How to Wisely Spend Your iPhone App Money


With a survey showing that the average iPhone user spends $80 on iPhone Apps, it's apparent that these little widgets of software innovation have become quite popular.  But that doesn't mean you should become "Addicted to App," especially if money's been tight for you lately.  Since money's been tight for a lot of people lately, it's time to consider how the more wisely spend your iPhone App money.


Don't buy what you can get for free.

This doesn't mean that you should steal something if you can; but if you see two Apps, and they both serve the same essential function, go with the free one.  If there's not a free one, ask yourself if it will really be worth the money you're putting into it - even if it's just $0.99.  Penny pinchers believe in the old adage that a "penny saved is a penny earned."


Take note of what you do most often.

If you're tempted to buy a cool game App running at $20.99, but aren't really sure how much you'll play with it, don't buy it.  You'd get more enjoyment out of a real computer or video game, and you'd have to have the iPhone out and wasting battery in order to play the App.  If you really want to spend your money wisely, keep track of the kinds of Apps that would actually save you time in your life, or at least provide a lot of long-term entertainment for waiting in grocery lines.


Give yourself an App budget.

It's been said that what gets measured gets managed.  You can take advantage of this fact by measuring your App budget ahead of time.  Tell yourself you'll have $20 out of your paycheck to buy whatever Apps you want - you can't go over, but if you go under that's okay.  You'll find yourself already making shrewder decisions and finding the real gems.  If you purchase the wrong one, that's okay; you've learned something for next month.

Ultimately, the responsibility for purchasing iPhone Apps and not wasting your money is up to you, so be sure to have some caution with your credit card.  It's easy to spend money when you can't see the cash in your hand, so be mindful and remember that even $0.99 spent is $0.99 lost - it's up to you to make sure you've traded for something valuable.