If you drive long distances frequently, you may already have a list of items that you can’t live without – your phone charger, your favorite travel mug and your coffee shop gift card can make life on the road a little easier. But if you’re not using smartphone apps on your travels, you may be missing out on some of the best travel tools available today. Following are a few of them.
1. Find good gas prices
You may already know how to increase your gas mileage. But finding affordable gas is the first step in saving money. In the past, you may have relied on your friends to tell you who’s selling gas at the lowest price in your area, but when you’re traveling, you’re never sure what gas prices you may encounter, or where the next gas station may be.
Enter the mobile gasoline price-tracking app, GasBuddy. This crowd-sourced rundown of gas stations is especially useful if you need to know where to find diesel fuel. Just tap a button, and the app uses GPS to find nearby stations, listing them in order of location or price.
2. SitOrSquat restroom finder
Really got to go, but don’t know where to go? Always be prepared for nature’s call with Charmin’s SitOrSquat: restroom finder app, which allows you to find relief no matter how far from home you might be. An interactive, location-based map makes it easy to locate the closest and most convenient restroom, while customizing bathroom features according to your needs. For example, if you’re looking for a baby changing table, this app will find a restroom that meets your needs.
3. Where To?
If you’re an avid GPS user and want more organization from your maps, the “Where To?” app is the ultimate electronic companion for categorizing your favorite destinations. For example, say you wanted to view a list of Mexican restaurants in your area or need to find a good dentist nearby, the app lets you quickly search for these specific entries, while your GPS leads the way. With an extensive and well-organized list, you can count on an accurate match-up with your unique specifications.
4. iReconcile
Have you ever gotten home from a trip, only to wonder what happened to all of your money? To solve this monetary mystery once and for all, check out Apple’s iReconcile application, which helps users of all budgets stay on top of their spending on a day-to-day basis. The app comes with several user-friendly features, including a built-in check register, online backup and sync service, and extensive reporting to keep you on track. A convenient budget tracker tool allows you to keep up your budget on an annual, monthly, weekly, and daily basis, so an unexpected loss or surplus never goes unnoticed.
Busy people often joke about needing a clone – or a time machine – to keep up with everything they need to do. But the apps listed above can turn your phone into a personal assistant, taking a lot of guesswork out of life on the road.
