Life

You Need These Lifestyle Apps In Your Life

by Raven Ishak

The great thing about technology is that it can make life a lot easier. Although we still don't have flying cars exactly, we do have our trusty smartphones and some amazing phone apps to get us through life's everyday struggles. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without my phone and it's a little sad how important it is to me. IMHO, Instagram alone is a good enough reason to always have it by my side. I'm sure some people can relate to the feeling of being a bit attached to our technological sidekicks.

If you are like me, and you are constantly using your phone for the everyday little things, then you must always be looking for the latest and greatest apps that will simply make you life a little bit easier. Life is hard enough as it is, and I don't want to be scrambling through emails or losing notes when clearly a phone can organize all that for me. You essentially have a mini computer with you at all times, so why not take advantage of it by downloading a crazy amount of apps. Like I said, this makes sense somewhere. Let's take a step into the world of apps and see what are some of the coolest lifestyle apps that everyone needs in their life. Pronto. By the way, all of these apps are free. You are welcome.

1. Mint

If you've been meaning to get your financial life in order, then go ahead and download this app. Mint is kind of awesome — in more ways than one. It categorizes how you spend your money, it notifies you when a bill is due and it gives you limits on what you should spend each month based on how much you make.

2. NYT Now

Sometimes it's hard to stay current with the world, without taking the time to read up on the news. Instead, let the world come to you. With the NYTNow app, you are able to receive notifications based on the biggest news that is going on in the world. Plus, if you want to read more about it, you can just click on the notification and it will send you to the article.

3. Fooducate

This app is perfect if you are trying to eat healthy and you want to do it the right way. All you have to do is scan a product with a barcode, and Fooducate will educate you on how "healthy" that item really is. It does it off a letter grade system, like when you were in school. It also tells you exactly what the nutrition content it and it can also compare it to other items. It's pretty much the best grocery store app I've used. Granted, you should always eat whatever you want whenever you want, and shouldn't feel the need to only eat healthy food if that's not what makes you feel your best, but if you're trying to hit your daily vitamin and nutrient goals or are just confused about a certain item... this app's got your back.

4. MyFitnessPal

This app is amazing for a multiple of reasons. If you're like me and are constantly busy, this app is great for trying to make sure you are eating enough throughout the day (guilty!) and getting the right nutrients for your body. You can also track your exercise, which is great if you want to keep track of, say, how many miles you run in a week. You can sync it up with other exercise apps, too. It's the best workout buddy you thought you never had.

5. Venmo

Hello, lifesaver! I recently just discovered this app and I can't believe it's been missing from my life all this time. If you owe money to any of your friends all you need to do is go on the app (which is connected to your bank account), find your friend, and send the amount of money that you want. It's literally that simple. They will get a notification of when you sent it and that money will go directly to your friend's bank account.

6. Duolingo

If you always wanted to learn a new language but Rosetta Stone was just too damn expensive, then get Duolingo. It's the best thing since slice bread and it will help you learn as many languages you want. It basically like you are planning a game, where you have to match the images to the words and speak phrases into the mic. It's an overall easy winner for being free.

7. Evernote

Everyone praises this app, so it felt appropriate to add it to the list. If you are a super organized person, then this app is a dream come true. It locks in any notes you have ever taken and you can included images to give you a visual sense of what is going on in your work life. You can clip web articles and you can share everything with your coworkers. So easy and efficient it's crazy.

8. Shyp

If you ever wanted to ship something but didn't know what the cheapest option was or just didn't have the time to do it, Shyp is going to be your new best friend. Not only will it find you the cheapest option, but someone from the company will personally pick it up for you and ship it themselves. While there is a set fee, it's totally worth it when it's saving this much time from your hands. Plus, it tells you exactly where it is at all times.

9. Boomerang

This app is more for your desktop, but it will certainly work for your phone. If you have gmail, then you can download this app to save you from forgetting about unresponsive emails. It will "boomerang" your emails back to the top, so you can email that individual again. It's just really good if you can easily get lost in your own work.

10. Elevate

This is a game that is actually really good for your mind. It has multiple games you can play with that are all pertaining to a certain skill that you may be trying to improve on. It's basically a personal brain trainer app and it wants to pump you up!

See? Who said phones have to be a distraction?

Images: Pexels