Apps for sales, stress relief, finding things, getting out of town, making lists and giving back to charity will make your holiday season easier to handle.
Sales
Bakodo
iOS; free
Scan barcodes while in the store and the app will bring up prices for the same product at competing stores so you can make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck
Best for: Penny-pinchers
Pounce
iOS and Android; free
Ever see a something while you’re out and want to know where you can get a deal on it? With Pounce, you can take a picture and the app will search online for items that look similar.
Best for: Coveters
Shopami
Android; free
Shopami organizes all the deals you receive in your email in one convenient place, with updates and alerts for new or expiring deals while you’re out.
Best for: Electronic catalogers
Stress Relief
Buddhify
iOS and Android; $4.99
Holiday shopping and preparing can be stressful, so Buddhify is here to help you keep your sanity throughout the holiday season with audio meditation.
Best for: Stress cases
Calm
iOS and Android; free
Calming sounds help you fall asleep, and guided and unguided sessions help you meditate so that you’re ready for everything this season.
Best for: Seasonal insomniacs
Headspace
iOS and Android; free
Praised by Emma Watson amongst others, Headspace is a guided meditation app that personalizes the experience to the needs of the user.
Best for: Custom-everything devotees
Find My Stuff
Carrr Matey
iOS and Android; free
Why use other car locator apps when you could use a car app that’s pirate-themed? This one helps you find your “ship” when you’re finished shopping.
Best for: Landlubbers
Gas Buddy
iOS and Android; free
Need some gas but don’t want to sell your firstborn to get it? This app shows you prices at area stations so you can always get the best deal.
Best for: Fuel efficien-ados
Glympse
iOS and Android; free
If you ever need to divide and conquer to get some shopping done, use this app so you don’t spend 10 minutes running around the mall trying to find each other.
Best for: Lost families
Get Out of Town
Packing Pro
iOS; $2.99
Packing Pro offers a beefed-up trip itinerary and list of things to bring, all with cloud backup. This app is perfect for people who will be going on multiple trips and need to keep all the information in one place.
Best for: Globe-trotters
Travel List
iOS; free
Travel List keeps track of items you need for any excursion as well as your itinerary for the trip.
Best for: Forgetful travelers
TripList
Android; free
Everyone forgets something on a trip. With TripList, this won’t be a problem anymore. Keep track of everything you need to bring in one place.
Best for: Forgetful travelers … again
Lists, Lists, Lists
Any.do
iOS and Android; free
This app is a calendar and a notepad and post-it board so you never forget anything ever again in your life.
Best for: Teched-out list-makers
Giftster
iOS; free
Everybody wants different things, and keeping track of different wish lists can be tough. Giftster makes it easy by creating private gift registries so you’ll never forget who wants what.
Best for: The designated supercool relative
Wunderlist
iOS and Android; free
Maybe The Waitresses wouldn’t have forgotten cranberries if they had had this app. It’s a hectic season, and Wunderlist will help you keep track of everything you need to get done.
Best for: Holiday errand-runners
Give Something Back
Amazon Smile
On desktop through Amazon; free
If you purchase through Amazon Smile, Amazon will give a portion of the price to a charity organization of your choice, making your holiday purchases charitable as well.
Best for: Amazon addicts
Donate a Photo (from Johnson and Johnson)
iOS and Android; free
Take your holiday photos and use them for a great cause. You can upload photos through the app and then select a charity you would like to donate to.
Best for: Loving photographers
Greater Washington Catalogue for Philanthropy
On desktop or physical copy
Give back to your community by purchasing gift cards through this catalog, which will give money to nonprofit groups in the Greater Washington area.
Best for: All Metro-D.C. shoppers
