Smartphones have revolutionized how we live. These mobile, hand-held computers have as much power and capability as desktop computers. They make our lives easier and more accessible. The app market has exploded in recent years to meet the growing needs of users. The trick is to find the right apps to fit your needs and lifestyle.
Our phones are with us all day, every day. We have quickly adapted to using the phone for everything in our lives. It is our calendar, search engine, camera, mail, library, and research tool. Moving from summer to fall is a great time to check out new apps that offer solutions for better living. Many tools help you gain control of your calendar, finances, and home. Life gets busy for everyone. Those with careers, young families, and parents all need tools to help manage their busy lives. Our busy lives need organization tools to help us stay on track. Here we have a mix of apps for the young family, couples, and families with older children, and singles.
Get Your Read On
For parents of young children check out:
Meegenius
Meegenius offers a free book of the day to all app users. You have the option to pay a fee for access to 800 books. It offers an audio book feature and interactive reading for your little ones.
OverDrive
Borrow books from your local library on your phone. Avoid late fees and trips to the library. Simply download a book and read on the go. This app is terrific for any age and reading level.
School Work Help and Organization
School Work Help
School A to Z – a terrific tutor help. School is around the corner. With the beginning of the school years comes homework. Most parents groan at the thought of helping with homework. Sometimes we struggle to remember grammar rules and multiplication tables. This app comes to the rescue.
inClass
Older students tend to have more complicated assignments and schedules. To help mom and dad keep up with the assignments and due dates, inClass is a terrific app. inClass offers alarms and reminders for due dates, note taking options, and collaboration capabilities. The video, audio, and photo note capabilities are amazing and sure to help out in the classroom.
Studious
Perfect to set homework and test reminders. Other features include note taking and silencing the phone during class. Silencing the phone is a huge bonus for students. It prevents those embarrassing calls from mom during physics.
Savvy Shopping
RedLaser
RedLaser is the go-to app for savvy shopping. Make your money go further with comparison shopping. Scan the barcode in the store and view comparable prices to find the best deal. The app also finds all in store deals and coupons while you shop.
ScanLife
Scan barcodes and compare prices with other retailers to find the best deal possible. Product reviews are available.
Shopular
This ad updates coupons and sales for the most popular major retailers. Think Macys, Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, CVS, Hollister, Gap, and Hobby Lobby to name a few. Select your favorite stores and set the alerts. The app does the rest to find you the best deals possible.
Calendars
Cozi Family Organizer
Keep all your schedules in one place while on the go. Life is full of moving parts and this app helps you stay organized. It features color-coded entries for each person. The family calendar is a terrific feature for sharing. It also has shared to-do and shopping lists.
Calendar by Readelle
This app syncs with your Google Calendar for seamless management. Drag and drop events, work online and off, and search features. The app also allows you to view day, week, and month.
Cooking
Big Oven
This app hosts 350,000 recipes at your fingertips. Search and scroll to find recipes. The app allows you to create meal plans, download shopping lists, and it has a leftover section. The app offers a Pro Membership for $19.99 that removes banner ads, reveals nutrition information, and customized storage features.
Food Network
Food Network is a home cooks staple resource. The Food Network offers a huge variety of cooking styles and cuisine. Search by chef, cuisine, or recipe popularity. The bonus is the videos for recipes.
Eating Well Health in a Hurry
The popular magazine offers their free app for easy access to healthy recipes. The app includes 200 recipes with nutrition information. Many recipes take no longer than 45 minutes to prepare.
Technology makes managing our lives a little easier. We can access calendars, recipes, and even read a book while away from home. These capabilities allow us to enjoy our lives.The availability and power of mobile computing will continue to grow and expand. The future holds more opportunity to organize and manage the many facets of our lives.
For anyone who needs to track their time for work, etc., I use TimeWerks. It even creates and sends invoices from your phone! I hate that it’s spelled ‘werks,’ but it works 🙂
Excellent recommendation! I like that it creates and send invoices from the smartphone. Sounds like a great time saver.
Thanks for visiting — Tammi