This holiday season, I’ve been researching apps for holiday planning as one of many ways to make big holiday meals easier.  Whether you enjoyed last year’s COVID-mandated reprieve from big get-togethers, or you’re just raring to baste another 15-pound turkey for the extended fam and put our 2-3 week Thanksgiving dinner planning calendar to work, I think these apps for holiday planning can definitely make things simpler.

They can help you negotiate who brings what dish, save money on groceries, and even provide technical help if you run into issues with your turkey roasting.

Now if only these apps could keep the family arguments to the most pressing matters, like whether Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly or Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker will last longer. Honestly, it’s a toss-up for me.

Related: How Trader Joe’s is helping me DIY an easier Thanksgiving this year 

5 apps for holiday planning to make life easier

This post contains affiliate links and some purchases may generate a small commission to help support our team at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

For assigning dishes: The BringIt! app

I like Bringit! because it lets you create a list of every dish needed for a holiday dinner, and then assign them all to your guests. So if you want to have more control over your holiday menu, or you just want to assign that one relative “store bought rolls” instead of the macaroni salad she usually makes (and no one eats), this is your app.

For guaranteeing a perfect meal: Tasty app

Maybe you don’t think you need another cooking app, but trust me, the Tasty app is so helpful. No matter your cooking level.

The roast Thanksgiving turkey recipe I looked at doesn’t assume any prior cooking knowledge at all, so it takes you through what size turkey you should buy, how to defrost safely, and brining tips — before you even get the bird into the roasting pan. This makes it a terrific holiday planning app for beginners, or anyone who needs a refresher.

For choosing the best wine: Delectable app 

If you plan to serve wine at your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner to toast to all the things you’re feeling grateful for this year, definitely check out the Delectable wine app. It crowdsources data from wine connoisseurs and aggregates them into one convenient place. You can scan the label of a bottle you’re considering, read reviews of wines, and even leave your own.

The reviews can also help you find a wine that pairs with what you’re serving — or a different one for each course if you’re going a little extra this year.

Related: A Merry Berry cocktail recipe perfect for Thanksgiving 

For alllll the help while cooking: Amazon Alexa

By this point, you’ve probably heard our team wax poetic about all the ways the Amazon Echo helps us out with everyday life. And lately, Alexa has become indispensable in the kitchen as well.

At my house we have our Amazon Echo Show in the kitchen, and I love that I can set multiple timers for cooking — essential when you’re making several items for a big holiday meal. I also use Alexa to find recipes and have her perform measurement conversions (can anyone else never remember how many cups are in a pint? Just me?) — especially handy while my hands are covered in sticky goo.

For saving money on…everything: Ibotta 

Holiday cooking can get pricey, especially this year with supply chain issues driving up prices. We have several favorite coupon apps worth checking out, but I’d start with Ibotta, which is still available to help you save on groceries.

My favorite thing about it, especially for parents, is that you can get money back on purchases you already made, by entering your receipts after you return from shopping. That really comes in handy for those of us who don’t have time (or forget) to plan ahead.

Or, if you’re like me, and bring toddlers with you when you shop for Thanksgiving and are coerced into a spontaneous purchase of Cheeto’s as a side dish.

Top image: Claudio Schwarz via Unsplash