Money Fix: Holiday bargains? There's an app . . .

As consumers start revving up for holiday shopping, smartphone users who have not already given the mobile shopping approach a whirl might want to check out a few apps that could help with research and bargains.

Last year at holiday time, more than 25 percent of smartphone users polled said they expected to make a purchase from those mobile devices, according to the National Retail Federation.

To start: "I always love a good bargain but have never been a big coupon cutter," says Becky Kopprasch of Smithtown, owner of a social media marketing firm. "If I can get a deal handed to me via my phone just by walking into a store, I'll take it."

For newbies, she says Foursquare is a good social site (with mobile apps) to begin with. Besides those badges and mayorships, it features "radar"-type alerts that "notify you when you are near a Foursquare check-in deal," she says.

Other free apps: The December issue of Consumer Reports magazine features 12 mobile shopping apps, one of them PriceGrabber for iPhone and Android, which lets you compare prices, including tax and shipping costs. As for Kopprasch, she says she's been testing out ShopKick, a location-based deals and rewards shopping app.

Other uses: Feeling not ready yet to make purchases through a mobile device? You can also use yours to read reviews and get store information. "It has definitely made the holiday shopping experience more fun and interactive," says Kopprasch.