Most dads are busy, very busy. As a dad, you probably have a full-time job, help with household chores and help look after your children (or divas!). With so much on your plate, you might have trouble keeping everything running smoothly in your home and life. That could affect how much quality time you spend with your family.

 

However, we live in a technological age, and you can use technology to make your busy life a bit easier. There are some fantastic apps available for busy parents, and it’s worth making use of them. That being said, having a smartphone that’s crammed with apps is not going to make your life any better. A few well-chosen apps can make a huge difference in your busy life, so go for quality over quantity.

 

Organizer: Cozi Family Organizer

Your children’s play dates, sport practices, art classes and friends’ birthday parties can be a nightmare to keep track of. Then there are all your own appointments and meetings to schedule as well. All of this can become very overwhelming. There are countless apps for organizing your life, but it’s much easier to use one app that does it all. Cozi Family Organizer is a highly rated app that helps you keep your family organized. It allows you to create to-do lists, schedules, grocery lists, a meal planner and a family journal. You can also share these with your family. This helps keep everyone on the right track by letting them know what needs to be done and when to do it. Cozi Family Organizer is available for free on both iTunes and Google Play.

 

Safety and Security: MamaBear

Your children’s safety is essential, but it can be tough to keep track of them if they have busy schedules. MamaBear will simplify it for you. MamaBear allows you to protect your children by sending family messages, see their location and even alerts you if your teen driver is going over a set speed limit. You can get also updates about their social media accounts and monitor their incoming and outgoing text messages. While some might say those last two features invade your children’s privacy and harm trust, they are available if you do need to use them for some reason. You can download this app for free on iTunes and Google Play.

 

Budgeting: Mint

Keeping track of your budget can be difficult when you’re very busy, but it is extremely important, especially if you’re trying to save money for your children’s college fund. Mint is a user-friendly app that allows you to monitor your finances. You can create budgets, monitor your expenses, get tips about saving money and see your credit score. It even sends you alerts for any unusual charges on your accounts. Mint encrypts all your data, but it is still wise to use extra protection, such as a virtual private network to keep your bank info secure. Mint is available for free on both iTunes and Google Play.

 

Shopping: Instacart

Grocery shopping can be an enormous drain on your precious time. Instacart will put an end to that. No more waiting in line behind the person paying for their week’s groceries in quarters! Instacart lets you make a list, shop at different stores and set a delivery time for groceries. While Instacart has high user ratings, it’s only available in certain places. It is set to expand its area of operation in the future. If you can’t use it where you are yet, you can download free apps for most large grocery store chains. These apps have similar features to Instacart, so they’ll still get the job done.

 

If you do have access to Instacart, you can download it on iTunes and Google Play for free.

 

Schoolwork: myHomework Student Planner

This app isn’t for dads specifically, but it will save you a lot of time. It will also ensure your children stay on top of all their schoolwork and help them learn how important planning really is. myHomework Student Planner keeps track of tests, exams, projects, homework and lesson times. It even reminds your child when each assignment is due. The app doesn’t need to be connected to the internet all the time, so it won’t plough through expensive cellular data. myHomework Student Planner is available for free on iTunes and Google Play.

 

These five apps are all designed to make your life as a busy dad much easier. You’ll save a lot of time and effort. Now all you need to do is decide how to spend your extra time! Maybe spend it with your children, watch some TV or even catch up on your sleep.

 

While these apps are great, they are by no means the only ones that can make your life easier and save time. Are there any apps you use to simplify your life? Please let us know in the comments below.

 

About the author: Cassie is a tech and entertainment blogger with Culture Coverage. She’s always trying to keep up with her children’s busy schedule, as well as her own, and hopes these apps will help you keep up with yours.