iPhone, youPhone: 6 ways to Smart-Phone

Amelita Galli-Curci on her smart phone

I feel silly admitting this, but my iPhone changed my life.  It's like the personal assistant I've never been able to afford.  From calendars, to everything-trackers, to coupons, to reminders, to books, to the sounds I wake up to in the morning, my iPhone does it all.

With a fancy phone, fancy case (OtterBox Defender--you can barely even tell there's an iPhone in there), and fancy phone plan, I've made a commitment to making my iPhone work for me since I have worked so hard to have it.

Following are a few free apps which have saved me a lovely amount of money and have made the larger phone payment worth it's weight in dollars.

Scout Mob
Scout Mob offers the same outrageous discounts that Groupon does, only you don't have to purchase the Scout Mob up front.  You merely show up, enjoy the offered goodies, and, upon check out, reveal your Scout Mob.  Scout Mob's target demographic is a little more narrow than Groupon's as well, which means they feature a lot of local eateries and boutiques as opposed to items that look as if they belong on an infomercial (Sorry, Groupon).

Shop Savvy
Shop Savvy is a sweet little app that can help you find the best deal on your groceries.  Simply scan the barcode with your camera.  This app will bring up the item in every store within your area, telling you the price and how far away the store is.  So far I've found Shop Savvy to be about 90% accurate.  This app is especially useful when purchasing large quantities of one item.

Drink Owl
I appreciate a good happy hour.  Drink Owl is a sweet little happy hour tracker.  Complete with map, you don't even need to search for the location of the restaurant because it is all wrapped up into one little app.  $5 drink and a $5 pizza?  I'm cool with that.

Push Pins
Let your iPhone coupon clip for you.  Simply scan the barcode of the items in your shopping cart with your iPhone camera and Push Pins will bring up all of the online coupons pertaining to that item.  Upon checkout you can show them to the cashier.

I Love Free Things
I love free things!  This app just keeps giving and giving.  I Love Free Things will stay abreast of the newest samplings and free offers and tell you how to get them.

Gas Buddy
Now, driving across town to get cheaper gas is counter-productive.  However, if I can drive 2 more blocks and find cheaper gas, then by all means, I'll drive 2 blocks to save a buck.  In addition, Gas Buddy awards a $250 gift certificate for gas to one person every week.