Planning ahead for the holiday season will help you stay on budget—but who actually does that? We’re much more likely to white-knuckle our way through December, buying things when we think of them, and letting money be a problem for our 2025 selves to deal with.
But this method of celebrating the holidays isn’t merry or bright. According to Credit Karma, 49% of Americans feel more financial stress during the holiday season compared to the rest of the year.
Thankfully, modern solutions can help solve these traditional holiday problems. Letting technology do the hardest parts of planning will help you lower your costs and your stress this holiday season.
Try a gift list mobile app
Gifts are often the biggest line item in your holiday spending. This is partially because very few of us make an actual budget for presents. Instead, we tend to buy items because they are on sale, make impulse purchases, take our cues from curated gift guides, or engage in the holiday tradition of waiting until the last minute and then buying whatever’s available and/or paying through the nose for rush shipping.
Luckily, the solution can be found right on your phone. Gift list tracker mobile apps, like Christmas Gift List Tracker (for iOS) and Christmas Gift List (for Android), allow you to set a budget for each person on your list, plan gifts for each recipient, and even check them off when they are bought and wrapped. You can also use these apps to share gift ideas with other people in your circle, while still hiding what you plan to buy for them.
By using an app to plan and budget for gifts, you’re much more likely to stick to your shopping list and financial constraints. And despite their names, these gift list apps are great for any gift-giving occasion, from Hanukkah and Eid to birthdays and weddings.
As a bonus, downloading a gift list app will also eliminate those “Did I already buy something for Aunt Rita?” moments that are the leading cause of last-minute scented candle purchases.
