Article originally published at Jo, My Gosh!
I use my phone incessantly. Sometimes too much. But my life is on my phone– both work and social– so it’s hard to give it up. Instead, I’ve tried to use my phone to simplify and enrich my life, rather than letting it become a huge time suck.
I know I’m not alone. Military spouses are often chained to their phones, and with good reason. Here are ten amazing apps to help with some of the unique challenges we face:
Ibotta
Ibotta is a money-saving app that gives you rebates on select products that rotate on a weekly or monthly basis in various stores. And guess what? In addition to regular grocery stores, Ibotta also offers rebates for the Commissary. (By the way, Ibotta isn’t just for groceries anymore. They’ve branched out to clothes, movies and entertainment, arts and crafts… There’s a real potential for earning back some of your money!) You can use Ibotta on top of your couponing and loyalty card discounts. Yay, saving money!
Goal Tracker
Log and keep track of all of your goals in one place. That’s it. And it’s really helpful if you’re someone (like me) who likes to check things off your to-do list or needs a bit more structure in your day.
Base Directory
This app calls up important information about any military base, including Space A information. Useful– especially if you’re PCSing or are only on base for a short time and need to find services.
USAA
I have to be very honest: I don’t mix my finances with my phone. I know that a lot of people do, however, and if you do– you’ll want to check out the USAA app. It’s for USAA members (and if you’re not a member, you should be. They have a ton of fantastic products and services!) and brings banking directly to your phone.
Sesame Street for Military Families
Sesame Street has produced an app (as well as other resources) for military families and kids dealing with the tough issues that come with this lifestyle. The app includes all of Sesame Street’s resources including articles, videos, and storybooks.
BrightNest
BrightNest puts home maintenance information all in one place. It will even send you reminders when you need to do certain tasks to take care of your home– so it’s especially perfect if you’re now taking care of the house when your deployed partner usually did that.
Know Your Stuff
Perfect for PCSing, this app gives you the ability to log all of your possessions by room and type. You can also store pictures and password protect all of it– so you know exactly where everything should be and what it was before it went into the moving truck.
My Military Life
Created by the National Military Family Association, My Military Life offers expert and community advice based on different life events. Easily call up resources and information and offer advice to other community members (or ask questions yourself).
Army Wife Network
I’m not an Army wife, but I still love AWN. They have a great radio show (every Monday night at 8 PM) as well as a website full of information and camaraderie. The Army Wife Network app extends their reach so you have those resources at your fingertips.
Breathe2Relax
If you find yourself needing to be intentional about relaxing, you’ll want to check out Breathe2Relax which offers breathing exercises, resources, and techniques to help you control your anxiety and worry.
What apps help you out? I’m always looking for new apps that can make my life better!