Today’s question is from Sarah:
My sister and I (both moms of little ones) were unexpectedly blessed with iPods this holiday season. So I’m wondering what the best free (or almost free) apps are for stay-at-home moms who are working to be more organized, save money, cut our grocery bill, meal plan, etc.? – Sarah
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So glad you asked this question! I just got my first smartphone last week and now it’s so decked out with great apps thanks to all the suggestions! 🙂
Weekly ads & sales is another great free app – it allows you to browse your local store’s sales papers.
“Square” is a great app. You set up an account and can take credit cards using your phone. They send you a small “square” device that you use on your phone or ipad. I work for a very small company and used it at a conference, it was great! So basically anyone can now accept credit cards!
Notica is a sweet little app that lets you take a picture and add a note to it. Here’s how they describe it: “Notica is the ultimate way for you to connect the things you see with what you want to remember about them. Stuff like “This is the shop that’s having a sale next week” or “That’s the kind of chair I’d like for our kitchen”, a street show you saw, a movie to watch, a location to remember with a photo. Notica does just that. ” It’s not free ($2.99), but worth it because I have no memory cells left. 🙂
http://www.cleversome.com/notica/index.php?tab=Notica
I thought I already submitted these, but can’t find them, so will add them again (sorry if a repeat)
iBreviary — daily prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours
ExpenseSense — manual tracking for budget. Mint, mvelope, pageonce, etc never meet my needs because inevitably, they can’t access one or more of my accounts. And with ExpenseSense, I am forced to track stuff myself, sort of like writing food down, it helps me realize where the money is going
PriceBook — I wish I could select when I use a coupon, but I love the PriceBook App because obviously it is so helpful
Great post!
My all time favorite is ziplist. First you have to create a computer account, though. You can put in your recipes online, make a shopping list, etc. When you have the app it automatically adds from your computer account. If you want to buy ingredients for a recipe, just pull it up on app (all in folder) and click “add to shopping list”. Great for easy shopping list. Plus, when going to cook the recipe I never have to find my printed copy – just pull up on app!
Thank you so much! I don’t even know how many I just downloaded!
Won’t mention ones I’ve seen above…but one’s I like…
DisneyWorld by Undercover Tourist (tells wait times for rides at DW along with menus for restaurants in the parks-there’s other apps for DL)
Ant Smasher- game my 5 year old likes. smash ants as they crawl on screen
Google Goggles- scan a product, artwork, storefront, or foreign language and it googles the product and gives info on what you scanned.
Juice Defender- (don’t know if this is just for Androids) conserves battery life
Toddler Lock- good for little kids. Kind of like a doodle pad with some sounds. You have to touch all 4 corners to exit the app. So little kids can’t get out of it and mess up your phone.
Zebra Paint- 5 year old loves it. Just a coloring book. Lots of pages to color.
Winter Wake Up- alarm clock that checks the weather in the morning and will wake you up 15 min earlier than what you set the alarm if the weather is below a certain degree (whatever degree you set). Gives you notice that you may need to scrape the car. Also wakes you a little earlier if it’s snowing. Checks weather 1 minute before the “early time” so it knows when it should go off. Haven’t used it but coworker recommended it and thought someone might get use out of it!
Thank you so much for asking this question! I have picked up a couple of apps that I probably wouldn’t have found out about otherwise.
I like pinterest, words with friends, Dave Ramsey has his own app with clips from his radio show including debt-free screams 🙂 Pandora and Gas Buddy are great too.
Also for a quick checklist there is Colornote on Droid
I love these free apps:
Ebay
Gasbuddy
USAA (my bank)
ShopSavvy (scan something and it will tell you the prices of that same item in nearby stores)
Lemon (save receipts in here)
Chess with Friends
Kindle
Weather Channel
FAC Free (fake a call, if you are stuck and need to “get away” to answer it)
Translator
Zippo Lighter (fun to wave, “concert” style)
Mapquest
If you already have Netflix at home you can get a free Netflix app for ipod touch, ipad, and Android smart phones. My daughter likes to watch movies on her smart phone – it’s too small a screen for me but when we’re in the car it’s great for her.
Is there any app that can help me stay in control of my finances? I want one that will help me budget and also help me balance my income with my bills. I want to be able to just put in my income and bills and it tell me howw and when to pay my bills along with other categories like gas and food etc.
My Fitness Pal- free diet tracking and you can check in with friends
Runkeeper- is a GPS program for your phone for keeping track of how far you walk (or run or bike)
My Feeds- for reading blogs on the go- makes them mobile friendly
AT&T Uverse- on my phone I can watch any show I DVR’d at home on my phone
I love Mealfire.com for planning my grocery lists. I input recipes as I find things that sound great to try on various blogs and websites, then when I do my meal planning for the week it is just a matter of dragging and dropping to put the meals on the calendar. I check off which days I want to go grocery shopping for and it creates a shopping list automatically which I can either print out or it goes straight to my iPhone, I don’t print the list anymore since I got my iPhone. 😉 It even has a button that adds to your toolbar on your web browser that will automatically add recipes from sites like foodnetwork.com, allrecipes.com, recipezaar, and several others I can’t think of off the top of my head.
cozi
envelopes
family rosary- has audio for the car
tweet caster and facebook
myfitnesspal
devotions (catholic prayers based on time of day)
online banking
fertility friend mobile- tracks cycles for NFP
i wrote a series (10 days of apps) and included many of my favorite apps – including those for productivity and organization. http://bit.ly/vpcmdn
YNAB is the best budget app out there, but its also kinda expensive. But its by far the most detailed budget and advance budget in that it cares over your amount each month, allows you to add what you spent while at the grocery story, and then takes that money off the appropriate category on your ipod/iphone AND computer. You can add different savings accounts and therefore different budgets. Its well and beyond any other budget app I’ve seen, and I’ve looked at just about them on. But again, its expensive, and perhaps more advanced that some are looking for.
Thank you all for sharing the apps..As I was journaling, I wrote down 10!! Im so excited to start downloading:)
I like a lot of these but I really like BabyESP. It helps you track all things baby and I have put the whole family in and it helps me track any meds that need to be given and reminders of when it’s time again. It’s really been a lifesaver, especially when all the kids are sick and need meds!
Great list
I love, love, love wiseHopper, it is free.
http://www.itunes.com/apps/wisehopper
great for homeschool kids.
AppShopper because it lets you see the price history of an app before purchasing so you know when you are getting the best deal on every other great app available. For my full review please see this post:
http://www.cornerstoneconfessions.com/2012/01/ultimate-app-everyone-needs-appshopper.html
I won’t repeat many of the great suggestions, as I use many of these too (though I found a few here that I had overlooked). I used to have an Android phone and used Amazon’s free app of the day to score many. Now I have an iPhone. Some of my favorite’s that haven’t been mentioned:
Pink Pad – helps you track your cycle, fertility, weight and other symptoms – I recently had to have surgery for an ovarian cyst – so keeping up with this is really important!
Lemon – Because I hate keeping up with receipts, I can take a picture and it keeps a scanned copy of the receipt as well as helps me track spending (it reads the data from the receipt and converts it into text!)
Google Voice – if you have a google account, you can get a free number from google – probably not handy for iPod users, but some of the readers who use iPhones or Android phones might find it handy. I use it for texting or phone calls when I don’t want to give out my real phone number.
BzzAgent – I love their program, their mobile app makes it easy for me to take surveys on the go.
Shazam – When I hear something on the radio and want to know who sings it!
StateFarm – check and see if your insurance company has a mobile App – it is an awesome way to have your policy information with yu
AAA – Roadside assistance from your phone!
there are a ton of free apps for kids, the only one i have paid for (well, 2 because i picked it up in spanish too) is iWriteWords. there is a lite version to try for free, we started with that, but it is great at teaching kids how to write letters, small words, and numbers! I love YouVersion too- you can download certain versions for offline reading, and if you watch their fb page they occasionally offer other versions for free ( i got NIV that way). i also like the similac app for tracking breastfeeding, and i use Baby Log as well (for my special needs son, though would be great for any baby- i just don’t like the breastfeeding tracker); it has tons of things you can track including various feeding options, medical appointments, growth, sleep, etc. (side note: i contacted the developer re: some issues and they emailed immediately and let me know which were being dealt with in the next update, including better function for ipod touch). We just bought week calendar to use instead of the standard apple calendar- it has many more options and views and is much better, and just a couple bucks. i like errands to-do list for errands and todo :), craft finder from Family Fun has lots of crafts. juno’s piano is cute for kids, helps them “learn” by repeating
My son (almost 2) LOVES the Duck Duck Moose digital books (Wheels on the Bus and Itsy Bitsy Spider, specifically). They are interactive books. My father in law bought them on his iPad for our son and he loves them so much that I broke down and bought them for my Android smartphone.
There are more Duck Duck Moose apps on iOS than on Android for now. All of them are $2 or less and very well worth the money. My son has spent hours playing them and hasn’t tired of them yet – and it’s been over a year since my father in law first purchased the Wheels On The Bus app.
I also LOVE Baby ESP. It lets you track sleeping, eating, etc for kids – babies, toddlers, etc. I was able to buy this from Amazon for less than on the Android Market. Again, a few bucks, but well worth the money. It can track multiple kids which is nice, too.
Liz, there is one called MyDays that you can track your period in, and I know iPhone had some too but i’m not sure what it’s called. Just try searching it. Microsoft had a health vault, not site about apps.
To the original question, I love all of Google’s apps especially Docs, Reader, Gmail, Calendar, Maps/Nav, and Voice. I also like EEBA (digital envelopes), Tasks & Todos (syncs with Google Tasks), Kindle, Overdrive (reader ft library ebooks),
PTracker or Period Tracker is awesome for this on Iphone. One of the first apps recommended to me and I think it’s great.
Is there an app that you can keep your medical info in? Like family medical history, mom and dad – cancer/ high blood pressure/ high cholesterol. Also one that will track your monthly period for you?
Thanks,
Liz
iPeriod free 🙂
pink pad
There is womanlog on Droid
I love MyDays, it’s a period, ovulation/fertility tracker. Free.
Cozi!!! Love it for its ability to use online or on your mobile device/iPad. Toucan share with your family and create different lists for each person.
My toddler also likes talking Ben.
Evite to keep track of play dates.
OMG Thank you all so much!!! Was reading this for ideas and Cozi is amazing. I have been searching for an app that could do all of these things. LOVE it!! So excited.
I just did the shopkick app. It says you can scan the items but I cant fiqure out hoe to do it. No scanner come up with the app. Or do I just take a pic of whatever it is and send that in ?? It dosent even say where to send it in.. Did I do something wrong or is it the app.
when you click on the item you want to scan it should open up a scanner, if not choose pic and then it should be auto.
Here are some of my favorites that haven’t been mentioned … not sure if all were free but think they were:
Restaurant Nutrition – an app to help you make healthy choices when eating out
Spark People – Diet and Fitness tracker
TV Guide – helps you find the tv channels wherever you are
USPS Mobile – helps you find zip codes
RV Park finder – helpful if you are traveling in a camper
Life IQ – a Reader’s Digest game to play when you have to wait somewhere
Thanks for all the comments! I have a long list to try now!!
(Ugh – technolgy…..sent before I was done!)
PluggedIn – Focus on the Family app that has been great for movie reviews when my teens call and ask if they can see a certain movie with friends.
StackTheStates – GREAT educational app for states, capitals and fun facts.
Shazam – allows you to “tag” a song that’s on the radio, playing in a store, etc. and it tells you the artist, lyrics, etc.
Some of my daughter’s favorites (she’s just turned six) are Cut the Rope, Stack the States and Easy Bake (you get to “bake” and then decorate cupcakes – you even get to eat them!). She also enjoys Hangman, Tic Tac, Toe, War Free and Uno.
I think I might have paid $.99 for a couple of these but I think most of them were free.
Oh and if you want a good laugh – download Talking Tom. I can’t help but laugh every time we turn him on!
AroundMe – we use this when we travel and it’s proven to be invaluable
PluggedIn – th
I forgot about AroundMe. We use that when we travel, too.
MyFitnessPal and You Version Bible are two of my faves right now. Just downloaded the C2K! Thanks for these awesome lists!
WOW this is fantastic. Downloaded like12 appsQ Thanks for the EEBA best..I have yet to find a good enough way to track the cash expenditures. We have a lot of our sinking funds in envelopes and I like to track what goes in an out, but writing on them you run out of room and they get worn out faster. All the budget software out there (other than creating my own spreadsheets that are not available to me everywhere I go) don’t have room for cash transactions!
These are all great apps but one last one that I like to have for fun is Dragonvale…it’s kind of cheesy but fun when you need moments to shut off your mind…but not as addicting as Angry Birds. There is only so much you can do each time you go on the game so you don’t get caught up like a crazy person!
One app not yet mentioned is Lose It! It is an app that tracks your calories and exercise to see if you are staying “on budget” with your weight loss goal. I just started using it. It was recommended by a friend that loves it.
I also love the Easy Envelope Budgeting Aid (www.eebacanhelp.com). It uses envelope budgeting to help you stick to your budget and updates in realtime so you can see how much you have when you are out and about. It also has a corresponding website and the best part is that you can share the budget with your spouse and you can both enter transactions and see it in real time.
WeReward (http://we.rw/uRem) is an amazing app that pays you cash for your checkins at grocery stores, gas stations, Target, restaurants, and tons of other places. You don’t need to buy things to get paid. The app needs gps so it may not work on ipods. I have already been paid $80 by WeReward in the last few months! They pay you immediately to your paypal account.
I definitely vote for Checkpoints, Shopkick and WeReward. All 3 give you cash or gift cards for scanning items/taking pictures in stores.
You can find more info on all three here:
http://cheapsinglechick.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-heart-free-money.html
Fun bubbles and fun flowers. Both are great for little kids and have a lite version.
Free App King – finds newly listed free apps… I refuse to pay for something when I can get something as good for free.
Does anyone remember the name of the app that helps you keep track of all of your daily deal sites and info? I can’t remember it and wanna get that one. Thanks
I have one for Android called “DealLeak”
I’ve used Cozi & several of the grocery also listed but find Zip List much more user friendly & efficient. Also has a universal recipe box you can save recipes from anywhere to or use 1 of the thousands in their searchable database. You can automatically add ingredients from any of those recipes to your grocery list. Lists can be texted, printed or sent to others to get at grocery store. Also love color note, lookout, memory, tune in radio and what’s the best deal that lets you figure what quantity is the best bargain.
At my house, the kids get a reward to play. They have loved checkers and connect four. They have also learned solitaire. 99 cents for angry birds is worth the money.
Found some great apps to look up. Thanks all! I have all these on my iPad but I’d think they have versions for iPod/Phone too.
Toodledo…also has a website that syncs – great for prioritized to do lists
Evernote
Weather Channel
Bank
Groupon
eBay
Facebook
Messenger
Words with Friends
Word Blast
I’m am so new to this level of technology! lol Will these apps work with the Ipod touch? Trying to decide b/t this and the NOOK vs. Kindle thks!
The Ipad apps may or may not work on the Ipod. Most do. I also have the Nook and there are not as many apps and what they have costs much more. For example, angry birds for Ipod is 99 cents and 2.99 on the nook.
some of my fav. games are bible quiz- who am i and usa state capitals. also a trivia but teaches the capitals
I love the Lose it app. It helps you keep track of what you eat. I’ve lost 28 pounds so far.
Also iTunes has free things each week. I love when they have free TV shows for the kids to watch while shopping. Right now a episode of Shaun the Sheep is free. I also check out Feeappsaday.com to get free apps for my itouch.
How do you know what’s fre on iTunes?
When you click on iTunes on your iPhone, itouch etc, music usually comes up first. Near the top left side you should see a group featured with the word free on a banner across their ad. Click on it and it will show you the free songs. If you touch TV shows, scroll to the bottom and you should see a place where it says Free TV shows. Click there and it will list the free shows available to download.
If you use your computer and go to the iTunes store, you should see “Free …” on the right side under Quick Links in the different categories. Hope this helps! I have 17 full length tv shows, 50+ songs and over 200 apps I have not paid a penny for.
xmas organizer. it lets you track who you need gifts for what the want if bought or need to be bought budget and where you have put it. I buy clearance stuff all year long and have already started 2012 shopping. tracks total per person and total bought
also love tango…. both people have to have it but if in wifi you can talk and veiw the person you are calling
the last one i would recomend is a kindle app and or audio books. you can down load and listen to books on the go. great for reading in car ride line at school or listening to books as i do laundry and housework.
good luck and enjoy…..
Loving the ideas and found some to add. Ones I have and like on my iphone:
ShopShop – keep multiple shopping lists. I have Trader Joes, Fred Meyer, Costco, household, regular groceries, and more. tap to cross item off, and you can keep your iphone from locking while it’s open when you shop. Can email or txt the lists too and reorder the items on each list how you want
Swackett for weather
Gaps – card game
WeightTrack – track weight progress and belly measurement. I want one for more body measurement tracking though that shows progress or a graph.
PriceCheck – scan, speak or take pic of an item in store to find amazon’s price
your library might have an app, renew or place things on hold
ABC Tracing for my son; Talking Tom and Talking Gina for my son (cat and giraffe that repeats what you say)
Instagram for cool photo effects
Dirty Dozen – lists of foods to get organic or non organic
Flashlight – have used this a number of times
Yelp for finding local restaurants and tapping to call
I’m not 100% sure if all of these are free, but I got them all free as free apps of the day if not. My favorites for my android phone are:
-Tasks N Todos – syncs with my Google Tasks list
-Mint.com
-Evernote – newly addicted to this
-Food Planner
-Key Ring
-CheckPoints
-Flashlight – multiple options including using the camera’s flash as an extra bright flashlight
-Everything – checklist program. basic and easy to use
-aisle411 – will organize your grocery list around a map of your store (limited stores available) Can search for an item and it will tell you which aisle it’s found in.
-Grocery Smarts – coupon match ups
-Yellowbook – phone book
I use the Flashlight app too…A LOT! I forget its an app, lol. Maybe that’s why no one has mentioned it yet?
I love the Cozi app. It’s a family calendar/shopping list app that can be synced between multiple phones and computer. So when my husband notices something is gone, he can add it to the grocery list on his phone and when I go shopping it will appear on mine. Same with family appointments.
For budgeting I love the EEBA – Easy Envelope Budget Assistant. It’s a virtual envelope system. You set up envelopes and when you add your transactions, you can specify which envelope to take it out of. It’s been such a blessing for our family and our budget. I’ve always wanted to be successful with the envelope system but I always ran into problems with keeping enough cash on hand etc.
We LOVE our iPod Touch! It’s great with little kids. It’s saved me from meltdowns in grocery stores and restaurants on many occasions, not to mention traveling (by car or plane, who needs a DVD player!)
If there’s a free demo version or “lite” version of an app, I always try that first to make sure I like it. And I seldom pay more than $1 for an app.
I second:
-Teach Me Kindergarden
-Angry Birds (for little ones, the free version should be more than adequate, but watch out if mommy or daddy gets hooked!)
Other favorites:
-Monkey Preschool Lunchbox
-Starfall ABCs (just like the stuff at starfall.com)
-Netflix (sure came in handy when DS wanted to watch the same Thomas movie the 100th time in a row over Christmas break! Also gets used a bunch on Sat morning so mom and dad can sleep in, since DS is too little to work the DVR/TV, but can easily find his shows on the iPod Netflix app)
-my church’s scripture app
apps I like so well I have them on my Blackberry, too, because I can’t live without them:
-Pandora (I have an unlimited data plan, but works with Wi-Fi, too)
-Kindle
-Facebook
-Sudoku
Love Cozi have it synced with my Outlook calendar at work. My husband has it too and so he has all of my appointments, kid’s soccer games, birthday parties, and meeting/PTA nights (I am a teacher) without asking me all the time. Also love the shopping and to do lists that we can both add to and look at when we stop at the store.
Our favorites (all free):
Mint.com
Coupon.com
Local credit union
Wunderlist (much simpler than Evernote)
Pinterest
Gas buddy
Garage sale rover
Craigslist++
CamWow
Facebook
Pandora
My husband and I use UrbanSpoon when we travel. It allows you to see reviews of restaurants from REAL people (not magazine or newspaper reviews) before you visit. It has saved us lots of money becuase we can plan our trip BEFORE we leave and can match the restaurants with good reviews with restaurant.com certificates.
If your planning to travel, make sure you search the city you are going to for specific apps. We go to DC a few times a year so I keep a Metro map and another app called “DC Way” on my phone.
I also use Pandora and AccuRadio quite a bit for my daily commute and cleaning. My local radio stations play the same 3 Adele songs over and over, so it’s nice to be able to plug in what I want to listen to and go from there. I always like putting on some upbeat music from Pandora when I clean, too.
And don’t forget the twitter and facebook apps! Subscribe to blogs like Money Saving Mom and you can search those apps throughout the day for the best deals.
I will put votes in the the following already mentioned:
Cozi-love how customizable it is
Pandora-the toddler station is great
Shopkick and/or CheckPoints-earn money while you shop
Not yet mentioned:
Swagbucks Tv: if you have unlimited data you can just turn it on your
phone (etc) and let it run. automatically starts next
video.
Swagbucks Search widget: earn bucks on the go
Entertainment book: if you bought an entertainment coupon book this
app shows you what coupons are good nearby
where to find them in the book, or what printables
there are. There are even some coupons that you can
redeem on your phone.
Mobibo: Metro Detroit Only! Turn it on as you drive around. You’ll get
deals that you can redeem locally, and for every deal
that pops up you get paid! (even for not using the deal)
are the swagbucks apps? when i search for it on the istore, i don’t get anything…
i just checked the FAQ’s on swagbucks.com, and it says they are working to make an apple version-just on android for now. It is available in the market. By the way, the reviews for the search are not the best, but I figured it out. You have to go to “personalize” or where ever you can add a widget not an app. Then use your browser to go to swagbucks, sign in checking leave me logged in. Then when you use the widget to search you’re automatically in. For some reason you can’t seem to sign in through the widget.
What kind of phone do you have? I have not had any luck getting Swagbucks TV to play on my iphone4s and can’t find a specific app for it. Thanks!
I sent a shortcut to my iPhone screen for Swagbucks and click on that instead of another search engine. It seems to keep me logged in. I still win Swagbucks on my iPhone.
I really love MealBoard for menu planning/shopping lists.
I love GeoQpon – I don’t have to carry those Micheal’s, Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann coupons; they’re right on your phone! (Big smile) AND if I find myself at the mall (I generally try to avoid it), I have great, current coupons for many of the mall stores! Woot!
I’m linking to this post on my blog too (your readers are amazing) so if you want me to pull it, let me know asap. http://www.SavingInSpartanburg.com and @1of5Hawks
Anje
Spartanburg, SC
*INSTAGRAM: Take pictures & make them look a little more special
*MINT.COM: For keeping track of my purchases & budget on the go
*GOODREADS: When I see a book that looks interesting I can add it to the list so the next time I’m at the library I have ideas of what to read next. (You can scan barcodes so if you see something great at Barnes & Noble you can easily add it to your to-read list)
*COZI: Great planner- I use it for appointments and shopping lists and meal planning. It coordinates with my boyfriend’s phone also!
*MOBILERSS: For when I’m stuck waiting somewhere and have nothing to do- I can catch up on my blogs via my Google Reader
I wonder if these work for an IPad as well. Just was blessed with one and would love to know what are some good free almost free apps for it as well.
Thanks
Here are my favorite thus far. I only paid for the first one, all the rest were free!!!
1. HomeRoutines – Worth every penny of the $2.99 (?). This app is awesome and is transforming my homemaking routine!
2. Grocery Gadget
3. Food for the Table – Mealplan based on your local grocery stores sale.
4. Kindle
5. Allrecipes
6. Waterlogged – track how how much water you drink, and receive reminders
7. Amazon
8. Appshopper – find out which apps are on sale and create a wish list to notify you when the ones you want drop in price
9. Dropbox – send docs to your ipod for reference
10. RedLaser – scan an item and it compares the prices for it at all major retailers
11. YouVersion Bible – reading plans, many versions, audio Bible – wonderful!
12. AppsGoneFree – new list everyday of “pay for” apps that have “gone free”
13. Words with Friends
I love home routines too. It’s similar to Flylady’s cleaning system without the bulky notebook.
I use Home Routines, too, and only wish I had found it sooner. Their webpage says it’s 3.99, and that’s about what I remember paying for it. After using it, loving a great deal like I do, I can honestly say, I would pay much more for this knowing how it has helped me. I have my morning routine and evening routine, Mon – Sun routines, Jan – Dec routines, a vacation cohecklist routine. I loved Flylady, but I could customize it for my house.
I have also used the Cozi app but don’t love it as much as I used to. It says I’m offline when I’m not, sticks, sometimes is slow to respond. I still have it, but it’s no longer my go-to app.
I was also blessed with an iPod touch this Christmas, and I’m also loving the HomeRoutines app!
“Bible.is” is one of our favorites. Many versions, many languages, audio and text.
I just discovered Ultimate Value Diary yesterday. It is on sale until tom. Jan 5th in itunes for 99cents. It is the SAME thing as weightwatchers mobile in my opinion except you dont have to subscribe to weight watchers. I subscribe to weightwatchers, its been worth the ten bucks a month for etools for me but my hubby wanted the tools without the price of the membership so we found this awesome app last night. It has the diary, points plus calcuator, calculates how many points you get (which you can even adjust if you think you need to) has a barcode scanner that calculates the points of food and can add to your tracker, food database, and you can track your excercise points you earn and use… AMAZING deal for all that you get for a one time fee of 99cents.I may just purchase it for myself in case I ever need to stop my membership… It is not affiliated with ww but like I said it is pretty identical to what you get with etools minus the recipe builder but you can just use spark people which is free for that. There is an app for android but I’m not sure if that is on sale…. Hope that helps someone…. 🙂
UPDATE: I just checked and it is actually on sale unti January 12th!
I love Ziplist! The website and they have an App too 🙂
http://www.ziplist.com
I love “Task List”, as you can create as many different lists as you want. For instance I have a “Shopping List”, a “To Do Today” list and a “To Do” list where I put things that don’t need to be done today, but need to get done eventually. You can even move tasks between lists, so I can move tasks from my To Do list to my To Do Today list, and back again if it doesn’t get done. 😛 I also use “Financisto” to keep track of all of my account balances. It doesn’t have any account numbers or anything, only balances and you manually enter your transactions for each account. I also like “EEBA”, which is just like the envelope system and helps you keep track of how much money you’ve spent from each part of your budget if you don’t want to carry around a stack of envelopes. “MyFitnessPal” is also awesome for keeping track of calorie intake and exercise.
My favorite app is http://www.myfitnesspal.com. It is free and has been one of the main reasons I have been able to drop 40lbs in 2011! Love it!
I also use Fooducate. I just recently discovered this and find it very useful when I am grocery shopping and need help deciding nutritionally between items.
I love the all recipes app for find recipes. I have the unpaid version.
And the astrid app for todo lists.
and of course, fb, twitter, skype, and my banking app.
I will second MFP! I was reading through these wondering if anyone mentioned it. MFP has helped me lose 85 pounds since March of 2011. It hasn’t done it for me of course but the support from friends and the calorie counts right at my fingertips is a huge help! I would recommend this to anyone!
I just discovered MFP and LOVE it! I really enjoy the flexibility to see how exercise influences my ability to eat a little more and still lose weight. I like seeing how much nutrition I’m getting from my food, where I’m short (iron!!!), where I’m over (sugar, mostly from fruit) and where I’m doing really well (fiber from grains, veggies and fruits). MFP makes keeping accountable for my eating easy.
If you have a little baby, or one on the way, What to Expect’s Baby Tracker app is amazing. I used it to keep track of feedings and diapers for the entire first month of my younger son’s life. I wish I’d had it with my first!
Oh, FABULOUS! I got a ‘smart’ phone by surprise this Christmas too! Can’t wait to read all the suggestions. 🙂
~Heidi
I’m already a fan of the Cozy.com app for family/calendar plans for sure!
Viber is also great to connecting with friends over-seas for FREE! (it’s a lot like skype for smart phones—)
Also YouVersion bible as another commented. I love the fact that it has audio options. My infant daughter and I often listen to the audio bible as we fall asleep for naps.
Grocery Gadget! I usually have my iPod with me so it’s great for adding things to my list throughout the week. Then I can check things off the list as I shop – without juggling baby, pen and paper. And my favorite part…I can make the list and email it to my hubby’s iPhone when he stops at the store for me 🙂
Other apps I love:
Bank apps
Craigslist
eBay
Kindle (Amazon has some free ebooks)
CBDReader (christianbooks.com also has some free ebooks)
Pandora (free music)
And I use the iPod Notes ALL the time. It’s like my external harddrive 😉
“Calorie Counter” (it’s a yellow scale with two little feet on it) has been a huge help to me in my weightloss/weight management. It keeps track of my calories and just about every type of food imaginable (including most restaurants) available. I can even choose my portion size. It keeps track of my daily calories, as well as tracks my weight and makes recommendations about my daily caloric intake.
I also like “Cozi,” as it connects itself to my Google Calendar.
Lastly, I really love YouVersion’s free Bible App. I can pick the version of the Bible I want to read (my husband and I prefer ESV) and jump directly to the book/chapter I’m looking for. Some chruches even load their notes to YouVersion and you can take notes and email to yourself right from the app! I love being able to carry a Bible with me whereever I go!
Just downloaded the calorie counter last week & so far I really like it!
I also use Calorie Counter. I love that you can just scan the barcodes of items you consume or search for items manually.
I really like Gift List Manager. You can set up events, like Christmas, birthdays, etc. and then individual people within those events.For each person you create a list of things you want to buy and/or have bought. You can put a price for each item and it shows you on the main event page how much you’ve spent on each person. It really helped me keep the Christmas budget under control. And when I think of an idea for someone’s bday, I can just whip out my phone and get it on the list so I don’t forget it. I’s even PIN protected so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands!
I also have a droid and there is a wonderful app out there called ShopSavvy. You can scan a barcode or search on a description and it will search on the web and local stores and let you know what the prices are. it is great when you are on the go and see a price and wonder if it is a good deal. I also use the GasBuddy and Evernote…love them….
I used this last week. I was going to buy an Olay pro kit at Walmart but didn’t want to spend 39.99. I scanned it and found out it was only 29.99 at Target! 🙂
I use the Kindle app a lot for free e-books and downloads 🙂
Sorry, that is supposed to be “DoodleBuddy” above
Free ipod apps I use a lot:
Craigslist
Groupon
Kindle
eBay
Holy Bible
Amazon
Facebook
Fox News
Suduko
Words with Friends
Also, my preschoolers LOVE Doodle Pro. It’s a doodle pad to draw and add stickers.
Also, Evernote! This program is worth its weight in gold if you have a Macbook. I keep track of everything (task lists, grocery list, menus, home projects, party planning, etc.) in one place, which means I always know where to look and never have loose papers cluttering up my desk.
Best of all, the notes sync wirelessly between my Mac and iPhone (4s).
I prefer to keep my grocery list on Evernote as opposed to grocery apps because I can type out the list in seconds on my Mac and it immediately syncs to my phone. Creating the same list on a grocery app on my phone takes much longer.
and it syncs between my iPhone and Mac wirelessly. I prefer Evernote for grocery lists over apps that are made for groceries because I can type the list much quicker on my Mac and then use it from the phone.
My favorites are Sale Price (lets you figure out the % off of an item- great for Rite Aid/Carters sales), google maps (it has turn by turn navigation), my banks app, a bible app with reading plans, C25K lite, Carr Matey (remembers where you parked your car and will navigate you back to it), ebay app, Gift List manager (manages gifts bought per person and per holiday, with a budget too), and Google Sky map (lift it up and it shows you what stars you are pointing at).
Google Sky Map is amazing!! We live in the country and are big “sky watchers”…it makes it so easy!
I’m not sure if this would be a relevant app for an iPod, but I know it definitely works for iPhones. It’s a data app called Onavo. What it does is it compresses your data usage so you can get the most out of your data plan. This is especially nice if use a lot of data on your phone and have a limit. This is both for Apple and Android users.
And for those of you with Android phones: There’s a app called Any.DO which is basically a to-do list for your phone. You can even talk into it and it will write it for you. You can share your lists with anyone, so if you think of something you need to tell multiple people, you can just send the list to those contacts. It’s especially great for people on the go all the time.
My new favorite is Groupon for the “Now” deals. Just this week my husband and I checked for a dinner Groupon Now while we were out running errands. We found $12 for $25 of sushi at one of our favorite sushi restaurants, downloaded the groupon in 20 seconds, and showed up and used it five minutes later. The waiter just presses “redeem now” on your phone and then applies the discount.
It’s funny that you bring up this topic, because I have been hoping and wishing that you would turn your coupon database into an iPhone app. I haven’t been able to find an app with good functionality that does the same thing as your page, so I’m still using the webpage on my iPhone, which is a bit more tedious than using an app. In short, I LOVE your coupon database and I’m so thankful that you do such a great job keeping it up. If you could find someone to turn it into an app I think you could make some money!
I love Allrecipes and epicurious for recipes. Mint.com is great for budgeting, you can always see where you are for the month and how much you are spending on each category.
The Harvest app (1.99) is a great app to use for reference, especially in the grocery store. It has tips for every fruit and vegetable on what to look for in good produce, ripeness, storage and preparing the food. It’s great if you want to ensure that you’re purchasing excellent produce that won’t spoil before you get to use it.
I just posted an article about this. Check out my link. Some off the top of my head mint.com, gas buddy and grocery iq
I like 10+2X5 to keep me working with breaks to clear my mind. 🙂 It’s a timer that times 10 minutes of work and 2 minutes of “play” alternately. It really helps me stay on task when I’m on the computer – otherwise I end up with 3 hours of “play”! http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/10-2-x5-procrastination-hack/id314598572?mt=8
A friend just showed me red laser. You can scan a barcode of something to find the best price locally or on-line. Nice if you are in a store and see what you think might be a great deal – you can scan the barcode and see if it truly is!
Yes, I just downloaded this yesterday and it is amazing! Jergens lotion was on sale and I scanned it to see what the price was at other stores. Instant info!
I’m excited about this one!
For traveling, we LOVE Road Ninja!! It tells you what’s up ahead at the next exit.
His,
Shari
Ohh, I forgot Text Free. My kids use that one a lot…
I love pepperplate for menu planning and keeping recipes. Cozi has helped in shopping list and onenote is my recent favorite for to-dos, journal ling etc because of the check off box
I second Pepperplate. Great for recipes, and so nice to be able to quickly pull one up at the grocery store if you have a last minute hankering, but can’t remember the ingredients 🙂 Also great for menu planning, and it’s free; a lot of the recipe apps aren’t free as to menu planning (Pepperplate though doesn’t come with recipes, you add your own, but it’s super easy).
Favorite Apps
Cozi
Deal News – I often buy games that the kids play when they are featured on Deal news either for free or for 99 cents.
Ease into 5K
Bridge to 10K
Facebook
Amazon Deals
My Fitness Pal
Twitter
Pinterest
Messenger
Words with Friends
Scrabble
There is an app for everything 😀
Is there a Pinterest app for Android, or is that just for Iphone? I can’t find it in my market…
We love Cozi. We started with the free version but now pay $2.99/mo for the ad free. We can sync calendars, send reminders to phones, to do lists, grocery lists. Love it.
My fave apps are below, in no particular order:
1. Pandora (free) — music
2. YouVersion (free) — Bible (and so much more)
3. Remember the Milk (free, but only syncs once per day with the website unless you have a paid membership) — To Do’s
4. Dropbox (free) — easily sync files across multiple platforms. If you don’t have an account, you can sign up here: http://db.tt/SMU6ues .
5. Evernote (free) — easily keep up with lists, favorite websites, recipes, etc.
6. Lookout (free) — Security and backup for the device
7. WeatherRadio (.99) — weather alerts, based on your location.
8. Pinterest, of course (free) — hours of wonderfulness!
9. Facebook (free)
10. Twitter (free)
11. Skype (free)
12. Slice (free) — links to your email address and pulls out shipping information from confirmation emails. Alerts you when your package is coming and when it arrives.
If you are able to print from your iPod, the coupons.com app is awesome to have. It is free and you can print 2 per coupon. We just upgraded our printer, so now I can print from my iPod. I can now get 2 per coupon on my PC and 2 more of the same coupon from my iPod.
AppMiner — My husband’s fav app. It tells you what pay apps are currently FREE or on sale that day. It is also a good way to try out games or apps that we wouldn’t have paid actual money for.
I love Evernote – I use it to take screenshots of things from my computer to send to my iPod. You can set your notes so you don’t need a WiFi connection to see them (make sure you do this or you won’t be able to access them if you’re, say, in the middle of a grocery store – not that I ever did that or anything). Great for coupon lists or recipes I find online. And then I just use the notepad that came with the iPod. Oh and there’s an app called Card Star that lets you put all of your loyalty cards onto your iPod. And I really like NetTalk, which lets you make totally free VOIP calls (as long as you have your headphones-with-microphone plugged in) and Textfree, which lets you send/receive totally free text messages – both require WiFi but can save you a lot of money!
Target,Walmart, Wallgreens, Joanns, Michael’s Craft stores, Sams, you name it they all have apps. They have coupons on these apps as well. ( some of them)
I just found a free app called Fooducate. I love it. It gives a grading from A-D on how healthy a food is. You can either type in an item through its search bar or you can scan the bar code and it will look it up automatically. Then it will give it a letter grade. It also explains why it recieved that grade. It will also give alternatives to the food you looked up. I just used it this past week in the grocery store & it helped me make better choices in purchasing healthier foods. Plus my 7 year old loved playing with it.
I just downloaded that one too and though I haven’t used it much, it seems cool and I would like to use it more!
Interesting. “Healthy” is such a subjective term!
Well I used the word healthy but you can decide for yourself if you think it is “healthy” or not.
I just wanted to add that I was actually suprised by some of the things I thought were good choices. Actually ended up according to fooducate not so good choices. I think it’s a good app if you are not familiar with what every single ingredient listed on food items are. Fooducate explains what these ingredients are and why they feel they are not good for you to consume.
I don’t have any answers, but I do have the same exact question and look forward to the responses! Thanks so much!
I have a Droid, so I’m not sure if the app is available for Iphone/Ipad, but I LOVE the app called “Out of Milk”. You can scan the barcode of everything in your pantry and fridge so you can keep track of what you have on hand. It’s fantastic when I’m at the store and can’t remember if we need tomato sauce or not!
iPods don’t have a scanner.
Just researched it, and apparently the new iPod touch models (4th generation) do have scanners. Sorry for the misinformation.
my husbands ipod 4 can scan things???
funny we must have been typing simultaneously…. the ipod 4 is pretty crazy… it’s like an iphone minus the service, although you can even use it to make calls through skype.
Mine must be a 3rd generation. It’s not a feature I would ever use due to privacy concerns, but it is pretty amazing what gadgets can do these days.
Again, sorry for the misinformation!
Apparently with an app called Line2 you can use it as a phone. I am currently saving up for ipods for me and my husband and was looking into Skype and other options to use it as a phone without having the expensive iphone service.
YES! It can!
I love the “key ring” app. I loaded all my membership cards on the app and then tossed all those membership cards that I was carrying around. It’s great, you just pull it up on the app and let the cashier scan it in.
now THAT sounds cool! 🙂
Wow I had no idea they even made an app like this. I cannot tell you the number of times have I lost those key membership cards. Or the way they completely inflate my wallet! This will come in sooooo handy.
A free app I love is http://www.myfitnesspal.com. It is a calorie and exercise journal. Awesome!
Is that for iPods or iPhones/androids?
KeyRing is for both Android and iPhone/iPod.
Installed this one right away! Love that!
Just installed this! SO needed this!!!!!!
I recently discover the Coupons.com app & I love it! I am constantly on the go with my job, so I can easily email the coupons to myself or print them straight from my iPhone. I missed a lot of great printables before, but now I don’t miss out. I am sure the app works similarly for the iPod.
I had no idea you could print coupons from an iPhone! I tend to miss out on some of the hot coupons because I don’t have time to stop what I’m doing and get on the computer. I’ll have to check that out – thanks for sharing!
Yes! This is the one I was going to add to the list! I have it and my husband has it on his iPad, so now we have 2 extra “computers” to print coupons.com coupons from. Useful when you sometimes need 3 coupons for a deal. I just wish there was a way to print bricks coupons too… I will add though, that I’m pretty sure you have to have the right kind of printer to do this. We have a new HP that has “airprint” – which is what allows us to directly print from the phone/iPad.
I like Gasbuddy.com for teh gas prices..Love the app.
I don’t think these apps work on ipods because you have to have gps, but my favorites are checkpoints and shopkick, which allow you to check in places, scan products, etc. to earn money for giftcards and other items. With really little kids it might be difficult to do this while shopping, but school-age kids would love this as it could make shopping like a scavenger hunt (and big kids like my husband and I love it, too, for that reason, and the hundreds of dollars we’ve earned. 🙂 ). I also like field agent, which is like mystery shopping without the hassle. They offer jobs at stores like target and walmart where you look to see if certain products are displayed, take a picture, and send it in. It takes usually 3-5 minutes and pays usually $2.50-$9 per job.
I just started using shop kick and check points and in 2 trips I have made about $4!
How do you scan the upc code if they dont give you one.
Don’t give one of what? If you mean scanner, you use the camera feature on your phone. If you mean upc code, any product they’d have you scan has one.
Just so I get this straight I am a new user to my iphone. I take a picture of the upc code and send it. But where do I send it to.I cant seem to find where it goes.. I must be having a huge brain freeze that I cant figure this out.. Thanks for you help…
If you’re in the app, I think the app just automatically uploads the pic or whatever it needs to do so that you get credit. At least that is how checkpoints works – you don’t send the pic anywhere, you just scan with your camera and you get the points immediately.
The app I use most is the Kindle app, which I love! Crystal often lists free books that her readers may be interested in.
I also use GeoQpons and have been able to use it at Hobby Lobby, Arby’s, Bath and Body Works, and Aero without any problems.
Be sure and check Amazon’s “free app of the day” every day where they offer an app that normally costs for free. I access that through my android, though I can’t speak for whether or not you can access it through IPod/IPhone.
Amazon’s free app of the day is Android only (I have an Android phone), but I do always search the iTunes store for Top Free Apps to see if anything is free for a limited time (I also have an older iPod Touch).
The great thing about the free app of the day is that.you only have to “buy” (get) it, you don’t have to install on that day as long as you’ve “purchased” it, you own it. I “purchase” it every day, but rarely install it because the commentors often say it’s buggy, so I will wait until the product improves before I revisit it and decide if I really want it.
If you have Wi Fi : The Weather Channel, Pandora and K-Love (Christian music national radio station)
If you have kids: Teach Me Kindergarten and Angry Birds
Yea, but Angry Birds isn’t free. I guess there’s the demo version. I have to say, though, that Angry Birds does provide *thousands* of hours of entertainment for 99c, so it’s a great value!
The free version of angry birds is ad-supported but full.
Sure is. The ads are pretty small anyway and don’t interfere much with gameplay.
If any of your kids got Rio for Christmas, it comes with a code for 15 more free levels of Angry Birds. I’m not sure who was more excited, my husband or my 5 year old!
I also love Teach Me Toddler!
Without a doubt… keyring ..you scan you bonus cards right onto you phone and no more overflowing key rings. Works great!
I never heard of this one – what a fantastic idea!
Cardstar too!
FOR SURE—key ring rewards cards—it’s not free but no more carrying those cards around! Halved the size of my wallet! Also, Kroger’s (and I’m sure others) digital coupons are automatically on there!
I like the free app called Grocery IQ. You can add different stores and keep track of prices. So for example, lets say you pay $x for a gallon of milk at Aldi, you’ll always be able to check if BiLo’s price is cheaper if you are shopping there. For me who can never remember prices on staple items, this app is great! You can also email or print coupons from your device using this app.
sounds cool, just downloaded it, how does it work though? do you have to have a seperate shopping list for each store?
You can scan bar codes or you can add the prices manually. I only use it for staples like milk, bread, eggs, baking supplies.
Grocery iq doesn’t give me prices. I wish it did!
True! But it does have a barcode scanner. So far its the best app I’ve found but I’m sure there are a bunch of other great ideas on here too 🙂
I love:
Coupon Pro
GEOQpons ( Mall store coupons they can scan in store)
Get the App to your bank so you can do online banking on the go
TripIt is great if you travel!
I have downloaded Evernote. I use it like a post it note. Grocery items that I think about while at the park. To do’s that need to be prioritized int he day. Menu plans. Anything really. You can take pictures with it, audio notes, lists, etc. You can also sync it with your home computer or other phones to keep them all together.
I love Evernote, too. My favorite thing about it is that you can go to the website on your computer and any list you make there automatically syncs with your iphone or ipod, and vice versa. I’ll c/p my shopping lists from blogs on my comp using Evernote, and it will automatically show up on my phone. Love it!
I love evernote too. So nice for keeping anything organized in my life. Grocery list, favorite websites, crafts I saw and want to try, anything! Can’t praise it enough!
JUST DISCOVERED EVERNOTE! I have had an Iphone for like 4 years and never got into it. Then recently I was having a lot of issues on the website where I kept all my recipes. Right when I was ready to cook I would not be able to get on. I did not want to always have to move them from site to site. I found Evernote and it took me 1 hour to move all my recipes into different notebooks and I LOVE IT!
I need to really find all the potential of this app!
I just got an iPhone so I’m still trying to find my favorites, but a couple I have found so far are GasBuddy and Kroger. We used GasBuddy over the holidays to find the cheapest gas closest to our route and Kroger’s app allows you to see the weekly ad by category and also add digital coupons to your card.
Publix has an app too
WHAT?! Publix has an app! Running to check it out. Thanks!
I have received smartphone and looking for free apps too.
I have an android phone, and I love the apps! My favorites are “Gas Buddy” (that locates local gas stations, and you can organize it by who has the best price!) and a free Couch to 5K app that signals when it’s time to switch between running and walking. No manual needed!
LLatPoC,
What C25K app do you have?
The free one is C5K Lite. I love that it lets me listen to my own music (Pandora station) while it runs in the background.
Oh! Pandora is another great free app. 🙂
After I have my baby in April, I wanted to get in to running again. The Couch to 5K app is a great tip! Thank you! I’m going to download it today so I don’t forget!
You’re welcome, good luck! I ran my first 5K on week 7 (even though it’s a 9 week program). I liked it so much, I’m getting the one for a half marathon. 🙂
I’m training for a half marathon right now, and while my husband runs with me, it’s easy. I’d love an app like that for when he’s away, to help me with pace, time, etc. Thank for sharing the idea!
There is also a Bridge to 10K app. It does cost $0.99, but I think that it’s well worth it. I did Couch to 5K in the fall and I just started with the 10k app this week. They are great!
Katie, not sure if you’re going to breastfeed or not but there are some great apps for helping you keep track of feeding schedules/diaper changes etc. that I found extremely helpful even after #3 and extremely sleep deprived! It’s like having an Itzbeen baby care timer.
I like Cozi’s free calendar. I can enter an appointment there and it will send me an email snapshot of my week. Great question, I’m excited to read the other comments!
I love Cozi too! My boyfriend and I also use it to sync our grocery list requests for whoever happens to make a stop at the store! I do my meal planning on there too since it’s easy to look at what nights we’ll be out or home late and plan accordingly!
LOVE Cozi…. I started using it online, and it was a “pro” when deciding to get smart phones or not
I too love Cozi calendar. I just discovered it not too long ago and I like how I can put in our families appointments and also do meal planning and recipes as well.
I also love the Cozi app. It helps keep all our appts organized, along with things to do, grocery and a journal
Cozi is a lifesaver!! The hubby and I can actually see each others calendars, so we can make plans without having to make multiple phone calls/emails. The grocery list feature is wonderful as well! Couldn’t live without it!
I love Cozi, and I sooo wish their app was available here in Australia. Cozi has made me so much more organised!
Cozi is a definite for me, too!
I love the GooCal app. It imports all your google calendars so you can always have your appointments on hand. I have several calendars too for home, work, etc. It’s made such a difference in keeping me organized by switching from a paper calendar to an online one that I can access anywhere, anytime!