With Black Friday just a few days away, consumers in the U.S. will be inundated with tech deals and offers that will compete with each other to sway the potential buyer their way. With so many fantastic deals on offer the consumer will be spoilt for choice, but predictably stressed out by all the surrounding chaos.

However, the shopping experience need not be stressful. If you want to avoid the ensuing mayhem we have just the solution for you: handy apps to help you snag the best deals and stay on top of things.

Shop.org's eHoliday survey found that three out of ten multichannel retailers aver that they will promote their in-store Black Friday deals via mobile alerts, which is an 18.4 percent increase from 2011. Additionally, Google Insights found that four out of five consumers intend on using their smart devices to shop. With apps gaining in popularity it comes as no surprise.

Here's our top five must-have shopping apps that will help you stay organized and make decision-making a lot easier, helping you get through Black Friday hassle free.

1. TGI Black Friday

The TGI Black Friday app is a godsend for shoppers and a comprehensive virtual Bible for the latest deals that are on offer. The app compiles all the latest Black Friday ads that have surfaced (leaked and official), and lists all the items and retailers in its database. The free app lets users browse the Internet for thousands of Black Friday deals that are being offered by every major retail store, and even notifies users when a new leaked deal surfaces. Users even have the option to create a personal shopping list to help them keep track of the items they want to buy.

Using the app is pretty easy and all you need to do is sieve through all the dicounts by product, category, or store name. Users even have the option to download PDF printouts of the original ads.

The app is free and available for download on Android and iOS devices.

2. SnipSnap

Who doesn't love a good bargain and discount coupons that help you save a pretty penny? The SnipSnap app lets users stow away all their coupons digitally so that they never forget them when hunting down the best bargain in town.

The app lets users take photos of the coupons/offers, which will then be digitally be converted and can easily be redeemed in stores without any hassle. The SnipSnap app keeps a record of your coupons and will alert you if the saved coupon is nearing its expiration date. It even gives you in-store reminders so that you can use the coupon whilst shopping. What's more, users even have the option to share coupons they have snapped with friends via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook et al and pass on the savings.

The app is available for free and can be downloaded here for the iPhone.

3. RedLaser

The RedLaser app helps you "shop smarter and faster", by letting you scan the barcode and instantly compare the prices for the product at online retailers as well as nearby stores. This process ensures that you get the best deal available and your money's worth. What's more, the app saves the search history so users can check out the items they viewed recently. The search feature helps users find just what they are looking for and the option to see what is popular with other shoppers is also available.

The RedLaser app is free and can be downloaded for iOS, Android, and Windows devices.

4. Shopkick

This app is perfect for any season but is a blessing during the holiday rush. Shopkick gets users the best deals and also has features that can be used when walking into a participating store. The app works like a rewards program and lets users earn "kickbucks" whenever they shop at a listed store. Whenever a user walks into any of the 7000 participating stores, which include the likes of Target, best Buy, Macys to name a few, and checks in they get reward points even when they don't purchase anything and simply browse around or scan items in the store. Kickbucks can be redeemed for instant gift cards and if you link your credit card you'll earn more when making purchases.

So make sure you flash the app when you're out Black Friday shopping to get the best deals.

The app is free for both Android and iOS devices.

5. Amazon Mobile

This app is easy to use and shows users the best and latest deals on offer from the e-retailer. Amazon takes e-shopping to another level and posts new, heavily discounted products nearly every day in the period leading up to Black Friday. The app lets users "Quickly search, get product details, read reviews and purchase millions of products available from Amazon.com and other merchants."

The main dashboard of the app has a link to the Black Friday deals and another one to Groupon-like deals which are location-specific. The option to search for a product is also there in addition to these. What's more, users can take advantage of Amazon's "Subscribe & Save and get extra savings plus free shipping on thousands of eligible products."

Additionally, for those brave enough to venture out to stores, the app has a barcode scanner which comes in handy when comparing prices. The Amazon Mobile app also has a built-in photo search feature; however, this only works for DVDs, CDS, books, and video games. The app makes shopping convenient especially for existing Amazon customers.

The app is available for free and can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices.