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10 Must-Have Apps for Military Spouses

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I use my phone incessantly. Sometimes too much. But my life is on my phone– both work and social– so it’s hard to give it up. Instead, I’ve tried to use my phone to simplify and enrich my life, rather than letting it become a huge time suck.

I didn't know about some of these apps. Perfect for military life.

I know I’m not alone. Military spouses are often chained to their phones, and with good reason. Here are ten amazing apps to help with some of the unique challenges we face:

Ibotta

Ibotta is a money-saving app that gives you rebates on select products that rotate on a weekly or monthly basis in various stores. And guess what? In addition to regular grocery stores, Ibotta also offers rebates for the Commissary.  (By the way, Ibotta isn’t just for groceries anymore. They’ve branched out to clothes, movies and entertainment, arts and crafts… There’s a real potential for earning back some of your money!) You can use Ibotta on top of your couponing and loyalty card discounts. Yay, saving money!

(If you’re interested, would you mind using my Ibotta referral link to sign up? Thanks!)

Goal Tracker

Log and keep track of all of your goals in one place. That’s it. And it’s really helpful if you’re someone (like me) who likes to check things off your to-do list or needs a bit more structure in your day.

Base Directory

This app calls up important information about any military base, including Space A information. Useful– especially if you’re PCSing or are only on base for a short time and need to find services.

USAA

I have to be very honest: I don’t mix my finances with my phone. I know that a lot of people do, however, and if you do– you’ll want to check out the USAA app. It’s for USAA members (and if you’re not a member, you should be. They have a ton of fantastic products and services!) and brings banking directly to your phone.

Sesame Street for Military Families

Sesame Street has produced an app (as well as other resources) for military families and kids dealing with the tough issues that come with this lifestyle. The app includes all of Sesame Street’s resources including articles, videos, and storybooks.

I didn't know about some of these apps. Perfect for military life.

BrightNest

BrightNest puts home maintenance information all in one place. It will even send you reminders when you need to do certain tasks to take care of your home– so it’s especially perfect if you’re now taking care of the house when your deployed partner usually did that.

Know Your Stuff

Perfect for PCSing, this app gives you the ability to log all of your possessions by room and type. You can also store pictures and password protect all of it– so you know exactly where everything should be and what it was before it went into the moving truck.

My Military Life

Created by the National Military Family Association, My Military Life offers expert and community advice based on different life events. Easily call up resources and information and offer advice to other community members (or ask questions yourself).

Army Wife Network

I’m not an Army wife, but I still love AWN. They have a great radio show (every Monday night at 8 PM) as well as a website full of information and camaraderie. The Army Wife Network app extends their reach so you have those resources at your fingertips.

Breathe2Relax

If you find yourself needing to be intentional about relaxing, you’ll want to check out Breathe2Relax which offers breathing exercises, resources, and techniques to help you control your anxiety and worry.

What apps help you out? I’m always looking for new apps that can make my life better!

A handbook/guide for military spouses, written by spouses!


13 Responses

  1. DeCA has a commissary rewards app where you can select coupons to be used at your next commissary shopping trip (not the best app, has many products not available at the commissary and doesn’t always indicate size of product which makes it difficult to purchase the “correct” product). But we’ve saved a few dollars. :)
    Checkout 51 is just like Ibotta and can be used at the commissary. I like it a little better because it often has produce and general items “milk”, “yogurt”, etc. (doesn’t need to be a specific brand).
    Military Pay app can used it to determine military member’s gross pay. Could be helpful to figure out a new budget with an upcoming promotion, cost of living raise, or PCS. Also has links to helpful personal finance articles.

    1. Great suggestions, Nichole! We live a bit further from the commissary than is useful, so I have only shopped there a handful of times; it’s great to know there is an app like that! I’ve never heard of Checkout 51– I’ll need to check it out, haha!

  2. My two favorites are the Target Cartwheel app (because I can just scan anything I buy to see if there’s a deal) and the RetailMeNot app for savings in my favorite stores!

    1. I’ve heard of both of those, but I haven’t used either! Good to know that they are useful!

  3. Hello JoMyGosh fans!

    First and foremost, we would like to say that I am a huge fan myself! I would like to give our thanks, appreciation and immense gratitude to your service members as well as you. The family foundation and support.

    My name is Aliyah, I am the spouse of an active duty military member of 13 years. I would like to introduce you to SandBoxx.

    Sandboxx is a first of its kind. Featured in Airforce times, Fox News Chicago and WITN News Carolinas, Sandboxx is an OpSec aware app that lets you stay in touch with your hubby (or wifey) by downloading pics and texting all of your ‘I love you’s’ right off of your smartphone. Let us take care of the printing and mailing. Leaving you with a little bit of convenience in such a hectic time. Sandboxx will even give your loved one a self addressed return envelope for their convenience to write you back. Honestly, our short commercial said it best. http://youtu.be/yBTF0u1VCEM

    Sandboxx is in the App Store for iOS platforms and is available for free download ( By clicking this link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sandboxx/id912636512?ls=1&mt=8 )

    ‘Like’ our FaceBook below page for: Updates prizes, giveaways and daily military updates!

    http://facebook.com/Sandboxxapp

    Also, check us out at
    http://Www.Sandboxx.us

    And on Instagram for Instagram exclusives at:
    http://Instagram.com/sandboxxapp

    And for our Twitter fans:
    http://Twitter.com/sandboxxapp
    #Sandboxx

    1. Hi Aliyah, thank you for the information! I hope that my readers will explore your app!

  4. I love the app, Doing Time, it is a countdown app that uses a pie chart to countdown and shows you how many days are complete and how many are left and also percentages… its customizable and a fun way to count down the days till a deployment is over. its fun to look and see “hey we made it 10% of the way” and so forth… and its a free app :)

    1. That’s a fantastic suggestion! I didn’t have a smartphone when John was deployed, so I made myself a Post-It note count-up… totally old school! Thanks!

  5. If anyone has an android there is an app called donut of misery and it is a countdown app that is a pie chart and tells you how many days you have left and what percentage you have left. It’s my favorite app to know when he is coming home and how far I’ve come since he left :)

  6. So thankful for women like you Jo! This is my first deployment with my husband (he was returning from one when we met in 2012) We have two small boys (3 & 10 weeks) and some of these apps are going to be a lifesaver! <3 So thankful for this community.

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