Appiness is shopping made easy

New apps help you buy and budget. As the amount of smart-phones in circulation increases, apps are becoming a way of life, rather than just entertainment.

They are designed to make everyday things like grocery shopping a lot easier, and can also help with more serious issues such as keeping your health in check.

As the festive season approaches, managing our money and waistlines will prove more challenging. Here are a few apps to help you along your way.

SHOPPING BASKET

This app allows you to manage your multiple shopping lists and you choose how to organise them.

You start off by entering your list according to which store you want to buy from, and then enter the prices. This is probably the most tedious part but once you've entered all the data, the process becomes easier.

The best part is you can sort the products into different categories so that when you look at the purchase history you will be able to analyse your buying habits and see where you spend most of your money every month.

Shopping Basket also calculates what you need on your list and keeps a running total. It allows you to cancel items as well , which can be helpful when trying to manage a budget or deciding which products you can live without.

Once you have entered your requirements, they are automatically entered on your list for the next shopping date.

The app is available on Android and can also be downloaded from the Vodacom app store for free.

The next time you go shopping, just enter items as you put them into your basket. This way you eliminate the need to go through slips and calculate your total spending as you go from shop to shop, because the app does it all for you.

The only downside is that the currency is denoted in euros, because the makers are European. However, the app does not apply an exchange rate so the prices you enter are unaffected - making it a useful shopping tool.

ALL THE COOKS APP

This is a quick and easy way to find recipes with ingredients you already have on hand. It is also a social type of app, where people can follow you and you can follow other users. It allows you to share recipes and ideas and has forums where people can participate in debates and discussions. This app is available on Android.

INSTANT HEART RATE

This app is available on Android but there is a version available on the iPhone. It tracks your heart rate through your fingers. When you've entered the app on your phone, you place a finger over the camera lens and the app tells you how many beats a minute your heart is doing. Fitness fundis will enjoy Instant Heart Rate, but it is also useful to watch for any potential health issues. The average resting heartbeat for an adult is 60-100 beats a minute; a heartbeat that is too high or too low may have health implications. This app also has a time line to help analyse any irregular patterns.

CALORIE COUNTER

It can be tricky to enjoy the food that comes with the festive season while trying to maintain your beach body. Use Calorie Counter to help you keep track of what you eat this summer.

Available on BlackBerry, Android and iPhone, this app was initially developed by Australian company FatSecret, but does provide information on South African food.

As you pick food from restaurant menus and supermarkets, Calorie Counter provides you with the nutritional information of each portion .

This app also enables you to keep a food diary to plan and keep track of what you're eating, as well as a journal to record your progress. A great way to keep your weight in check.