Apps to Help Busy Mums
Time, Money, Lifestyle, Productivity; wouldn’t it be nice to be able to easily improve these areas.
Imagine having a little more time, a bit of extra money, a better lifestyle and be more productive by increasing your brain power.
Well now you can, and I promise it is easy.
Here are my tried and tested apps to help better each of these areas. They are hassle free and they work.
BEST TIME SAVING APP
Screentime: availability IOS and Android
Screentime helps your track the whole digital families screen usage, limit screen time and block apps. It also allows you to manage your children’s devices, filter the web, track location, and has a locking option for bedtime and other important activities.
The very clever creators of this app have considered our natural response system to ensure the apps save you time. Our brains are naturally wired to look for rewards and avoid consequence. You can reward your children with extra screen time when they complete activities such as chores and homework! Genius!
If you are like most mums, you feel constantly overwhelmed and busy. You are probably also on your phone… a lot (I have my hand up in absolute ownership here).
I recently had to go without a phone for two weeks and it scared me how much I missed it. I realised that I was on it ALL the time. A glance here, a Facebook scroll there. I was wasting hours every day, mindlessly scrolling, searching and saving for later.
I also struggle to keep my kids away from their devices and cringe at some of the things that they occupy themselves with on their devices.
Screentime allows you a basic free subscription that includes all the reports you need to monitor your families screen usage. If you need the premium controls and options, you can then upgrade for $4.99 a month (a small price to pay for receiving hours back a week and time with your family).
BEST MONEY SAVING APP
Raiz: availability IOS and Android
Raiz is a simple savings and investment app that replaces the good old change jar (considering we don’t deal with tangible money all that often anymore). Only Raiz takes it one step further and invests your change for you.
Raiz links to your bank accounts and deposits the “round ups” to the nearest dollar from your purchases and invests them into a portfolio for you.
For Example; You buy a cuppa with your pay pass that totals $4.20, it rounds up to $5 and the extra 80 cents goes into your portfolio!
You also have the option to deposit extra funds if you wish.
For those of you who are a little wary of apps linking to your accounts, it is Government approved and your funds are insured against crime so you can put your mind at ease.
You get to choose the level of risk you would like to take with your investments and you can change this at any time. The best thing is that you don’t have to know anything about investment portfolios (let’s face it, navigating that can feel like learning to fly a space rocket), it is all managed for you. You can save money and have the potential to make money in a portfolio without even looking at it.
I managed to slot away and make over $400 with this handy little investment tool. My partner saved and made thousands in a few years…without even realizing it!
There is also a ‘kick back’ system; So every time you talk about how great the app is to your friends, send them the link to join and you will be rewarded with $2.50 when they sign up!
BEST LIFESTYLE APP
Mealime: availability IOS and Android
Deciding what to cook for a family takes up so much of our mental space. If we don’t have time or don’t feel like it, we will often spend money on take out (and it isn’t always healthy).
So consider Mealime as a time, money and brain power saving app that plans meals for your family.
The recipes are designed to be made in about 30 minutes (I find they take up to 45 minutes).
This app couldn’t be easier to use if you tried. All you have to do is:
- Put in your food preferences, allergies and restrictions
- Select a weeks’ worth of meals from the choices provided
- Download the shopping list
- Follow the instructions
Many meal planning apps that I have used in the past have ingredients that may be difficult to find. The ingredients in Mealime are often simple and you will find many of them already tucked away in your fridge and pantry.
Mealime is a free app with the option to upgrade for $5.99 month / $49.99 year, but you will probably find that you don’t need it. Although, once again, a small price to pay when you are rewarded with time, money and brain power!
Abbey McKenna
Chaotically organised, energetically tired, beautifully dishevelled, erratically in control mother of 5 children and a rescue dog. Abbey is the Chief Editor for The Parenting Co a teacher, visible learning coach, environmental rehabilitation business owner and NLP practitioner; but her claim to fame is having the best taste in music and the hippest Mom dance moves you have ever seen.
