Who said the ‘silly season’ has to mean financial pain? Rein in your Christmas budget with a little help from your tablet or smartphone. Here is our round-up of some of the best Christmas finance apps for 2019:

Savvy spend trackers and budget helpers

Set and manage your spend on Christmas gifts with Santa’s Bag. This free app lets you nominate an overall budget, record who you need to buy for and how much you want to spend. Santa’s Bag gives you an ‘at a glance’ view of your Christmas budget, including how much of it you have left.With a $4.49 purchase price, The Christmas List is an iOS app designed to make Christmas shopping – and budgeting – simpler. Save on time and shipping fees by organising your shopping list by store. Track your festive spend and quickly share your shopping list with others – great for those wanting to save money while spreading the Christmas shopping load.

Gift lists

Knowing who to buy for and what to get can save you time as well as money. Giftster is a highly rated app that lets you create your own shopping lists as well as organise lists for groups. Invite family members to Giftster, see what they really want for Christmas and avoid wasting money on an unwanted or duplicate present.

You can also reduce the time you spend on Christmas shopping with No More Socks. This popular app helps you effectively manage gift lists from year to year and avoid buying someone the same gift two years running.

Rein in the festive food bill

The cost of Christmas parties, food and drink quickly adds up. Using an app for your Christmas grocery shopping can help you stick to the things you need to buy, while avoiding impulse purchases that create budget blow outs.

Available on iOS, Android and even your smartwatch, Listonic allows you to make and share shopping lists and buy exactly what you planned, including quantities. An alternative is Bring! Use this app to make occasion-specific shopping lists and add items on the fly using Siri, Alexa or the Google Assistant.

Do your Christmas banking on the go with the BankVic app

Download the BankVic app to access banking anytime, anywhere. Check your balance before you hit the checkout, set a festive savings goal, locate your nearest ATM or transfer money in just a few taps.

No one wants a sorry bank balance for Christmas, and with technology on your side, you can sail through the financial pressures of the coming festive season.