Guest Blogger Hannah H.
We’re well into December now, which usually means family gatherings, gift exchanges, and holiday parties. It’s supposed to be the time for joy and celebrations, but for many people the holiday season brings stress, debt, and overall chaos.
This article reviews some of the top apps that will make your life a little bit easier this holiday season. Whether you’re traveling to see family, Christmas shopping, meal planning, or have the all-important job of organizing a Secret Santa exchange, these apps have you covered.
This app allows you to create Secret Santa exchanges for groups up to 500 people. It offers personal wish lists, group reminders, and budget-setting features that keep gift-giving organized and stress-free.
Participants receive an anonymous Secret Santa assignment along with tailored gift suggestions based on their recipient’s wish list. The app even links to online stores where you can purchase recommended items.
MySanta works well for large groups and remote workers, as no one needs to be in the same room to participate. If you’re an organizer, you can set exclusions to prevent couples from drawing each other or participants from receiving the same person from previous years. You can even track each person’s progress and send reminders to anyone who has yet to purchase their gift.
The Christmas Gift List Tracker helps you capture gift ideas the moment they come to you, then track your budget and spending throughout the season. It also includes a Secret Santa function, but it’s more well known as being a personal gift management tool for family and friends.
Enter your gift ideas as soon as you hear them in the app and set individual budgets for each person on your list. Your list is automatically archived after the holidays and the app will create a new one with the same people for the following year. This way, you have a running record of what you've given in the past and a head start on collecting ideas for seasons to come.
Rakuten is a side hustle app that can turn your holiday shopping into a money-saving opportunity through cashback rewards. Start shopping through the Rakuten app first (or its browser extension or website) and then click on one of your favorite stores to find the gift you’re looking for.
The app partners with over 2,500 stores, so you can be sure to find gifts while putting money back in your pocket. Also be on the lookout for Rakuten’s “Big Deal Reveals,” which are special promotions that boost cashback rates to as high as 23% at select brands. Plus, the app offers a $50 referral bonus - extra cash that comes in handy if holiday expenses start piling up.
This app allows you to easily coordinate all your family events with shared calendars and notifications. It was designed so you don’t have to juggle between messages, calendars, or even photos. Now it’s all in one place for easy communication and planning.
You can also create multiple calendars for different groups in your life. Set up one for work events, another calendar for family gatherings, and a third for friends. TimeTree is a great tool during the holidays, especially if you are traveling or trying to coordinate multiple meetups with different friends and family groups.
Any.do is another helpful app to have in your back pocket this holiday season. It helps centralize all your tasks, from shopping, decorating, or sending out cards, in one spot. As a task management app, you can integrate your calendar, to-do lists, and daily planners.
Additionally, you can collaborate with others directly in the app to help plan family gatherings or coordinate holiday events. Advanced features include color tags to mark high-priority tasks and a built-in AI assistant to help you organize your lists efficiently.
If you’re planning to travel this holiday season, PackPoint is a great app for generating custom packing lists. Just enter your trip details and the app determines the weather forecast and essential items you’ll need. Add specific activities you’ve planned and PackPoint suggests everything you should bring.
The app is perfect if you’re juggling multiple trips this season and are worried about forgetting essential items. PackPoint is a great addition to your holiday app collection, helping you reduce travel stress so you can focus on enjoying time with loved ones.
Another important part of the holidays is, of course, the food. But planning meals and cooking for larger groups than usual can add another layer of stress to your season. AnyList organizes grocery lists, recipes, and meal planning so you can coordinate holiday meals more efficiently.
Group food items by category and share your lists with friends and family who can help you shop. The app also lets you organize favorite recipes pulled from websites, emails, or blogs. Other features include a “Master List” for frequently purchased items, voice assistant for hands-free list building, and the ability to add notes next to each item, like quantity and budget.
The holidays should be a time for joy and connection, not stress. These top seven apps for the holidays help you manage your time and organize gifts, so you can free up your mental space for the moments that truly matter.
Download the ones that best fit your needs this season, then focus on the experiences that technology can’t replicate: decorating with family, sharing meals together, and creating core memories with all the people you love the most.
From all of us at Lithios, happy holidays and happy app shopping!
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