iPhone just might help you find the last Wii console or Tickle Me Elmo Live in your neighborhood.

Bargain-hunters rising out of bed before the sun. Register lines snaking around bends and down aisles. Police directing traffic in parking lots. It can only mean one thing: Black Friday.

The unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, and arguably the biggest shopping day of the year is not for the faint of heart. But there’s no reason you can’t get through it unscathed--with a little help from your iPhone or iPod touch--and without spending a penny of your holiday budget.

Make a List, Tap it Twice

No one wants to see disappointed faces on Christmas morning, so hit up your gift recipients for all of their must-haves and input them into GiftIdea for easy cataloging and referencing on the big day. Not sure of where to go to get what? Use TheFind to locate the best prices at stores in your area, and keep everything neat and organized with a few Zenbe lists.

Ready... Set... ManGo

A day like Black Friday calls for nothing less than an airtight shopping strategy--a regimented schedule of stores and sales, restaurants, gas stations, shortcuts, and anything else you might need throughout the day. So look no further than ManGo to devise the most efficient plan to attack your neighborhood’s retailers and OnTheGo for the cheapest fill-ups along the way. (And in case you have to go, download SitOrSquat for the quickest route to that, too.)

Up and At 'Em

While a traditional alarm clock is a most unwelcome sound at 3 am, the soothing melodies of Tranquil Alarm Light will cajole you out of bed in time for Kohl's 4am doorbuster specials with Birds in the City or Wind in the Trees. Of course, it’ll still be dark at that ungodly hour, so don’t forget to install Flashlight, a handy app that turns your iPhone into a ball of luminescence. And like a true early bird, you can catch a few games of Silkworm3D while you’re waiting for the doors to open. 

Divide and Conquer

Since you can only hit up one sale at a time, it pays to have an entourage at your beck and call. With iPhones in hand and Zenbe lists synced, you can all stay on the same page with Loopt, Fliq and Twitteriffic, swapping war stories, pics, and pick-ups from store to store. Of course, you could actually call or text each other, but where’s the fun in that?

Put the ‘Me’ in ‘Team’

There’s nothing wrong with a little self indulgence, so if you find a gem that absolutely needs to be on your wish list, use MiChristmas to snap a pic, jot down all the pertinent info and drop a not-so-subtle hint in Santa’s Inbox.

Holiday Spirit (or not)

If all that Christmas music and holiday cheer doesn’t get you in the mood, a few classics might do the trick--like beaming “A Christmas Carol” and “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to your iPhone while you’re waiting to pay. (And if you absolutely despise silver bells and fa-la-las, the aptly named I Hate Christmas Music will drown it all out with the palliative sounds of a vacuum cleaner or jackhammer. It’s the only app here that’ll dip into your budget, but it’ll be $1.99 well spent.)

Recoup

After it’s all over, tend to the blisters on your feet and identify any other ailments with WebMD Mobile. After that, hit up Last Call for those crucial after-shopping refreshments--and a cab ride, should the need arise.