I've tried many of these and Elfster is definitely more for the social side than saving money. In my experience, most list apps are way too simple for serious price tracking.

• Take a look at this gift list tool for tracking those Amazon fluctuations.
• Most tools just store static links and wont alert you when things go on sale.

Like someone mentioned, most of these apps are just for sharing lists and wont actually alert you when a price drops. Basically the consensus here is that social apps like Elfster are too simple and browser extensions are better for the heavy lifting. I love your energy for starting this early tho! Its seriously the best way to handle a tight budget. Quick tip for you: pair your list with CamelCamelCamel for Amazon specifically. It sends an email the second a price hits your target which is amazing for staying under that $400 mark. Also, definitely try using this wishlist tool if you want something cleaner than Giftster but more functional for tracking. Youre gonna do great with this! Honestly, just getting ahead of the December rush is a huge win already.

I totally get the stress of sticking to a $400 budget with three kids, its basically a full-time job this time of year. I've been pretty satisfied with using price tracking extensions instead of the actual wishlist apps because like you found out, most of those dont really alert you in real time. I've had no complaints using browser tools that show the price history so I know if I'm actually getting a deal or if they just hiked the price up yesterday. It works well for staying under budget without losing your mind. Just curious tho, are you mostly shopping on Amazon or are you looking at other stores like Target and Walmart too? I ask because some tools are awesome for Amazon but totally useless for other sites, and I wanna make sure the advice I give actually fits where youre shopping.