Top Five Free Apps That Make Life Easier

Anyone with a smart phone will attest to the benefit that apps can have on the busy lifestyle of today's consumer. But it's not all about shopping, some apps can help out with situations like health and fitness or work issues and some just come in handy to kill time when you're in a queue. However, things in the world of apps look like they might be changing soon with the new 64-bit technology adopted by Apple's new iPhone5S. According to The BBC, "Samsung Electronic's co-chief executive announced its plan to use 64-bit chips, in an interview with the Korea Times newspaper." While the 64-bit operating system makes everything faster, it will have an impact on the software and current app technology, and "the Android operating system would need to be updated before Samsung's Galaxy devices could take advantage of a shift to 64-bit."

As most of us are unlikely to be immediately heading out for the latest smart phone, this new technology won't have a direct impact on our lives just yet and we can still enjoy the best apps that have made life easier in 2013.

1) Mint.com - free, Apple iOS/Android

Mint is like have a personal accountant inside your smart phone. This nifty and free budgeting app can let you see transaction history, allow you compile and consolidate your balances and generally bring all the info from your bank accounts into one place. It makes suggestions about you and can save money and sends alerts when a bill is due. Using 128-bit SSL

Mint is like have a personal accountant inside your smart phone. This nifty and free budgeting app can let you see transaction history, allow you compile and consolidate your balances and generally bring all the info from your bank accounts into one place. It makes suggestions about you and can save money and sends alerts when a bill is due. Using 128-bit SSL encryption and validated by VeriSign and TRUSTe, the Mint app is extremely safe and reliable.

Will Thomas from Eccount Money comments, "Mint is a fantastic app for anyone looking to keep a track on their accounts. We fully endorse the use of budgeting debt monitoring apps that help the consumer become a more responsible spender. Banks hold up their end by providing mobile banking, and so it's great that these apps can tie all the ends together and help people be smarter with their finances."

2) Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal

Jill Duffy from PcMag.com talks about the popular diet and fitness app, "the MyFitnessPal iPhone app couldn't be easier or quicker to use, and that's what sets it apart from the pack of other calorie-counting apps in the App Store and makes it our Editors' Choice." This free app is ideal for anyone looking to either lose weight or keep control over their eating habits. Highly rated, this app is fast and easy to use with an impressive food data base of over 300,000 items including fast food, for efficient calorie counting. Not only does this app have excellent diet tracking, but it also lets you put in your exercise, set goals, track progress and gets tips for weight loss and chat with friends and on forums about any diet and fitness related topic.

3) Amazon mobile - free, Apple iOS

Whether it's best practise or not, most of us use Amazon exclusively to price check most purchases. If you can get it cheaper, chances are, you'll get it cheapest on Amazon. The Amazon app is highly rated because it's easy to use, provides an excellent product listing and reviews and even has a feature that will identify the product and a bar scanner that takes you directly to the product as it appears on Amazon. The app syncs up with your account and so any basket items or wish lists are transferred to the app. Just one of the many apps Amazon has launched but definitely one that makes life that much simpler when it

Whether it's best practise or not, most of us use Amazon exclusively to price check most purchases. If you can get it cheaper, chances are, you'll get it cheapest on Amazon. The Amazon app is highly rated because it's easy to use, provides an excellent product listing and reviews and even has a feature that will identify the product and a bar scanner that takes you directly to the product as it appears on Amazon. The app syncs up with your account and so any basket items or wish lists are transferred to the app. Just one of the many apps Amazon has launched but definitely one that makes life that much simpler when it comes to sniffing out a bargain.

4) NHS Health and Symptom Checker - free, Apple iOS

While the NHS issued app might not have a great reviews, it is a handy portal for anyone looking to find treatment on the public health system in the UK. You can check symptoms against their data base, also get government issued advice on how to look after yourself and on your condition.

The app provides the user with a list of contact options and phone lines where you can connect to the NHS emergency 111 telephone service free of charge.

5) TripIt - free, Apple iOS/Android

Travel is a big part many people's lives both in a personal and in a working context. There's always a certain level of anxiety involved in keeping track of documents and timetables, and so the TripIt app can come in handy for anyone who travels regularly. TripIt organises all your travel documents like boarding passes and includes confirmation numbers, boarding times and terminal numbers in one user-friendly itinerary. The paid upgrade will enable more in-depth

Travel is a big part many people's lives both in a personal and in a working context. There's always a certain level of anxiety involved in keeping track of documents and timetables, and so the TripIt app can come in handy for anyone who travels regularly. TripIt organises all your travel documents like boarding passes and includes confirmation numbers, boarding times and terminal numbers in one user-friendly itinerary. The paid upgrade will enable more in-depth features like mobile alerts, alternate routes, and various VIP clubs and lounges.

From health and fitness to travel and personal finance, these five free apps are likely to make your simpler and easier by letting you access certain information using your smart phone, as opposed to committing dedicated screen time at home or work. You can catch up on your banking, add in the day's calories or even research that strange rash that appeared over night, all while standing in the lunch queue.

 

Author Bio:

Kitty Hastings loves the kind of technology that makes life that little bit easier, cheaper or more fun. On the serious side, she advocates personal finances Kitty, especially advocates the apps that can help you keep in control of your spending. A London-based writer, Kitty likes to incorporate lifestyle topics in with her experience and expertise of personal finance journalism.