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10 Free Apps To Make Your Life (Or A Bad Blind Date) Easier

unrollmePhoto: Courtesy of unroll.me.
Introducing LadyBits, an ultra-cool collective of tech journalists who look at the world with smart, lady lenses. And since we're always in the market for the best stuff out there, we'll feature its know-how on the regular. This week, Chin Lu puts the spotlight on 10 free apps you need to know about, prepared especially for Refinery29.
2014 is just around the corner! Maybe you’re ready to make your New Year’s resolutions, but if you find yourself bogged by all that you’re trying to finish every day, here’s a list of the best free digital services to help you organize, save time, and make room for the important long-term goals in your life. These websites and mobile apps come in handy anywhere!
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1. Unroll.Me for the digital neat freaks
Let’s be honest — you don’t read half of the e-mail newsletters in your inbox, but you’re too lazy to go through each one to unsubscribe. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Unroll.Me scans your e-mail for subscriptions and allows you to remove yourself from multiple listserves at once. Ta-da, you just reduced the amount of virtual junk you receive.



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venmoPhoto: Courtesy of Venmo.

2. Venmo for the social butterfly
Having tons of friends is delightful until you have to tell the waiter to split the brunch bill ten ways. It is impossible to always have exact change in cash, and no one carries a checkbook anymore besides your classy grandma. Venmo is convenient for paying someone back, splitting a bill, and you can easily charge or pay more than one person at a time. Connect your Venmo with your bank account or debit card to receive or pay instantly. Unlike PayPal where you need to know someone’s e-mail address, you can Venmo someone through their name or registered phone number.

quizupPhoto: Courtesy of Quiz Up.

3. Quiz Up for the easily bored
I don’t always play games on my phone, but when I do, I prefer learning something simultaneously. Enter Quiz Up, the social trivia game. Topics range from classic literature and physics to Beyonce, so you don’t have to suffer through anything that isn’t interesting to you. Each match is quick, 70 seconds, so it fits into your busy schedule. Play with strangers from all around the world, or challenge your friends.

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mintPhoto: Courtesy of Mint.

4. Mint for all the honeys makin’ money
With all that shopping, it’s a good idea to look into personal finance management. Mint lets you create monthly spending budgets, track your student loans, set up savings goals, etc. And with its mobile app, you can record your cash expenses on the fly.

GoogleImagePhoto: Courtesy of Google.

5. Google Image Search for the amateur detective
Google Image Search is an amazing tool. If you haven't already learned from Catfish, upload or drag in an image file via the little camera icon, and the search engine will let you know where else the same photo has appeared online before. Copy and pasting the link to a picture works, too! This has many awesome uses such as tracking down a fabulous handbag with unknown designer. Or, for those of who date online, take your background safety check to the next level and see where else someone is prowling online before going out on a date.

wanloPhoto: Courtesy of Wanelo.

6. Wanelo for trendsetters
Wanelo is like Pinterest but for only purchasable items. The social, e-commerce site is fantastic for new product discovery and gift ideas, showing you what’s trending among other online shoppers, and you can even sort results by price level.

PocketPhoto: Courtesy of Pocket.

7. Pocket for the avid online reader
Pocket is a great bookmarking tool for articles. Found an inspiring article that you want to save for a second read? A friend sent you a lengthy report that you don’t currently have the time for? Pocket can download the content to your computer, your smartphones, and tablets, even without internet connection. Videos can be Pocket-ed for viewing at another time, too.

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iftttPhoto: Courtesy of ifttt.

8. IFTTT.com for the multitasker
If This Then That’s slogan is “Put the internet to work for you,” and we can’t agree more. The internet is overwhelming sometimes with all its possibilities — IFTTT takes all the most widely used digital tools like Gmail, Instagram, Twitter, etc. and make them work together across different platforms. Select from a list of pre-made “recipes” or create your own. Some of the most popular options are: “Backup my phone contacts on a Google Spreadsheet,” “send me a text if it’ll rain tomorrow,” “if I like a track on Soundcloud, download that track in Dropbox,” and, the amusing “text to escape”: Send #helpme to IFTTT and they’ll call with a recorded fake emergency message. Gotta have an exit strategy on your blind date!

PeriodTrackerPhoto: Courtesy of Period Tracker.

9. Period Tracker for monitoring your menstrual cycles
Sometimes it can feel like a second job trying to manage your menstrual cycles. Whether you’re trying to avoid pregnancies or conceive, P Tracker Lite is a mobile app that can lend you a hand. Once you enter in your personal records, the program will predict your next period, ovulation, and when you’re the most fertile. Become an expert on your own body by logging when you have sex and body temperature changes. Worried about privacy? The app can be password-protected and the app icon appears discretely as “P Tracker Lite” on your phone. It’s like having a secretary for your lady business!

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MobileDayPhoto: Courtesy of MobileDay.

10. Mobile Day for businesswomen on the go
When your cell phone is your work phone, the mobile app MobileDay can make attending meetings so much easier by syncing with your calendar invites. With one click, you can dial into conference calls automatically, send e-mails to let participants know if you’re running late, or get directions to your meeting place. No more fumbling around for the right phone numbers to call for directions at the last minute!


This post was authored by Chin Lu.

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