There's an App for That

Smart phones have certainly changed the way we live today. Messaging and social media has crept from our computers into our pockets and has consumed the lives of many. Although apps like “Facebook” and games such as “Angry Birds” may essentially be nothing more than time vampires, sucking the hours out of your day, it’s easy to overlook the helpful ones. Here’s a few that aren’t the obvious like “Google Maps” that I have come to love.

 

Are you tired of cooking the same meals over and over? The Allrecipe app has endless ideas presented in a unique fashion. Pick your ingredient (chicken, beef, pasta, etc.), what type of dish you are making (main meal, side, soup, etc.), and finally how much time you have to cook the meal. The app will then generate a list of recipes that fit your criteria. What makes this app great not only the seemingly endless lists but the recipes are rated 1-5 stars by other app users. You can also leave comments on the recipe, so if you change an ingredient, find a healthier alternative, or have any kind of improvement to make you can leave feedback.  Every recipe is constantly being tweaked in kitchens around the world and is available at your fingertips.

This one is fairly main stream obviously, but there are some features on the Amazon app that I don’t think many people don’t know about. Buying pretty much anything has never been easier. You can load your shipping address, credit card information, and purchases can be made at the touch of a single button. Convenience is nice but what makes this app really helpful is the bar code scanning feature. I HATE TO PAY MORE THAN I HAVE TO! If I’m out shopping for an item such as parts for my aquarium or electronics and I find something I want, I can scan the bar code of the item and quickly compare the store price with the price on Amazon. Last week I found a UV light that I needed for the aquarium that was priced at $160 in the store. I scanned the bar code, $89 on Amazon. I had it ordered, paid for, and shipped before I left the store; all at the touch of a button.

I'm certainly not a real estate savvy type of person but I have found the Realtor.com app to be informative and a little addicting. Have you ever been in a nice area and wondered what the houses in that neighborhood go for? You can find out in an instant just by opening the app. It can use your current location to search for the nearest homes for sale. This is also useful for keeping tabs on the real estate value of the homes in your own neighborhood. With the current market fluctuating as much as it is, it's a good idea to keep tabs on your investment. It still has the standard search features like any other real estate site would for searching different areas but also adds one more feature. You can also circle an area on the map and look for houses just in that area; just one more way to cut down on the areas you don't want.

These are just a few of the really great apps out there that even your mom could appreciate regardless of what she thinks of your angry birds. Hope you find them as helpful as I do.