Contributed by Info Guru Bryce Hammons

A recent Nielsen survey revealed that nearly half of all American smartphone owners used shopping applications in June of 2012.

More than 45 million owners used applications from the Shopping/Commerce category with an average usage rate of 17 times during the month.

Many of us have become so dependent upon our smart technology we can hardly get out of bed in the morning without checking our phones. With this so-called freedom comes both benefits and corollary negatives. A negative may be you never interact with another human being again (just joking!). A positive may be the complete ease of use in every aspect of your life.

And smartphone apps for shoppers are no different. During this busy holiday season, how about getting some assistance in order to cut down on time spent in crowded stores, online, and beyond. Below, we’ll delve into the ten best smartphone apps for shoppers.

10. Google Wallet

Available for only a handful of devices currently, Google Wallet https://www.google.com/mobile/wallet/ does just what its title implies: turns your phone into a mobile wallet. Wave your device over a debit or credit kiosk and you’ll be able to pay at certain stores like McDonald’s, CVS, and certain other branches/local businesses. In the future the application may (or may not) be available for iOS as it branches out. Currently, it runs on Android phones only.

9. Lemon Wallet

As you glance down at your child wearing their hideous three sizes two large red, white, and green Christmas sweater, family members offering their condolences with mute glances, you may wish you had Lemon. In its early form, Lemon was an organizational tool in app form; simply take a picture of your receipts with your smartphone and Lemon would digitize copies which could be printed just before your son or daughter headed for the proverbial hills and used their sweater for kindling fire. With a recent upgrade, you may now digitize your entire wallet so if it’s lost you will have backup copies waiting for you on your intelligent device. Available on iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone.

8. ShopSavvy

Not only can users shop for the best deal but they can scan barcodes, pay with the handheld application of Shop Savvy, and find items with ease on a local map.

7. Grocery IQ

Gone are the days of writing items on a flimsy paper list. Here are the days of tracking grocery lists digitally, barcode scanning, handheld coupons, and more. What an age we live in. You can even use Grocery IQ to organize your list so you can navigate the store in an easier manner. And according to Gizmodo’s review, the application is usually pretty spot-on, saving you both time and effort in the process.

6. eBay

Ranked by Nielsen as the top application used in mid-2012, eBay is an oldie but goodie: effective, efficient, and easy to use.

5. Amazon Price Check

Scan a barcode in a store, run from the local employees, sneak back in, scan another barcode. Even snap a photo of a product, type it in, or say it aloud and then you can check Amazon’s online price as a comparison. Do I buy in store or online at Amazon? Amazon. Is that employee still chasing me? Unfortunately, yes. R-U-N!

4. ShopAdvisor

Have you ever wanted to sit at your computer and check price changes every few minutes? We didn’t think so. Fortunately, ShopAdvisor will do the legwork for you; when the price drops low enough, the application will alert you to rush out to buy.

3. Red Laser

Search far and wide for great deals and use the barcode scan option to compare prices between thousands of online/offline stores. You may even use Red Laser to check out library books and scan and find specific allergens in foods all thanks to this extremely useful application.

2. Shopper

You’ll get shopping lists, barcode scanning, daily deals, budget tracking, coupons, and much more. It boasts a long list of great features and is a must-have for any shopping connoisseur – One of the best around!

1. Amazon Mobile

Read reviews, scan barcodes to compare prices, and check availability. Be the smartest shopper in the store and save time, money, and gas. An all-encompassing application for all your buying needs!

Honorable mentions: Groupon, Shopkick, Walgreens, Target, Catalogs.com, Best Buy, Google Shopper, PriceGrabber, Milo, Smoopa, and many, many more.

Read more on the Nielsen survey of smartphone users.

More resources:

Gizmodo: The Best iPhone Shopping Apps.

PC Mag: The 10 Best Shopping Apps to Compare Prices.