Top 10 apps that will save you cash

Apps are more than just a bit of frivolity, these fun bits of phone kit can actually save you money and it seems that, according to recent research*, more of us are catching on to that fact.

Apps can reduce your spending on the high street, help manage your household bills and even cut down on the food you waste in your fridge. Here are 10 top apps for bargain hunters everywhere:

1. Pricecheckah
Check you're getting the best deal while in-store with this built-in barcode scanner. It lets you swipe items for sale and then your iPhone will compare this price with others on Amazon and Google.

2. Voucher Cloud
Sends vouchers, offers and discounts straight to your phone - perfect for those who print out vouchers and forget to take them to the retailer in question. Recent examples include two-for-one at Chessington World of Adventures or meals at Pizza Hut and Hotel Du Vin.

3. ATM Hunter
Find the nearest fee-free cash machine in your area with ATM Hunter. And, if you want to use a particular bank's ATM, you can set the app to search by branch.

4. Find Free Parking
Believe it or not there are still free places to park in our major towns and cities and Find Free Parking will help you seek them out. Just input where you want to visit and this clever app will provide a map and directions to a cost-free space.

5. PetrolPrices Pro
In order to get to your free parking space in the cheapest possible fashion, PetrolPrices Pro will let you know the lowest cost fuel in your area, searchable by town or postcode.

6. Big Oven
It's the end of the month, money and food supplies are running low, you look in the cupboard and it seems bare. Help is at hand in the shape of Big Oven. Simply type in the seemingly un-cookable ingredients and this chef's best friend will give you a recipe suggestion, saving on food wastage and buying extra supplies you might not even need.

7. Meter Readings
Keep track of your household utility bills - electricity, gas and water. Simply enter your tariffs and keep updating your meter readings and this useful app will calculate your usage, costs and savings automatically.

8. Mobile allowance
Pay-as-you-go customers will love this application as it enables you to visually monitor your phone usage. If you have a contract phone this app is helpful too, assisting customers in sticking within the limits of their particular deal. Mobile allowance is currently available on O2, Orange and Vodafone networks.

9. iXpenseit
To monitor all your money-saving efforts this is perfect for keeping track of your budget. Store photos of receipts, securely save bank account passwords and receive customised, detailed reports of your monthly expenditure.

10. BargainBin
Finally, to make sure you get the best value apps, BargainBin can help you reign in your app spend. The must-have tool for app addicts everywhere, it watches the prices of apps and lets you know when they fall to a price that you set, or become available to download for free. The app can be set to notify you when prices drop and then link straight to the UK app store.

Anita Brook is a mother, entrepreneur and accountant and founder of www.accountsassist.co.uk

*Research carried out on behalf of LG