Black Friday is almost upon us. The day used to live up to the bleak connotations of its name when people set out in the cold, pre-dawn hours to wait in long lines in front of stores before struggling not to be stampeded when the doors opened. Now most deals are also found online and while that makes the day better, it has its own challenges.
When you're shopping online, one hand poised over the buy button, you often wonder if you're getting the best deal. But you don't want to have to use a spreadsheet to track the price of every possible purchase across stores and then combine those with coupon codes and other offers. Here's an early holiday gift: you don't have to. You can use price-comparison apps.
These apps are not just good for Black Friday. You can use them whether you're shopping in a store or online, especially during big sales. A quick search can make sure you've found the best bargain on that item you really want or need, and maybe even an additional coupon code. The apps are also useful if you're just bargain hunting, as many of them show you the latest deals and flyers from stores. There are some things to know before you use a price comparison app:
Make sure you're looking at the same product across stores. Find the exact name and model number of the item and enter that into the search in the app. When you get results, check the description on each one to confirm that they're for the same thing.
Look for membership discounts and coupons. Once you've narrowed down your search to the biggest deals, see if you can sign up for a newsletter to get a discount (and, yes, the downside is tons of emails), join a membership or rewards program (that doesn't have a fee), or check if the stores have any active coupon codes. For the latter, you can use a site such as RetailMeNot or a browser extension such as Honey.
Don't forget shipping. Check that the costs make the deal you've found truly a deal. If you don't qualify for free shipping and the store is nearby, see if you can pick the item up in person.
Now that you're ready to shop, we've tracked down the best price-comparison apps and rounded them up here to help you. Each has its benefits, which we'll get into, but one universal thing you'll probably appreciate is that they're all free.
(Disclosure: RetailMeNot is owned by PCMag parent company Ziff Davis.)