Santa's Bag Reviews

by L2d2000

*edited to change from 4 stars to 1* This was a great app, used for several years. Got a new phone this year, and even though this was backed up to iCloud, all of my previous years’ data is gone, no response from support. Disappointed to be sure.
………

I had to replace my old gift app since it wasn’t supported anymore, and after testing several this was the clear winner! Very easy to use, well organized, hits all of the things I like to track. A few minor tweaks and this would be a full 5 stars! One is just a wee cosmetic change...more visual contrast between groups on the recipient page ;)...the pale gray on the group title background is too close to all of that white. Also, rather than just ‘in progress’ and ‘complete’, would love if a person could be taken to a ‘to be wrapped’ and ‘to ship’ status...I’ve worked around that for now by setting up groups (shop, wrap, ship), but would love to be able to click it off easily like the ‘complete’. And last request lol...within the recipient, a ‘santa’ section, to differentiate the gifts coming from Santa for the kiddos ;). Thanks for the great app!!

by Laura O'Boyle

*update - 2 years later and this still has not been fixed. I love SantasBag, but I do not understand why a simple feature (carrying over recipient budgets from year to year) is no longer an option. Super annoying to have to go back to the previous year to copy them all again every year.* I have used SantasBag for 10 years. I love it, I tell everyone about it. I paid for the pro version years ago. I just went to start my 2020 list and it did not import my recipient budgets from the previous year. That’s one of the reasons I use it, so I know what I spent on people last year without having to enter each one again every year. If you have to set everyone up each year, what would keep someone from trying a competitor app?

by Skidolph

So far, SantasBag is answering my needs for Christmas shopping! You are able to sort views in all ways a power shopper needs- ability to sort the major categories ( Recipients, Gifts, Store) in multiple ways. If you buy multiple gifts without anyone in mind, you can list it easily. If you have gift recipients to buy for with just Ideas,you can do that.
After a few weeks of shopping and planning, I'm able to put it together here
One item to update would be the Recipient Overview sort by Group. The Group heading is too close to the previous recipients entry. Then too much white space before the first entry on the new Group.

Thanks for a cool app- will update more as its used.

by The Queen 3

Thank you first to the developers of SantasBag. It’s perfect. I’ve used an old gift organization app I downloaded 6 years ago (which hasn’t been supported for the last 3 years) because each year when I went to look for a new one, I could literally find nothing even close to functional. This one is the bomb. Can organize by what stage the gift is in (idea, ordered, purchased, wrapped, etc), by family group, and there’s even a category for handmade items. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and THANK YOU for creating SantasBag. Only suggestion would be a way to manually sort the groups. For example now, I put an “A” in front of my “immediate family” group so when I sort by group it comes up first, but could be cool to let folks move the groups to whatever order they want instead of defaulting to alphabetical. This is such a small nit though. Get SantasBag!!

by DanyoulinDanyoulin

I hate writing reviews but felt the need to give this developer credit where credit is due. SantasBag does everything but wrap the gifts for you. So here I am back again for the coming 2018 Christmas. I may need to add this is my third year using it. You set your budget and even have the option to put in already thought of gifts but not bought. Once bought you can add what store you bought it from, how much you paid and even wether it is already wrapped and where it is hidden. It has a password and adds up if you are on budget or over or under. You can’t ask a Christmas list app to do anything more than this already has. I will never do Christmas without it and if it came down to I had to, well I would just be lost, over budget and have a bunch of lost gifts. Thank you so much!

by JenB25

I have used SantasBag now for 3 seasons and it is absolutely the best thing I could have imagined for this highly-organized person! It allows you to list every item, every potential item, price, and picture, and then categorize it. I am able to track if I've purchased the item, ordered it, received it, wrapped it, hid it (and the location where I hid it, lol- so necessary!) and once the season is over, you can archive your purchases. Also, there are the yearly purchases that stay the same such as calendars, etc. I just reset my items to "need to be purchased" and start shopping from there. I love, love, love SantasBag and can't say enough good things about it. Download it now! You won't regret it!

by Blondiemom01

Newest update, 2016
I have been using SantasBag for a few years now. I absolutely love SantasBag! It keeps my annual Holiday shopping so organized!

It'll have to do for this year, but I'll probably be looking for a new app for next Christmas. At first I loved it and it seemed to do everything I needed. But as I started adding new purchased gifts it doesn't seem to be adding the totals up to show me how much money I have spent on each person. If this was fixed I would love the happen keep it. But, I won't be updating until after the holiday. I don't want to take a chance of losing all the data I have put in there for this year.

UPDATE!!!
I've been using this application again this year, and I am loving it! Some of things I love, it will add tax for me, and there are many different ways that I can look at the information. I can look by recipient or by store, it'll also create a shopping list. I can look at a list of gifts that I have ordered and I'm waiting for them to arrive. I can also tell it where I hid gifts in my house so I don't forget where I put them! Bottom line, it's a great application to help me keep track of all of my holiday gift shopping!

by Jdemarco12

I really would love to find out how long I’ve been using SantasBag. It has definitely been years and years. Every Christmas I download it, organize family, set budget, and it helps me through the holidays! I would always love to support apps by purchasing paid version, and I am not suggesting there aren’t benefits purchasing it here. However, I’ve always done exactly what I needed SantasBag to do without the constant pop ups telling me to buy like other apps.

I appreciate how well this all has worked and how reliable it always is. It truly has become apart of my holiday rituals. I saw SantasBag wasn’t nearly as popular as I believe it should be, so I hope my one review will encourage others to download and use it!

by Chumpskee

A friend recommended SantasBag and so far it has been EXACTLY what I've been looking for since I've had a smart phone. I've used plenty of "lists" apps in the past but I honestly had no idea a Christmas list app like this existed. For someone who is always scatterbrained like me, SantasBag is perfect for keeping track of who I need to buy for and what I need to buy. You can also mark the status of each gift idea you entered so you can quickly see what you need to purchase and what you have purchased already. SantasBag also includes the ability to share your lists via email with others if needed. You can add pictures of the gift idea, the store to buy it, price, and there's even a section for notes which I use to paste links to the item online. I can't say enough great things about SantasBag not to mention the fact that it's free. I couldn't think of one suggestion to make SantasBag better because it already has everything I need in it.

by Rellimlk

I have been using SantasBag for at least 3 years and I absolutely love it. It is perfect. There is no way I've wanted to view, sort, filter or track that wasn't possible. Stable and bug free in my experience. I can't recommend highly enough.
Set recipients, set budget (total and per recipient) create gift ideas, set status to ordered, received , wrapped, given... Split a gift between recipients or select multiple recipients to each receive one of a gift. Shopping list by store, keep track of how much you've spent and the total number of gifts. AND archive gifts at end of season and view them in future years (avoid repeating yourself unintentionally!) and SO much more!

by Craftfreak

I have been using SantasBag for three years now and cannot say enough good things about it. If you use all of the tools in this bad boy when entering your recipients and gifts, it will organize a list for you in every way imaginable. Need to know how much you have left to spend and what else is left to buy? It'll give you that. Need to know what you have to pick up at a particular store? It'll do that, too. Have to sort between your and your significant other's families? It's got it covered. Add notes to each gift to know where you hid it in your house. Update gift statuses so you know what you have left to buy, purchase, wrap, or give. Even in 2012 when an update had a bug, the developer was quick to respond to emails and fix the bug. Since then, no issues. I feel like the developer thought of everything when creating this. Perfect Christmas shopping list/budget/idea book/organizing app!

by JBuck28

I have used SantasBag for two Christmases and it has been a game changer for me! I shop all year long and can "lose" gifts in my own house. Not anymore! I'm able to save gifts to certain people or the gift can remain unassigned. Since I clearance shop, I can also see what I have in my gift closet while I'm out and about so I don't end up with multiples of the same things. It also helps me stay in budget as you can set a budget for each recipient. Also, it helps to be able to type in a gift idea for someone when they mention it to you. Please, please make a more generic version of SantasBag where the holiday can be assigned for other gift giving occasions-birthdays/Easter/Valentine's Day. I would be very grateful!! No other gift tracker that I have tried measures up!

by Lexi527

I can't express enough how wonderful SantasBag is on keeping your Christmas shopping organized. I shop throughout the year for Christmas and I'm able to add items, price and recipient for every item. SantasBag tracks your budget. I used to keep everything on paper but this is so much better and organized. You are able to put when a item was ordered, mark when you received it. That feature is so nice because I am always ordering a ton of stuff the month of Nov and Dec. You can also mark your items 'wrapped' after you have wrapped them - love that feature as well! SantasBag is pw protected so I don't have to worry about my kids seeing my list like I did when I used to track gifts on paper. SantasBag also archives your gifts so you can look at past years shopping and spending. Love, love, love SantasBag!

by TheOtherMartzen

I used a different app for 3 years. I looked for a new one because the old one didn't support the new OS upgrade. SantasBag blows it away. Download it. It's organization and staying on budget made so so easy. My only suggestions would be an option to add multiple photos so you could upload a photo of the gift once wrapped, so you're not scratching you're head wondering which gift is in which box. Also, would mark a "to be returned" toggle button, similar to "ordered online" and ability to update status of the return. Maybe also a place to snap/store a photo of the gift receipt in case you or the recipient needs to return something, it's as easy as an email or text and no crazy 68 return slips and receipts to keep track of. Thanks for the great app!

by Piperchicki

I am a Christmas shopping fanatic and I can't get enough of SantasBag! It has just about every feature you could imagine and allows you to organize gifts by recipient or the store you purchase them in, making it easy to check off your list in each individual store or location. It gives you the option of adding pictures for gifts and for each individual recipient, so the visual types like me will love it. You can also check off gifts as purchased, ordered, wrapped, or given. It even has the option of marking an item as a stocking stuffer . It also gives you the option of adding detailed preferences for your recipients, such as clothing sizes, likes and dislikes, etc.... It even has a start up screen with a countdown to Christmas and budget overview. Plus, every item price you input can have a custom tax amount added on automatically. I am totally hooked on SantasBag!

by Pokdog

I'm not going to go into a bunch of detail explaining everything SantasBag does. I see a lot of people have already done it! I will say that SantasBag is amazing for making Christmas shopping more organized & all around easier. I am going to use it all year by adding birthdays with the recipients sorted that way. I was on a super tight budget this Christmas and this really helped me to visualize what I needed and for which person. My son said this was the best Christmas ever (he never says that) and I think that adding in his hints throughout the months into the gift ideas helped me get more of what he really wanted. That's all I'm going to say because I wanted to keep this short. Get SantasBag and try it out...you won't regret it!!!

by Yrfgjbfd

The way SantasBag is organized is perfect. It allows you to sort by gifts, recipients, even create a shopping list sorted by store, and of course tracks how much you've spent. I've doubled all my recipients with "birthday" as a last name so now I will be using it all year. Love it, definitely worth the $3 for the archival feature.

Update: Just started this year's Christmas shopping, and I definitely appreciate having a) the archive feature so I know what I gave last year, b) the option to add a photo to the gift entry, and c) the ability to sort "needs to buy" by store, which creates an alphabetized shopping list. I now have 20 outfits for 20 children, effortlessly organized and I won't have to wonder what's for whom when I sit down to wrap several weeks from now.

2017 update: I would really appreciate going into a recipient profile, tap add gift, and see a drop-down list of all "unassigned" gifts. I have a stash of gifts I buy on clearance all year, and it's easy to forget what's available.

by Spaulding Smails

I’m an app junkie. Always looking for apps to do that, that or the other. Always tried to budget & track Christmas shopping before iPhones & apps and inevitably I’d fail. This is THE best app to help you organize your shopping & spending. So simple to use too. You start by adding recipients, add a gift for that person and then categorize the gift as an Idea, Purchased, Wrapped, Given. Even track if item is ordered. You can half use SantasBag to just track purchases, but where I’ve found this helpful is using the gift categories. We’ve all done it..... forgetting to give someone a gift. SantasBag has reminded me of something I forgot I bought. If you hide gifts, there’s even a spot to put the Location of the gift.
You can also add details about the gift. Where purchased, price, even a photo of it. Amazing app!!
As I’m writing this, there’s a feature I’d love (and to be honest, it may already do it), but I haven’t tried. I would love to see ability to sync SantasBag with my wife. (We have a grocery list app that does that).
SantasBag is be far one of my favorite apps that makes my life easier!

by Jackrad

This was so great and made it easy for me to stay organized about Xmas shopping

Update:
Second year of using SantasBag and it has become a lifestyle! I use it to organize all my gift giving, not just Christmas. It helps me make quick note of gift ideas I get on the fly and then come back to them when I need to buy a gift, so I don't get stuck not being able to come up with gift ideas when I need them. It also gives me a more realistic look at my budget to plan ahead with spending and avoid going too overboard or neglecting someone. It also helps me remember what I bought and on multiple occasions has reminded me of a gift I would have forgotten to give.

This year I got all my friends and family using it and it was worth it to pay for the advanced version in order to archive my gifts.

The one thing I would change or add would be including a way to create and share my own wishlist the way I make lists for others. It makes reference to "wishes" in SantasBag and I cannot figure out what those are or how to access them, so maybe my wishlist is a feature that exists that I just don't know how to use.

I am really not the type of person who gets this attached to an app but I'm not being hyperbolic to claim that SantasBag has changed my life by helping me be a more thoughtful and attentive gift giver--it makes giving gifts fun and last night I had trouble falling asleep on xmas eve in anticipation of the gifts I was giving, NOT the ones I was receiving!

by Beachgazer

I recently found SantasBag...just days before Christmas. I'm so glad I did but wish I had found it sooner. SantasBag is perfect if you want/need to keep track of gifts for different people, stay organized, keep track of your budget, and share with family or friends. There are so many different possibilities of viewing once you have entered the information. The choice is yours. It didn't take long for me to update to access what I've already bought, realize I bought two of one gift, and see where I stand with a budget. Next year when I use this, I will be able to plan better. I'm still learning what all it can do.
It may do this already, but a cool feature would be for my kids to create/update their list on their phone, share with me, and then not be able to see when I make updates to what they want. No matter what and even as is, I just love SantasBag! Please keep it active after the holidays, because I plan to use it for birthdays, too!

by Megcastle

I used SantasBag for the past 2 Christmases with no complaints. This year I (foolishly) decided to pay for a very similar app. I somehow thought that not being free meant the other app must have additional features or be easier to use. It didn't and it wasn't. I often buy gifts online that can be split between my 3 kids. The "pay" app has no way to easily split the gift's price. I either need to manually divide by 3 or my budget will be off. It also does not have the option to automatically add sales tax. These are useful, time-saving features! So, for anyone else wondering, you don't necessarily get what you pay for in this case.