Mobile Apps Help You Spend Wisely

Nov. 13, 2011 — -- Jim Langehennig set out last Black Friday to get a popular HDTV with a great advertised price. When the Consumer Reports electronics lab manager got to the store, however, it was sold out.

Another model had an unadvertised special, but Langehennig didn't want to buy it without checking the reviews. But he didn't have the magazine's app or mobile site loaded on his new phone. So he drove 30 miles home to use his computer. Fortunately, the other TV was still at the store when he got back.

"It would have been great to have the app right there in front of me," Langehennig says.

Shopping and doing research on the fly can really pay off during the holiday season, especially when smartphones and tablets are used to compare prices and check product reviews.

But credit expert Gerri Detweiler says there also can be a downside to shopping with your mobile device.

"We can always be in shopping mode," warns Detweiler, co-author of Reduce Debt, Reduce Stress. "A minute of boredom can turn into a big credit card bill."

It seems as if one new — or at least, improved — mobile shopping app is being introduced every day as the holiday season gets closer. While mobile sites compress retailers' websites so they fit on phone and tablet screens, apps offer more features and functions.

It could be tempting for shoppers to fill their phones with apps and do much of their research and even purchases on the go. The best ones for each consumer will vary by favorite stores and choice of mobile device.

But everyone should have at least one price comparison app. EBay's Red Laser and Amazon's Price Check are good choices. Kevin Sterneckert, director of retail research for the technology advisory company Gartner Group, prefers Price Check because he can get product specifications, prices of used items and reviews, along with new prices.

Red Laser, which is available on iPhones and Android-based phones, now has a 3.0 version available that also includes mobile express checkout using PayPal and bar-code scanning that lets users buy for either in-store pick-up or home delivery. Toys R Us is the only retailer with which this now works, but more stores are expected soon. Current users have to re-download Red Laser to get this version.

Price-comparison software company Digital Folio plans to launch a mobile app in time for the holidays that it says will be the only shopping app tied to your computer browser. It lets you compare prices from five major retailers, then stores the results in one place; with the mobile app, you could access the research from your home computer.

Some other tips to help you shop smartly with your mobile device:

•Limit the number of shopping-related apps you download. "Definitely don't overload yourself, because you likely won't use those 10 apps," says Dan Shust, innovation director at the digital marketing agency Resource Interactive. Six or so key ones are probably all you'll need, recommends Sterneckert.

•Consider an app to keep track of your receipts, no small task at the holidays. Shust recommends Lemon, which does a quick scan of receipts and keeps them organized on your phone.

•Many apps let you keep your holiday shopping lists handy, a big plus if you want to avoid overspending.

•Stick with store apps that truly add utility. Among other things, Home Depot's will scan QR bar codes in the store and pull up reviews of products you're considering.