Free App Friday

Honestly, I normally don't classify myself as a bargain shopper. I tend to shop at the front of the store with all the new stuff, and by the time I get to the clearance rack, I'm all shopped out and have way over spent. HOWEVER, when it comes to shopping for apps, I'm all about the bargain. This is likely because I never want to be called into my superintendent's office for the purpose of justifying my iTunes spending. That would be an extremely uncomfortable discussion.

Here's the low down on bargain shopping in the iTunes store:

1. Apps Go On Sale! I had no idea when I first got the iPad. It just so happened I purchased iCommunicate (an app used to create visual schedules) for $39.99. The next week when I told my friend about it, the app had increased in price by $10! For me, knowing apps went on sale helped me be more patient with my purchasing.

2. Get a shopping app! I downloaded Appshopper. When I got it, it was free, but I don't know if it is always free, but the app is worth up to $5 for how much it will end up saving you. The best part of Appshopper is that it allows you to see the pricing history of applications you want. If the app you want has never gone on sale, it won't likely go on sale. The app allows you to check the "want it" box, and then it will send you push notifications when the apps you want go on sale. It also allows you to search for apps based on popularity, biggest price drops, etc. It is a MUST HAVE!

Today, Geowalk is free, and it is normally $2.99. I downloaded it, and it is beautiful. Lots of animals, landmarks, and wonders of the world, and many news articles to explain recent geographical happenings. Your kids will love it!

Penultimate is also on sale. It is normally $1.99 and now it is only .99. This is a handwriting app, so you can takes notes on the iPad with your finger or stylus. It also allows you to organize notes. I haven't purchased this, but a friend swears by this app.

3. FREE APP FRIDAY brought to you by Moms With Apps. Go to www.momswithapps.com to see what apps are FREE (or greatly discounted) today! This is a great gig! Moms with Apps is a group of moms that work with developers to develop awesome, worthwhile children's applications. They review a lot of apps and endorse apps they deem worthy. They also have a free app that has proven to be extremely valuable.

Moms with Apps has saved me a lot of money through Free App Friday AND their trusted reviews. Here's an example: I needed an app to produce visual schedules for a student, and the trainer we brought into school recommended Storyboard. I was all set to buy it when I found Moms with Apps, and they highly recommended iCommunicate for creating visual schedules. After reviewing both apps, iCommunicate meets my needs far better than Storyboard would have, and Storyboard is not mentioned on Moms with Apps. Prior to being acquainted with Moms, I purchased Stories 2 Learn because I had heard about it at a conference, and honestly, it works great. However, had I consulted the Moms, I would have ended up buying Pictello which has many of the same capabilities with the added ability to share via email the work produced through the app.

So...between Appshopper and Free App Friday, I have managed to purchase 171 applications (mostly education related) for my iPad for very little money. Some of my apps are expensive because of their function, but when you can save 50% or 75%, life is good.

Does anyone else have tips on app shopping? Please share and help us all out! How about music shopping? Do those songs ever go on sale?