Tech the halls while you deck the halls. Apps can help get everything organized, decorated and bought  – on budget. (Looking for meal planning apps?  Check out last month’s post on Thanksgiving!)

Crunch the Numbers

A recent LendingTree article stated that 34% of Americans generated debt during the 2023 holidays, and if they paid by credit card, 28% are still paying off the debt! Making a holiday budget helps users plan, track, and manage their money during the giving season.

• Google Sheets (Free app and website) includes budget templates for users to track expenses and income. Spreadsheets are customizable and easy to tabulate numbers.
• GoodBudget (Free or $10/month) has over 13,000 reviews and a 4.6 app rating. It lets users create a customizable budget to switch funds around.

Create a Holiday Plan

The simplest way to write a plan is on paper, starting with a simple category outline: gift ideas, decorations, food, cards, events, etc. However, these apps can do the trick if you are more digital than old school.

• Any.do (free or $4.99/month) is a task and project management platform for desktop, mobile, and wearables. Easily manage users’ tasks, family projects, and more – all in one place.
• Etsy (Free) more than an online craft and homemade goods marketplace, the platform contains over 1,000 Christmas planners available to download and print.  

Prelude to the Big Day

Countdown Clocks

Countdown calendars add to the anticipation and excitement of Yuletide get-togethers, the Festival of Lights, and celebrating family traditions.

• Christmas Countdown 2024 (free or $2.99) This app boasts a 4.8 rating on iOS and Google Play and includes Christmas music, an advent calendar, and a customizable countdown screen. It does not collect any personal information.
• Menorah – Chanukah App (Free) shows users how many candles to light and the traditional way to light them. The app also includes traditional songs and an indicator to alert users to the first night of Chanukah.

Shopping Made Easy 

Gift Lists

• Gifster (Free) Allows users to share, organize, and shop for friends and family. It’s a popular online gift registry and app famous for building holiday and event gift lists.
• Things To Get Me (Free) is an online wish list maker app that does not require users to sign up or provide personal information.

Secret Santa

• Elfster (Free) with over 249.9K reviews, is a website and app. Elfster helps users run gift exchanges, create wish lists, virtually draw names for Secret Santa, and shop for gifts.
• drawnames.com (Free) is an online Secret Santa tool and app with an exciting live drawing feature, allowing everyone to simultaneously see (virtually) whose name they’ve drawn.

How safe is your privacy while browsing or shopping online?  Check out our “Intro to Managing your Privacy” sessions on Dec. 9 and Dec 23.  Registration is required.  

No Place Like Home for the Holidays

Decorations

From trimming the tree to decking the halls, pick up decorating tips and tricks from these design apps.

• Houzz (Free) launched in 2009, as a website, app, and online community that covers home design, decorating, and remodeling with over 25 million interior design photos, including holiday pictures to inspire your inner Nate Berkus.
• Pinterest (free) describes itself as an engaging “visual discovery platform where users can search, save, and shop ideas” from recipes, fashion, and home decor. With over 537 million monthly active users, there is plenty of inspiration for holiday decorating.

With enough lead time, these apps can help keep the ho-ho-ho in holidays  After all, even Santa has a budget and a gameplan.

YOUR TURN

What apps do you use to help plan your holidays?  Share your faves and your tips in the comments!

Deborah Reale is a digital marketing and communications consultant specializing in social media, analytics, content writing, and editing. Ms. Reale has written for Business Development Magazine, Construction Industry Today, and quoted in Investor’s Business Daily and the book Social Media in Action. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a graduate degree in business administration.

Photo – xavierarnau via Getty Images