Whether it’s cutting down your SMS bill or carrying around your own personal Wi-Fi hotspot, these apps will help you save some pennies.
Buying a smart phone capable of downloading a lot of fancy applications probably wasn’t the best move if things are now proving a little tight. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t save a bit of money here and there…
WhatsApp Messenger
The WhatsApp Messenger application enables users to send SMS-like messages with absolutely no cost. You simply pay for the app, which is a relatively very small price, and use it instead of sending a text.
Of course, your contacts have to be using WhatsApp too, but it’s become so popular over the last year that I guarantee at least a few of your closest friends will already have downloaded it.
It’s not just simple text messages that you can send either, you can also attach photo, video and audio for no extra price.
BitchBuzz app rating: 5/5, which is no surprise considering this is one of my all-time favourite apps. It’s certainly worth paying for and as more people use it, it becomes even more worthwhile. It’s particularly ideal for pay-as-you-go users or if very few SMS messages are included in your contract.
Available for around $0.99 (prices seems to vary depending on your device) for Blackberry, Android, Nokia and Apple devices.
MyWi
The MyWi application allows you to create a Wi-Fi hotspot out of your phone, or just tether it up directly to another device. Either way you get an Internet connection that isn’t perfect or particularly reliable, but does work when you’re on the move.
The only problem about this application is it’s a little pricey and only works with jail-broken iPhones and iPad devices, something I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing.
BitchBuzz app rating: 4/5 as the concept is great, but the quality seems to vary depending on which service provider you’re with. It’s also worth pointing out that if your phone isn’t already jail-broken it can be a bit of a pain.
Available for $19.99 for jail-broken Apple iPhone and iPad devices from the Cydia store.
Onavo
The concept behind the Onavo app sounds a little dull, but in actual fact could save you a lot of money. Basically it compresses your data usage, showing you which apps use the most, allowing you to double or triple your existing data plan.
This is particularly useful if you’re going abroad, as your data plan will probably cost you a bomb as you travel to a different country.
5/5 for being a very practical app that could save you a great deal of money in the long-run, particularly if you’re planning on travelling out of the country more than once in the next year.
Available for free for Apple devices.
0870
The 0870 app quite simply changes expensive telephone numbers that start with 0870, 0845 or 0800 into numbers that aren’t going to cost you the earth to call.
4/5 as it’s a great idea and according to online reports has saved users a lot of money. However, as you’d expect not every number is stored in the app, so there are bound to be one or two it doesn’t work with.
Available for $0.99 for Apple devices.
Images via the Apple store.
Becca Caddy is a BitchBuzz Tech columnist and freelance writer. She is also the UK editor of US-based tech blog Popgadget.net. You can follow her @beccacaddy or read her blog beccacaddy.com.