Clever Find: Apps to the Rescue for the Christmas Gift List

The Christmas gift list… Yep, there’s an app for that. Several really. So, why not make it one less piece of paper that gets lost at the bottom of your bag.

Christmas shopping can be a daunting task. The more generous you are, the larger the family, the more friends and co-workers you have… the list of gifts to buy can be endless. The organized shopper has always kept lists. And rewrote them when the frayed edges of the folded and re-folded paper started to tear. For those of us with a techie bend, those day can be over. Here are some great apps to help you organize and keep track of all the gifts that you bought, still need to buy, wrap, return, etc…

With some of the Christmas gift shopping apps below, you can create gift lists for family members, friends, colleagues or other. I created the groups of “Stocking Stuffers” (though my kids are “big kids”, the stockings are still a hit) or “Gifts for Services” not to forget a gift for my fab hair stylist and my acupuncturist who changed my life this year.

You can organize gift lists by recipient, manage your budget (to see how much money you have spent on each person or gift), keep track of what you already bought, see what else is needed. And you can use these for other occasions too, such as birthdays throughout the year, teachers’ gifts (if you still give those), people who have helped you, etc…

	Better Christmas List App – This seems to be the Grandaddy of Christmas shopping lists. It’s been around for three Christmas’ now and seems to be holding its own. You can create groups (family members, co-workers, etc), set budgets and assign gift ideas to certain stores (i.e. get the those ballet flats for Jennie at J.Crew…). You can set a password to make sure that no one but you sees the list. The app is $2.99 on iTunes.
	Drag & Drop Christmas List –  I actually purchased this app. Mostly because I’m tired of unearthing gifts that I’ve forgotten about, long after the season is passed. Again this week, I found a stocking stuffer item which was to be included in my daughter’s stocking last year! Thankfully, it’s non-perishable, so she’s getting it this year. But it’s a clear sign that I do need to get more organized… With the Drag & Drop Christmas List you can assign a “stocking” to various people while also creating a budget for them which keeps track of all the items in a specific stocking. It’s $0.99 on iTunes.
	MGifts Gift List Manager –  This shopping list manager is the most detailed: you can create groups, prioritize the gift list, indicate whether a gift is still “needed”, “purchased”, “wrapped” or “shipped”. You can snap photos and write reminder notes. You can also view your gift ideas by store destination to help make shopping trips more efficient. Of course, this app can be used for all occasions besides Christmas. It’s a little harder to learn to use than the others but it has more bell & whistle if you’re looking for that. It’s $0.99 on iTunes.