Five Ways Your Smartphone Helps You Make The Best Deals On Black Friday 2014
People are already counting the hours until the biggest shopping day of the year. But at the same time they are worrying how to avoid the turmoil-like scenes of last year’s events. To combat potential insanity, we’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks of smart apps that will keep your shopping bags full and your stress level low. Make your smartphone your personal shopping assistant to prepare for and survive that crazy day. Be smart and use our five tips to make your shopping haul more successful and convenient:
1. Plan your budget in advance:
A great tool to manage the budget you can afford to spend on items on Black Friday is the Mint app. It allows you to set up a certain amount for each category you plan to spend on and helps you to stick to it. Mint will also tell you how much you need to save each week or month after the holidays to get back on track. And remember, while everything seems to be a great deal on Black Friday, this does not mean that it’s a bargain! Toys, for example are often discounted even more closer to Christmas. This year’s big Black Friday bargains will likely be TVs and laptops.
2. Make a list of what you want and prioritize:
A few days before you head out for the madness, create a detailed list of what you actually need. Be specific with your list: Write down “pair of blue jeans”, “new pyjamas for the kids” and “ten pairs of black socks” instead of just writing “clothes”. Wunderlist is a fantastic app to create digital lists on your smartphone. It allows you to easily check items off and keep track of what you still want to get. Without such a list, it will be tempting to spend money on items you don’t necessarily need.
3. Make your smartphone your wallet:
Most deal hunters still carry around their cluttered wallet the old fashioned way. Be clever and take your smartphone instead! Get e.g. Apple Pay to handle your payments when shopping at Toys’R’Us, Macy’s or Staples. There is no need for cash and credit cards anymore.
One great way to save even more money on Black Friday are rewards cards. To collect all rewards while keeping your wallet slim and tidy just download the free Stocard app. It allows you to easily digitize all rewards cards with your smartphone. All you have to do is select the card you want to add and scan the barcode with your smartphone’s camera. The app then creates a digital copy on your phone. At the store, simply show your digital card in Stocard to receive all discounts and rewards just like you would with your plastic card. Collecting rewards has never been easier!
4. Find out about the best savings: You have two options to find out about the best deals that suit your needs: First, you can collect all newspaper ads, circulars, and coupon mentioning Black Friday discounts. What you will get is a coupon book about as thick as the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Second, use Stocard to find out about the best deals around. Apart from storing all your rewards cards, Stocard also shows you flyers and coupons you need on Black Friday right at the palm of your hand. With Stocard you will not miss out on any discount or bargain! This will give you the crucial competitive advantage over other shoppers.
5. Have an emergency plan if you run out of money: What if you find an amazing deal for a new 60 inch 4k LED flat screen, but you already wiped out your entire budget? Download the Venmo app and let your friends send you money instantly. But make sure to invite them to the next movie night: Seeing every single screw of the “Transformers” pin sharp, they will be surely convinced that it has been a good investment.
These strategies also apply to any other shopping surge, like before and after Christmas. All suggested apps are free and available for iPhone and Android.
And now brace yourself for Black Friday 2014 by making your smartphone your devoted companion in the fight for the best bargains!
