10 iPhone apps to get you through the Recession

With a global recession looming, us gadgeteers have to buckle-up and chop logic together on ways we can use our gadgets to help make it through financially tough times. Yes, your iPhone 3G was expensive but with a quick visit to our friendly Apple App store we can transform it from a mobile phone that occasionally plays music into an all-powerful Recession-bustin’ tool.

Here’s a list that I devised that could potentially save you tens of thousands of dollars if you follow the instructions attached to each app. Granted, some of the steps call for extreme measures (e.g. selling your house) but all apps have been enlisted with the ultimate goal of getting you through the recession unscathed - possibly even better off.

10 iPhone Recession Buster Apps:

1. Knot Guide: Let’s start off with the most outlandish - Sell your house and live in a tent. I warned you earlier about extreme measures right? The iPhone Knot Guide app will teach you all the different knots you need to know to keep your future tent in tact, clothesline from sagging and new alarm system / portable heater (dog) from running away to catch pesky vermin.

2. Budget: Boring right? Let’s face it, not many of us have or like budgets. They take diligence and persistence to maintain. But they do save us money if we follow them and plan accordingly. Not as hands on as the Knot Guide but a necessity when it comes to frugality.

3. iHandy Carpenter: Got to lumber skillz? Chill. Download and install the iHandy Carpenter which claims to be the lightest, prettiest and most handy carpenter tool kit in the world. Forget Ikea, just head down to your local scrap yard, find wood and start making furniture with iHandy Carpenter. It may not be as good as those in the shop, heck, it may even not be able to hold you up, but it’ll be your creation. Reach self-actualisation and save a bit in one hit!

4. Webcams: Although you’ll have some cash handy from the sale of your house and self-manufacturing  your own furniture, travelling to exotic places should be put off until the financial all-clear. You don’t have to miss out though. You can enjoy visions of foreign distant lands in the comfort of your snug tent with the Webcams app. Webcams displays up to 6 webcam images at the same time! I feel like going on a virtual holiday right now.

5. Flashlight: Find your way through the even darkest corners of your tent with the Flashlight app. It fills your screen with bright white light to illuminate your world. Select different colors with ease and it even has strobe light modes: Trippy, S.O.S., Emergency and Deep Trippy.

6. Guitar: Ok so no electricity means no TV. What’s one to do on barmy summer nights? Play the guitar of course! Now you can fulfill that childhood dream of learning to play an instrument with the Guitar app. More than a virtual fretboard, Guitar is an instrument optimized for performance. If only you could use this with the Flashlight app running in Deep Trippy mode…

7. iOweYou: There will be no better time to use other people’s money than in the upcoming months. Don’t be a crook. Keep track of your I.O.U’s with this simple utility app. Not only keep on top of money you owe but items too. Idea: borrow someone else’s iPhone for the guitar-party-light extravaganza?

8. Animal Farm Lite: I thought this was related to starting up your own animal farm, but turned out to be ‘non-competitive game that plays a sound and allows you to guess the correct animal. You can guess until you get the answer correct.’ It was also included in the list because of this statement in the app description ‘I spent a considerable amount of time choosing excellent photos of each animal.’ Sold!

9. WiFnder: Don’t think that you’ll find too many wireless routers around your camp site but can be handy when heading into town to buy your weekly supplies. Why use costly cell tower bandwidth when you can use free WiFi from generous citizens?

10. WritePad: What’s that saying? ‘The palest ink is better than the best memory’. Use the WritePad app to document your journey through the financial storm and then compile all your notes to make a book that makes it on the New York’s bestsellers list.  The beauty of this app is that it recognizes handwriting! Who said that technology had killed handwriting?

There you have it; my list of 10 iPhone apps that will get you through the Recession and more!

What would you add?