Five free ways to spruce up your finances

Own an iPhone or iTouch? Here are some financial applications to whip your finances in order. And the best thing? They're all free...

Here at lovemoney.com, we love the word 'free'. But bagging those freebies doesn't always have to involve getting a cashback credit card or opening a random bank account, and those technological wizards are sometimes prepared to give us something for nothing.

Last year's launch of the 2.0 software upgrade for the iPhone and iTouch opened the door for thousands of useful applications designed to make life easier - and thousands more that were pointless, but fun anyway.

Financial applications aren't in short supply either. For those hot dates, forget the trusted calculator, an application called 'Split the Bill' will sort your banoffee pies from your crème brûlées - right down to the last penny.

Who says romance is dead eh?

Thankfully, there are some useful applications, many of which will cost you nothing but the memory space on your iTouch or iPhone. Here's five of the best:

1.) iXpense

The free version of the most popular paid-for finance application on iTunes is just as good, and the only difference is you can only list a maximum of 50 expenses.

By categorising your spend into a diverse range of categories, the application will help you see exactly where your money goes - down to that daily morning coffee, and highlight possible areas you can cut down on.

2.) ATM hunter

Ever been out, only to find yourself short of cash?

Now, instead of wandering around aimlessly for 20 minutes looking for an ATM, or resorting to one of those standalone cash machines in the pub where you pay a £2 fee for every £10 you take out, some clever boffin has come up with ATM hunter.

Using GPS, ATM Hunter will pinpoint your location, find ATMs in your area, and pinpoint them on a map. Some locations are more reliable than others, but it's a nifty idea nonetheless.

3.) Wesabe

Those familiar with the online money management tool will be happy to know the application has gone mobile.

Wesabe is a community-based website where you manage your money while being able to tap into the knowledge of fellow members to get you on a better financial path.

Once your account is set up, you can use Wesabe to manage your everyday expenses, track spending targets, and even see graphs of how it's all going!

Wesabe also enables you to store your credit card and bank account balances in one place, helping you to keep an eye on all your outgoings, no matter how small.

4.) Currency

The simple application does exactly what it says on the tin, and comes in very handy for anyone baffled when shopping on holiday.

The application has access to over 100 countries. So whether it's your dollar or dinar, you'll be able to see how much your purchase is costing you with a few clicks of a button.

5.) Bloomberg

Bloomberg's popular mobile application brings you the latest financial information straight to your iPhone.

This is a neat application for anyone who wants to be kept up to date with the latest news, stock quotes and market analysis, all within the palm of your hand. What's more, it's free.

Of course, nobody's suggesting these applications will change your life, and in some cases, I'll be sticking with the trusted calculator. Oh, and Pacman, of course...

I crammed my iTouch with as many financial apps as I could while researching this article, but if you know of any handy applications (including any used on the Google phone), please post them in the comments section!

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