This is a sponsored post and I have been compensated. All opinions are mine. I want to check in with you! How are you feeling about your holiday shopping? We just have a few weeks to get everything we need and wrapped! I love to make wireless technology work to my advantage. I know they have for my family. I have been using my iPad or iPhone 8 from U.S. Cellular to help me with my Christmas shopping.

According to ¹U.S. Cellular’s annual consumer survey, almost 60 percent of smartphone said they have shopped online on their smartphones. I love saving my sanity and shopping virtually stress free with my mobile device! Our smartphones allow us to shop almost anywhere at anytime. I have used mine to shop in-store, at home, and on-the- go. Do you have a new iPhone X or the Samsung Galaxy S8 perhaps? Here is how to make holiday shopping easier with your smartphone!

I usually research the gifts on my list before I make the final purchase. I really do read customer reviews, especially for products I have not bought before. I was going to buy a bookcase for my daughter. After reading many poor reviews, I moved on to a highly recommended selection instead. There are so many apps to help you with your holiday shopping. You can watch videos, see ads and other content to get ideas. Did you know there were YouTube gift guides? didn’t either. Wow! What a great resource! Pinterest is another favorite place for me to get gift giving ideas.

I HATE standing in those long lines to buy my holiday gifts. Ugh! With my smartphone, I can often bypass those lines. I have used a mobile check in for purchases I have ordered online. Such a time saver and it saves me on shipping! Of course if you can find free shipping, that is another great way to avoid those lines and save money! If you are not using reward or cash back programs, be sure to check into those. I spend most of my gift giving budget in November and December. By using a cash back program, I can see some money back in my pocket. Now I can buy myself something too!

When you are using your mobile device to do your holiday shopping, please keep cybersecurity in mind. A few week’s ago I was at home doing some online shopping. I wanted to check my balance on one of my cards. There was a charge from a hotel in a state I have never been to. I called the card company and they took care of it in less than 10 minutes. According to U.S. Cellular’s consumer survey, 64 percent of smartphone owners use their phone to manage finances once a month or more.

If you are using your phone for any financial reason, there are ways to ensure phone security. You can do this by using secure passwords, using familiar and secure websites and being cautious when using public Wi-Fi to conduct holiday shopping online. Be sure to stay current with U.S. Cellular and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

¹ Between Nov. 10-17, 2016, a total of 701 online interviews were conducted among a nationally representative sample by Consumer Insights, in partnership with Maritz CX.

Do you use your mobile device for your holiday shopping? What is your favorite way to use it or tip to share on how to make holiday shopping easier with your smartphone? I would love to hear in the comments below!