APPS Online
can streamline holiday shopping
Online shopping is seeing more growth than ever, so there are dozens of apps to make holiday shopping easier, along with other organizational apps for the season.
Such technology can help with everything from streamlining time-consuming tasks like grocery shopping, to finding the best deals on holiday gifts and other items such as holiday meals. Here are some of the top picks, available on iOS or Android.
My H-E-B
Curbside grocery pickup has been big, and the holiday season will be no exception. In-person grocery shopping is stressful for some people, and busy, packed stores will only add to that when you’re planning a big holiday dinner. Solved! Place an order and schedule curbside pickup via this app, making sure to do so a few days in advance so you know it’ll be ready and available on the day you need it. Or, set up home delivery for an extra fee.
Instacart
If you don’t even have time for pickup, Instacart is an option for scheduling grocery store delivery as quickly as within an hour from a variety of stores, including H-E-B, Kroger, Randall’s, Rice Epicurean Markets, Phoenicia Specialty Foods, Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market, among many others. Instacart also offers alcohol delivery.
Giftster
This app is useful if you tend to have a hard time keeping track of who you’re shopping for and remembering what you want to buy them. It can also help organize Secret Santa gift exchanges.
Cartwheel by Target
Target is a one-stop shop for many, and you can find everything from electronics, clothing, wrapping paper, ornaments and food. This app is useful both before and during your shopping trip, as you can pull up sales and coupons tailored to your shopping needs.
Arrive — Package tracker by Shopify Inc.
Ever break a sweat to get home from work in time to collect a package delivery, only for it to be sent to a storage facility, or worse, returned altogether? This app syncs with your Gmail account to track your online orders from retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Urban Outfitters while also providing updates from carriers including UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL. It can be a life-saver in such cases, allowing you to track exactly when your package is set to arrive, and possibly make other delivery arrangements if need be.
Christmas photo effects – ELF Yourself by Israt Jahan
Many people are moving away from the Christmas card trend altogether, and this app comes with hundreds of graphics options such as typography, frames, and filters. Once you’ve edited your photos with the app’s various tools, you can share your holiday greeting creation on your social media channels or in a mass email to your close friends and family.
A Call From Santa
Tech-savvy kids can utilize this fun app, in which they can record a wish list, track what Santa is doing, and get video messages or chat with a Santa Chatbot (which they’ll think is the real thing). For an additional charge, you can also request a personalized call from Santa, adding to their holiday joy.
ShopSavvy
If you live to find sales when shopping, this app can help you find deals at various popular stores. You can use your phone as a barcode scanner in one store to compare prices on the same product at other retailers. If you put a particular item on your wish list, the app will notify you when prices drop.
Santa’s Bag
Oftentimes, one of the most stressful parts of the holidays can be wanting to get your loved ones the best gifts while still staying within a tight budget. This app can help you create and manage a gift budget for everyone you’re shopping for and keep track of where you stand on a given day.