3 Shopping Apps to Help You Find the Best Black Friday Deals

Gone are the days when most of us thumbed through the newspaper to look for Black Friday deals. Today, we have apps for that. And the great thing about apps is this: As long as you have two or three really effective apps, you don't need anything else to help you devise a shopping plan. Here are three free apps that are tough to beat.

1. Black Friday 2023

The Black Friday 2023 app is a compilation of the best sales out there. You can scroll through a list of retailers to find the ads you're most interested in or type the name of your favorite stores in the search bar and check out everything that comes up under that retailer. You can also scan the "Top 10 Daily Deals," a quick-and-dirty way to see if there are any deals surprising enough to blow your hair back.

This helpful app is available for iOS and Android phones. It's also available through your web browser.

2. Flipp

As one of the best shopping apps, hands-down, Flipp does it all, from displaying area-specific sales flyers to cluing you in on the best deals. Flipp is also super easy to use. You allow your smartphone to auto-detect your location or manually type in your ZIP code. Once the app knows your location, Flipp gathers flyers from nearby stores. Tapping on the flame icon gives you instant access to the hottest deals of the day.

Once you become a Flipp user, it's tough to give up. That's because the app provides coupons ranging from 20% to 70% off regular prices, lets you clip coupons digitally, and easily integrates many retailer loyalty cards.

What's more, it's not just clothing and toys featured on Flipp. You can use it for everyday grocery shopping, digitally clipping coupons as you scroll through your favorite local supermarkets. But that's not all. You'll also be in the know about what's on sale at your local pharmacies, pet stores, and more.

If you're looking for an app that leaves you with enough money each month to build your savings account balance, Flipp should definitely be in the running.

Available for iOS, Android, and web browser.

3. ShopSavvy

ShopSavvy searches over 65,000 retailers to gather the best deals and give you cash back on purchases. Once in the app, you can easily compare prices of specific products across the web and then find the best deal available locally. Plus, the app checks third-party sellers and used items to help you find that hard-to-locate holiday gift.

There are several ways you can use ShopSavvy. If you're in a store and interested in a particular item, scan the barcode to learn whether the price is lower elsewhere. Shop at stores featured in the app, or use the app's search feature to find the stores you're most interested in. Results are displayed in a way that makes sense -- from cheapest to most expensive and nearest to farthest away.

ShopSavvy shares offers from its partners as well as product reviews. And as long as you make a purchase from a supported store, you're eligible for cash back via PayPal or mailed to your home.

Available for iOS, Android, and web browser.

The value of these apps is how they help you find the items you need without draining your checking account. However, another perk you may find useful is how efficiently they inspire gift ideas. These apps offer hundreds of fresh ideas if you're still determining what you'll buy for someone. And let's face it, as we move into the holiday season, we can use all the shopping inspiration we can get.