We shoot and save and edit. Mobile Photography allows us to skip the Photoshop lessons and manipulate our pics at will. (Oh the joys of one-touch filters & adjustable effects!)

But those nifty little apps that we love or crave or have yet to discover add up fast.  Especially those rat traps that lure you in only to snap off your fingers with all the little extra charges (smells suspiciously like a cheap hotel mini-bar).

A dollar here, two over there, and suddenly you are eating those microwave noodles (flavor packet my pituitary gland).  Enter my all-time #1 app for photos.  And there’s not a camera or filter or effect in sight.

AppShopper

That’s right, this jewel of an app is a MUST HAVE.  If you need space, bump something else because this packs a virtual app ATM at your fingertips. (Sorry Android Bots, this trick’s for iOS kids.)

Save Big (shop in your pajamas)

AppShopper’s standout feature is ‘Wish List’.  This is your dream bucket so go big or be ashamed.  Don’t worry about prices.  Grab all those shiny, promising, next-big-thing apps you long for like you’re on some whacked-out reality TV shopping spree. Then take a break because ‘whew’, shopping is hard.

While you’re sitting on your keister, working out or whipping up dinner, AppShopper is hard at work monitoring all those treasures you seek.  And when there’s a price drop? You’ll be notified by your alert of choice.

I’m not one for continued artillery fire in my email so I opt for the badge icon. A quick look and I know there is treasure to be plundered. Often this means Free! (Don’t forget that many developers make their apps free for a limited time in exchange for rating/reviewing; consider this their ‘tip.’  After checking it out, rate it.)

Save Time (while still in your pj’s)

You can also be notified of updates (whether you own the app or are stalking it).  This is a stupendous time-saver.  I often add an app to my ‘wish list’ because it needs full resolution, additional options, better integration, etc. and just won’t want to bother with it yet.  I can ‘Wish’ it and forget it (no writing it down and having to remember to check on it later).  If the app is updated, I get an alert so I can check it out.

AppShopper can give you the scoop on all the rosy-cheeked, newly-released apps, as well.  The AppStore pumps out hundreds of new apps on a slow week.  No need to sort through the haystack when this app will do it for you.  And in style, whether on the iPhone or the iPad (very user-friendly UI).

Another tip is to check out the ‘app activity’ section.  Coveting an app or teetering on spending that dollar?  This section is gold, giving you a quick timeline of updates, price increase, and price drops.  You might just find the app isn’t kept up-to-date or that it goes on sale each holiday season.

Shopping Secrets

Here’s a secret, I rarely pay for an app (and no, that’s not because I get perks for writing – that has yet to happen but you can bet I’ll be shouting Yeehaw if it ever does).  Of those I’ve paid for, 95% were a waste of my money.  Which means they are in that holding-tank in the sky and not on my device.

My advice: watch and learn.  Good developers update frequently.  Prices fluctuate often.  You may have an upcoming project or are toying with a new idea.  AppShopper has you covered no matter what. And since it’s Free, no need for wishful thinking.

AppShopper
Wish upon an app and let us know what you find.

About Marsha Bezzina

Marsha Bezzina has always enjoyed writing. But photography was mostly relegated to annual trips until the acquisition of her first smartphone, the iPhone 4s. Now this self-declared ‘mental crafter’ is a data hog – capturing moments, hoarding photo apps and editing with abandon. She is @notDelilah on Instagram but had to settle for @notDelilah_ on Twitter. Or check out her site, www.notDelilah.com

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