Here’s another terrible feeling: You are rushing down the freeway to make it to work on time in the morning, when you see the sea of red lights in front of you stretching for miles and miles. You wonder why you didn’t take the back streets today.

Below is list of some useful apps for your smartphone to help you battle traffic and the parking meter. With these helpful apps for your phone, you can now save yourself time and money, and also keep your peace of mind to go along with them.

Traffic Reports Apps

One common thing that is popping up more and more across American roadways are photo camera speed traps. Avoid those easily with the Trapster app. It shows you the traffic conditions on the road ahead.

Another great app is TripIt, which lets you plan out your trip before hand and shows you the road blockages. This app also lets you organize hotel reservations if you are planning a trip which is very helpful.

One other nice app in the market today is the Inrix app which lets you see real time stats on the traffic conditions in your area.

Parking Apps

One of the best ways to avoid getting a parking ticket is with the extremely helpful app called Parking Mate. This free app lets you set the meter timer with a single swipe of your finger and also allows you to set a GPS marker to help you find your car if you are not familiar with the area you are in.

Another great app to use when you have a meter running is the Pocket Parking Meter, which cost 99 cents. It allows you to input the time you have on the meter so you never have to worry about a meter maid.

Cheap Gas Apps

Everyone wants to save money on gas and with the Gas Buddy app for your phone you can do just that. This lets you search for cheap gas by zip code or if you have GPS enabled on your car you can just search by the location you are at currently.

Another great app is the Car Data Manager which lets you track the miles you are putting on your car and how much gas you actually are using to help monitor gas usage.

If you are a “green” type of person running on electric and other fuel sources, you can use the Green Fuel app. With the Green Fuel app, you can search for alternative fuel. It gives you detailed maps to guide you to your destination.

These are my favourite iPhone apps, because they work really well around my lifestyle as a busy Mom.  All of them will save you having to buy a physical equivalent - which is great for those of us watching the pennies!

White Noise: If you have an infant, who refuses to go to sleep, this might just be what you need. It has sounds of the Ocean waves, rain, train tract, fan, thunder storm, chirping crickets. Seth is almost 3, and he loves to fall asleep to the ocean waves crashing on the beach sound.

TMZ: TMZ? Yes. I never spend money buying magazines. Anytime I wait in a line at the grocery store, I just flip through the magazines to get a quick snapshot of the latest celebrity gossips. I still enjoy flipping through the magazines, but TMZ app is just as good. TMZ’s style is different and blunt the way they deliver the celebrity news, which I enjoy.

Flashlight: We may not all carry a flashlight in our purse, but we rarely go anywhere without our phone. It fills the screen with bright light to illuminate your surrounding in a dark spot. It’s nice to have any extra safety assurance, when we’re with our kids.

Amazon: You’ve been needing to shop for a new stroller or the latest Xbox game for your teen, but haven’t had the time to even shop online. Well here’s your answer, just shop, read reviews, check order status, while waiting to pick up your kid from school or at the doctors. There is a new feature Amazon Remembers, that allows you to take pictures of products you see which you would like to buy, and will even find you similar products on the web. Pretty nifty.

To Do’s: Well we all have one or several of these. Heck at times I feel like my mind is in a constant to do list rotation! The app is a great way to manage your to do list. The color codes makes it easy to prioritize your tasks according to importance, and you can edit too.

Web MD: You’re at a park, and your kid develops some unusual rash. If you want to quickly check what it might be, you can check the symptoms, and what to do next, right on your phone. It’s also good to get some quick first aid information, while you’re waiting on the emergency service.

All Recipes: It may not have all the recipes, but they’re continuously updating. It’s nice to have access to some great time saving recipes right on the palm of your hands.

Mapquest: Thanks to Mapquest, I’ve survived driving and finding places without a navigation system. Even before I had iPhone, I would just print out the directions from Mapquest. Now the same feature is available as an app, if you are really used to Mapquest. Although iPhone comes with Google map already.

Wikipedia: Do you have a very curious preschooler, who asks more questions than you have answers for; well just search for it in Wikipedia, better than Google! It’s a great opportunity for both you and your kid to learn.

YouTube: This comes with the phone. This app was part of potty training for Seth. I used it as an incentive for my toddler to sit in the potty, as I’d put some Thomas the Tank Engine or Madagascar clip from YouTube. It worked great, as long as the clip was playing, he’d sit on the potty!

What are some of your favorite Mommy iPhone apps?

1) Tell yourself that the expense is well worth it in. The value of all that entertainment and utility is just something you can’t put a price on.

2) Get proactive and prove the expense was worth it. Use your new iPhone to save money and get back what you spent by saving on fees, interest rates, and financial missteps in all other areas of your life.

If you’re of the latter inclination, here are the 5 best iPhone apps for managing your money.

Mint.com Personal Finance from Mint.com (free): Sign up at Mint.com, and get their iPhone app free; or, just download it from the App Store. Mint corrals all your every-day money management accounts in one app: bank accounts, home and car loans, credit cards, IRAs, you name it. It doesn’t just track them; it keeps your pass-codes so you can make payments or transfers. You can also use it for budgeting. No word on a spousal control feature; the technology’s just not there yet. But for everything else, Mint’s got your everyday finances covered.

Bloomberg Mobile by Bloomberg (free): Apple gave us a “Stocks” app with the operating system. They also gave us Macpaint, but someone invented Photoshop anyway. Now the big boys are here. Basically, this is a Bloomberg terminal in your iPhone. Financial news, stock tracking, Bloomberg’s world-renowned analysis, laggers, leaders–pretty much everything a stock market app needs to be a market junkie’s first click in the morning and the last one before bed.

PayPal from Paypal.com (free): Whereas Mint’s function is to get all your financial pass-codes in your phone and manage financial accounts from there, PayPal’s mission is the same as its website’s: just turn the money into ones and zeroes and buy things electronically. The PayPal app gives you mobile access to your PayPal account. It’s a handy way to always have an electronic wallet with you for online and (occasionally) on-site purchases. But get on board now; it’s only a matter of time before the PayPal logo shows up on the door of your local pizza joint.

Billminder by return-7 LLC ($0.99): Finance 101: pay things on time, and you don’t pay late fees. This is basic stuff, and Billminder is a basic app. It keeps a bill calendar, tracks the amount of the various bills you owe each month, remembers which ones you have paid and have not paid, and gives you alerts. Exports to Excel, works with Pocketmoney, blah blah blah. Bottom line: you forget. It doesn’t.

Pocket Money by Catamount ($4.99): This is like Mint, but without the connectivity. That means without pass-codes, and therefore without the nagging suspicion that some kid might get tired of hacking a HALO knockoff and take out a second mortgage on your condo instead. Track your accounts, visualize at a glance where you’re blowing the family budget, all from the privacy of your own phone. Never really trusted e-money? Pocket Money keeps track of all your financial information, then hoards it.

Poke around the web or the App Store if you have a special need. Want to locate ATMs or figure out the tip at dinner? Those apps are legion. Certain banks like Bank of America offer company-specific apps as well. But treat yourself to some of the best of the breed, above. Your balance will thank you.

2. BooYAH! MyTown - BooYAH! is a social web and mobile entertainment company that has taken a game-based approach to mobile marketing. Their app, BooYAH! MyTown, is a location-based social gaming platform with more than 2.8 million users in the United States. MyTown enables players to check in to real places, buy virtual properties, and collect rent. MyTown’s product check-in allows players to scan barcodes of real-world products using the iPhones camera and unlock points and earn virtual MyTown items. BooYAH! MyTown’s is geared toward a young, wired user with its integration of music and social media channels, making it a dynamic platform for youth-oriented retailers that are looking for ways to weave their brands into the app. Brands can also create real-life scavenger hunts to increase brand discovery and engagement. BooYAH!’s MyTown is currently available exclusively for iPhone and iPod touch users.

3. eBay Mobile (RedLaser and Milo.com)- eBay has become one of the biggest players in the mobile shopping space, and the company’s global mobile sales exceeded $2 billion in 2010. eBay made several key acquisitions in the last couple of years that includes Critical Path Software, a leading mobile application developer, and RedLaser, a mobile barcode scanning application. They recently purchased Milo.com, which provides real-time product inventory. eBay has combined Milo’s local shopping results with RedLaser’s barcode-scanning capabilities into a single application for both iPhone and Android-based smartphones. With the integration of Milo, shoppers using RedLaser can immediately find out, through a single scan, which nearby retailers currently have a product in stock and who has the best local price. The combination of RedLaser and Milo provide shoppers with instant comparison-shopping on the go. eBay’s RedLaser app is available for free download in the iTunes App Store and Android Market. Milo local shopping results are available immediately in both the iPhone and Android versions and online at Milo.com. The RedLaser Software Development Kit (SDK), which is already being used by more than 100 third-party iPhone developers and select retailers, will soon be available for the Android platform.

4. Google Shopper - Google’s Shopper app enables users to use their smartphone’s camera to locate product information. The app is capable of recognizing books, CDs, DVDs, and video game packaging and can also scan product barcodes to access Google’s product database. The app also has voice recognition that allows users to speak the name of the product they’re looking for. Google’s Shopper app stores a user’s history directly on a user’s phone so product and price information are always available even if there’s no cell service available. The app includes a browser that lets users visit a retailer’s website and find the nearest location, and it includes social media access to Facebook, Twitter, GMail, and instant messaging. Google’s Shopper app is available for Apple’s iPhone and Android-based smartphones.

5. JiWire Compass - JiWire Compass is a location-based mobile advertising platform that combines real-time product information and availability with additional services such as a Concierge service that enables users to find the location of the nearest retailer and reserve a product for pick-up. JiWire’s platform lets advertisers identify and deliver ads to audience segments based on a person’s physical location while taking the venue type and brand into account. The Compass platform also allows retailers to integrate their product catalogues. Compass currently provides more than 3 million unique products across the U.S. from over 200,000 retailers and product manufacturers. Compass is currently available for Apple’s iPhone and iPad platform.

6. Placecast - Placecast’s ShopAlerts is an opt-in, location-based mobile marketing solution that delivers targeted information customized for each user based on their location, time, and user preferences. Placecast’s services helps retailers by expanding their reach and increasing local foot traffic to physical stores. ShopAlerts is offered as a white-label mobile marketing solution that allows retailers to create custom-branded apps that connect with their customers via SMS messages and through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Once a user’s ShopAlerts is activated, the service automatically alerts customers about a brand’s local sales, special events, or other relevant information based on their location.

7. Point Inside - Point Inside provides indoor destination maps for major malls and airports across the United States and Canada. Point Inside’s maps lets users quickly find stores, gates, kiosks, restrooms, elevators, escalators, and other guest services in more than 800 malls and airports. The app is available for Apple’s iPhone and Android-based smartphones. Point Inside’s app enables retailers to drive additional foot traffic by providing special offers and discounts along with location information.

8. Shopkick - Shopkick’s mobile app is available for Apple’s iPhone and Android-based devices and provides consumers with rewards and offers simply for walking into stores, for scanning products, and for signing up their friends. Shopkick’s concept combines social media sharing with on-the spot location-based rewards that help retailers build buzz and customer loyalty. Shopkick users collect “kickbucks” and bonus offers by checking in at participating retailers and by scanning product barcodes at major US retailers that include Macy’s, Crate & Barrel, American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Target, Simon Malls, Wet Seal, and The Sports Authority. Shopkick users can even donate their kickbucks reward points to charitable causes.

9. Sundrop Mobile’s Reward Card Wallet - Sundrop Mobile’s Reward Card Wallet enables consumers to store loyalty cards information on their Apple iPhone or Android-based mobile device. Sundrop Mobile’s services include push notification that can increase foot traffic to participating retailers with the ability to broadcast special offers and deals to customers via SMS when they are nearby. Reward Card Wallet is location-aware and allows the consumer to check for deals near their location, which feature deals from merchants as well as Groupon, Living Social, and other services.

When consumers download Reward Card Wallet their existing loyalty memberships automatically appears in the application as part of their registration process. Adding additional loyalty cards such as grocery, convenience, motor club, etc. is easily accomplished using a smartphone’s barcode scanner. When users make their next store visit, they simply show their phone’s screen to a cashier. The cashier can then scan the on-screen barcode representation of their plastic loyalty card. Reward Card Wallet frees consumers from having to carry multiple reward cards and helps retailers to increase participation and effectiveness of loyalty card programs.

10. WHERE Deal Alerts - WHERE Deal Alerts is an opt-in, location-based mobile marketing solution that delivers personalized alerts for coupons and discount offers to a users’ phone based on their preferences and location. Customers that opt-in to WHERE’s service can set up a user profile that enables the service to send automated Deal Alerts via text message. Consumers simply select proximity, day of week, time of day, and content categories such as restaurants and shopping, and WHERE will automatically send coupons via SMS based on preferences. WHERE’s services helps more than 4 million mobile users discover, save, and share local places on their mobile device by recommending the most relevant content and integrating money-saving special offers from local merchants.

• HoursTracker - allows you to track the billable and non-billable hours that you spend working on projects. Once you complete your projects, you can review the information and determine whether you are charging enough or utilizing too many resources. Without knowing this information, it is difficult to make the necessary changes to increase your profit.
• VehiCal - allows you to record your business mileage and gas expenses. This is a great app to use for income tax purposes. Best of all, you can email this information to yourself and your accountant in HTML or text format. Doesn’t this beat the mileage booklet that you usually keep in your glove compartment to record your business mileage?
• USPS Mobile - allows you to find a post office location regardless of your location. How many times have you needed to find a post office in an unfamiliar area of town? With this app, this problem is a thing of the past.

These are just a few of my top iPhone apps that will benefit you and your small business. Also, keep in mind that you may have to upgrade to the paid versions once you reached the limit on some of the free ones but at least you will have enough information to make an informed decision.

What is Up With Google Apps?

Google Apps is a collection of web-based business productivity applications. The collective grouping of these individual tools essentially make it quite similar to the Microsoft Office software suite. However, unlike Office and traditional software suites that are installed and stored on a local drive, these applications are hosted exclusively in the cloud, a revolutionary computing model that enables data and software to be accessed online. Because of this structure, Google Apps is able to facilitate access and collaboration more efficiently than Microsoft Office and other traditional software suites. In fact, this dynamic set of apps allows your small business team to share and work on the same documents or projects from just about any location in the world with web-based access.

Saving Money with Google Apps

If you are not familiar with Google Apps reputation as a cost cutting machine, let us explain how it can help your business save money and boost productivity. In simple terms, it allows small businesses to pay a minimal annual fee in exchange for the ability to upload, share and collaborate with a variety of documents, including forms, presentations, spreadsheets and even traditional word documents. These documents cannot only be shared, but also backed up online, providing professionals with instant access to their data even if their local hard drive is corrupted, infected or damaged in any other way. More small businesses are ditching Microsoft Office and similar solutions in favor of Google Apps because of its significant cost savings.

No Expense Investment on Infrastructure

Running a Microsoft Exchange Server in-house can be a very costly venture, particularly for small businesses working on a tight budget. Not only must you purchase the software, but also have IT personnel capable of keeping the system up and running. With Google Apps, there is no expensive hardware or software to buy. Google maintains the server hardware, the software, and all the technical aspects. Taking this outsourced approach to your software infrastructure allows you to focus on the critical aspects of your business while saving money at the same time. Not only that, you are assured a 99.9% uptime guarantee and the backing of Google’s world-class infrastructure.

Perfect for the Small Fish

Google Apps is the ultimate productivity tool for small companies, providing a way for the little guy to operate like the big brands with long corporate dollars. In fact, it is estimated that this software suite is up to 70% less expensive than running a Microsoft Exchange Server internally or through a hosted service. By making a small investment in Google Apps, you can dramatically reduce the time required to manage vital IT tasks and devote your attention to what is most important, running your business.

While many people have discovered that the iPhone is a fantastic device for entertainment and fun, others will tell you they can’t live without its ability to save them money.

Of course, there are a whole host of options available for those who want software allowing them to put in their monthly income and expenses. In fact these budgeting apps are now so popular that you should easily be able to find one that suits you. If, on the other hand, you are looking for something free that saves you money more directly, there are all sorts of options available – here are just five you might want to check out.

Local Sale Finder

Everyone loves a bargain, and Local Sale Finder costs nothing to download to your mobile phone and provides vouchers and discounts you can use for all sorts of things. Whether it’s eating out at restaurants, shopping for clothes, health and beauty products, travel and accommodation or services and tradesman, this little app has you covered.

Vouchercloud

In a similar way, Vouchercloud Mobile Vouchers download directly to your iPhone and use GPS technology to provide you with offers that are nearby. It might be that you’re out and about and need to find somewhere to eat, simply open up Google Maps and locate the eateries nearby that have special offers.

0870

While one way to save money on calls is to download Skype and talk to friends that way, what do you do when you have to call one of those troublesome 0870 numbers that can really eat into your phone bill? Well, as part of the say ‘Say No To 0870′ campaign, you can now download an app for your iPhone that lets you find an alternative telephone number to call.

Grocery IQ

You may have used your budgeting app to make sure you have enough money left ion your account to pay for food and drink, but how do you make sure you don’t overspend when you actually get to the supermarket? GroceryIQ lets you make grocery lists that can be synchronised with others (housemates, family members etc) so you don’t buy the same things.

RedLaser

If you like the idea of being able to check the prices of much more than just milk and eggs though, you may want to check out RedLaser. This app effectively turns your iPhone 4 into a barcode scanner that lets you compare products online to make sure you are getting the very best deal.

The first man to have a phone in his car was Lars Ericsson. He would keep a regular phone in his car and attach it to phone wires when he wanted to make a call. In Europe in 1926, luxury trains going from Hamburg to Berlin had a type of radio mobile phone installed for use by its customers, with the help of trained operators. Even this early in our history, people tried to communicate while being mobile.

In the 1950′s, real people began to use radio telephony mobile phones, and they were able to dial directly without the use of an operator. In 1956, the Ericsson Company built the first commercial mobile telephone system for Sweden. There was no operator needed, but with the phone set weighing in at nearly ninety pounds, it was a bit of a burden to haul around. Prince Philip of the United Kingdom had the first personal mobile phone built into the trunk of his Aston Martin back in 1957.

The handset weight was reduced to half of its original size in 1965. It was not until 1973, however, that researchers from Bell Labs had the very first mobile phone conversation on a Motorola mobile phone. Finally, in the 1990′s, Finland developed one of the first networks which used digital circuits and was able to increase signal strength between the phones and the networks.

Cell phones became more appealing for personal use as they were built in smaller sizes. Cell phone companies were able to increase their services and building more towers with greater capabilities. In addition, cell phones were given the ability to communicate with the internet, making it possible for them to get information and communicate through new mobile applications.

In addition to the cell phone evolution, laptop computers and notebook tablets are also products that have been able to tap into newer and faster means of communication and information. Again, the applications that once were only available on a wired personal computer are now available through wireless networking. While mobile technology used to be the exception, it is now the expected.

Mobile applications are as varied as one can imagine. Currently, Apple has over 85,000 applications available, while Windows Mobile has over 18,000 applications. There were over 2.5 billion applications sold by Apple in 2009 alone. By the year 2013, the number of applications available is expected to quadruple.

Those who are not interested in technology for one reason or another are confused as to why so many people are interested in their mobile devices and the many applications that are available. Creating less distance between people, businesses, employers and even countries, mobile technology has made the world a smaller place. Having the ability to perform so many tasks, from playing games to banking, with one simple device has become a way of life for most people and it looks as though the trend is going to continue.

Some mobile applications are for personal interest, such as games, music players, social networking and shopping. Other applications are for communication purposes – email, instant messaging, and image viewing. Many applications are for information, such as maps, GPS, the weather, financial updates, searches and web browsers. Due to these applications, people are able to communicate and have both personal and business relationships with people all over the world.

People of all ages and stages of life are tapping into the ability of mobile applications by doing their banking online, staying in touch with friends and family through emails and pictures, shopping for clothes and other items, and communicating with their employers and employees. People waiting for the mail to be delivered is becoming a thing of the past. The turn-around rate increases at an amazing speed when emails and documents are received through a mobile device.

More applications are being developed every day, regardless of what skeptics try to believe about the mobile age. Due to the increasing number of devices and applications, some companies are even working to integrate them, making it easier for people to use various mobile devices with more applications. The more people learn how to make these apps work for them, in their everyday life, the less chances there will be of ever turning back the clock.

High-speed mobile networking is the newest advancement in mobile technology. This is only increasing mobile speed and the ability to get more work done, at a faster rate. Technology can’t move fast enough for what people hope for in their mobile devices. The faster the better; the more efficient and helpful the application, the happier people are. The mobile application era will continue to expand, giving people more mobile options and showing them the advantages of communicating and working in a mobile society.

The pure power and functionality of these Android apps can really make shopping virtually an all new experience. No matter if these apps function as a shopping list, database, storefront or a supplemental knowledge source, they’re all squarely aimed at one thing: if you use them, they will save you money!

You’re getting a feeling like Android shopping apps, in general, might just help you, right? Well here are 10 Android apps that will save you money while they help you fulfill all your shopping needs and desires. Oh and did I mention that all these ten are completely FREE to download?

SnapTell

Want to know more about an item you saw on the rack? Just use SnapTell to scan the barcode of any CD, DVD, book or video game and you will be able to get all the information you could possibly need. What type of information? Well, if you just want some more cursory information, that’ll work. Most notably, if you want to see how the price stacks up to other distributors, it can do that for you in seconds. This app could be a big time money-saver for you if you take the time to use it before you make that next media purchase!

Key Ring Reward Cards

This is a very handy app to consolidate all your clutter in your purse/wallet while ensuring that you don’t lose valuable reward/loyalty cards. How does it work? All you do is take a snapshot of the barcode of your reward card (just about any decent sized company with a rewards program is in the database- over 650 programs) and enter some basic information about the store. That’s it; you’re now ready to use your phone as your reward card at that store in the future by pulling up your reward information from that store on this Android app. It’s probably not for non-techies or those who crave extreme simplicity. It is, however, a great idea and technology that will no doubt get crisper in the future.

If you don’t mind carrying all your reward cards and potentially losing one or two along the way (and having to suffer through the wait to replace the card), this free Android app sounds like a waste of time. But, if the extra inch of not-so-soft plastic padding for your rump (or the misuse of perfectly good purse space- not to mention the potential inability to use your chic tiny purse out shopping) isn’t idyllic, this app is worth the few minutes to download and get everything set up properly.

OurGroceries

This is the perfect app for the happy, busy family of Android phone users. It allows the kids to endlessly add all their necessary foods. When the items are purchased, they can be removed from the list (on all the Android phones it’s registered to) and then, 4 hours later, they can easily be added back onto the list! Joking aside, this is a great app to have for the new-age hyper busy, hyper tech families that want to become more efficient.

Hey, it costs a lot of money to keep purchasing that extra loaf of bread that your husband/wife (or even you- thanks to that undecided hmmm, don’t we need bread moment even though you just bought two loaves yesterday- yes you’re not alone!) just picked up and will end up turning green before anyone has a chance to make a sandwich with it.

OI Shopping list

To me, this app, fully named the OpenIntents Shopping list, is like the OurGroceries for the single folks out there. Not to say a family wouldn’t benefit from this app, it just has more features and it’s not a perfect fit like the other app is for families that need a simple solution to keep up on their latest shopping needs. That being said, this app is a powerful workhorse and can really end up saving you countless hours and some decent cash at year’s end.

US Yellow Pages Search

This is one of the more useful free Android apps available and I’ll be honest, it doesn’t 100% fit with the theme of helping you save money while shopping. I could argue that it does, but for simplicity, I’ll just use an old clich: Time is Money! Saving some time is just as good as saving cash on those busy days out and about. Having this app on your Android phone is like having 300 super-thick Yellowbooks from all over the US crammed into your back pocket. Not a bad thing if you travel a decent amount or enjoy living outside of your house. It’s just a great resource to have on hand for those times when you need to find a business’s number fast.

eBay

This official app brings eBay to your Android phone. It’s kind of crazy, but I think I like this UI better than the actual website on my computer. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad. Nonetheless, it gives you an idea that this Android app was developed correctly and really hits the mark. That is, if you’re an eBay fan; if you’re not, sorry!

Amazon.com

Similar to eBay’s Android app, this beauty from Amazon brings all the functionality from the full-sized website to your Android phone. It’s amazing how seamless this transition appears for these giant resellers. This is a great thing for us though!

Craigslist

The last of the GIANT resellers’ Android apps on this list, I promise. Well, kind of: if you don’t include Groupon in your list of “resellers”, I haven’t lied to you. So, if you’ve ever used Craigslist, you know how utterly important it is to check out a potential “killer item” within 5 minutes of it being posted and subsequently be the first handful of people to contact the seller to have any hopes of actually ending up with it in your possession.

That being said, if you use Craigslist and you have an Android phone, YOU NEED THIS APP NOW! Haha, sorry to scream, but if you’re going to use this portal of goodness with the hopes of eventually buying something you want/need, you have to have instant access to newly posted items. The only way to do that (I’m taking liberties assuming you aren’t a recluse and on your home computer 24/7) is to have access “on-the-go” to instant notifications for your set of items that interest you and also a way to view them. This app performs both of these necessary actions and does them well.

*Please, for your sake, if you want to be the guy (gal) bragging about the awesome deal you got on the “coolest thing in the world” instead of the not-so-happy version of you regrettably telling the story about “the one that got away” to anyone who will listen, download this app!*

Groupon

This is the official app from the immensely popular and rapidly growing Groupon website. This site has a “cult-like” following (not in a bad way!) which actually benefits its users. Essentially, the more people that use their services, the more offers are presented to the users and that helps all of us save a good amount of money! This free Android app ensures that you’re never out of the “Groupon loop” and you’ll have the opportunity to take advantage of the appealing offers wherever you may be.

The Coupons App

Another money-saving coupon app? Yes! That’s all I can say- the prospects of saving a buck in this economy is a powerful force it seems. I’m almost a bit surprised at myself that I didn’t completely inundate this “shopping list” with coupon apps (patting myself on the shoulder for spreading out the love). If only I could go back in time to 1989 and use this app instead of clipping 500-plus coupons from the Sunday paper (for my mom). Well those were good times- minus the paper cuts.

What’s this Android app going to do for you? Anything and everything coupon related; it brings the coupons with you on your phone and allows you to find new ones even while you’re at the store! That’s pretty awesome for those of us not commanding “Top CEO” salaries…

Honorable Mention:

There’s only one free Android app that I would consider putting on this list. The reason is because it’s probably the most important app for everyone to download today. I consider it more of a “mandatory app” than an Android shopping app and that’s why it’s here.

The app I’m speaking of is the Barcode Scanner. Among other things, it allows you to browse the web on your computer and take a photo of the QR Code of an app you’re interested in downloading. Once the code is processed (which takes very little time- talking seconds), the corresponding Android app’s download page appears in the Google Marketplace! It’s that simple and works like a charm once you get past the short “operator error” stage that plagues most of us.