]
Attention procrastinators and the mall-averse, we have good news:
You can still find deals for those last-minute gifts, all from the comfort of your smartphone.
Here are five handy mobile apps to help you avoid being called a scrooge.
1. EbayEbay has been around for years, but it can easily be overlooked. The website rose to prominence as an online auctioning service, but these days, it has become one of the best all-around shopping apps.
Whenever users are shopping for a product, they should make sure to search for it first using the Ebay app. There’s always a chance the item may be available on Ebay for less than it is at traditional retailers.
And if users are not sure what you want to purchase, the Ebay app has “Deals†and “My Feed†sections that can help them find what they want.
My Feed picks items on Ebay that users might liked based off their interests. Meanwhile, Deals shows users special offers that are available, and users can usually land something good. For example, the other day Ebay was offering the $35 Google Chromecast for $29.99, and on Monday, Ebay is selling a $50 iTunes gift card for $40.
2. RetailMeNot
It’s pretty much a rule of thumb that before you make an online purchase, you head to RetailMeNot first.
The coupon app lets users search their favorite retailers to see if there may be an offer that applies to a purchase they want to make — helping them save a few bucks. Besides online discounts, users can also search the app for their favorite retailers to find in-store offers.
Additionally, users can browse the app for the overall top deals of the day, as curated by RetailMeNot. And whenever users walk by a shopping center, a mall or any place with stores, the app will shoot users a notification with deals for nearby retailers.
3. RedLaser
RedLaser is a handy app to have when shopping in person. The app lets users quickly scan items to find their prices at other stores, making sure users know where the products is available for the lowest cost.
The app also helps users quickly find nearby deals and online coupons that are available.
However, RedLaser doesn’t provide users with prices on Amazon.com, so users should also download that store’s app to make sure they compare prices at the most places possible.
RedLaser is available for iOS and Android. Amazon is available for iOS and Android.
4. Havvit
If users are trying to find deals on specific items, Havvit is a useful app for tracking prices.
With the app, users can search for the items they want, choose to track them and set the price at which they want the item. If the product goes on sale and its price drops below what the user selected, the app will send the user a notification.
Additionally, users can tell the app their favorite stores, brands and products. That information will help Havvit present users with items they may want to buy.
For iOS.
5. Flipp
Old-school shoppers who like checking out store fliers should download Flipp.
With this app, users can “favorite†the stores that they frequent. The app will then send them the latest fliers for each retailer that they chose, letting them quickly browse through the weekly deals on their phones. If users see a deal they like, they can tap it to digitally clip the deal and save it for easy access later on.
For iOS.
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