5 Must-Have Apps for a Military Spouse

As a military spouse, I am constantly learning. New acronyms, new schedules, new base locations – and most recently, apps on my phone that have simplified parts of my life. There are tons of apps out there designed for the military community, but some included on this list are not military-specific. Here are some of my “must-have” apps that have been super helpful to me as a military spouse!

1. World Clock

This one probably seems so simple and silly, but it is easily my most-used app on my phone during our last few deployments! We’ve all been there – looking at the clock and doing the math to figure out what time it is where your spouse is. This gets especially complicated when your spouse is several time zones away or on the other side of the world! My favorite feature of this app is the ability to rename the time zone and add the time zone as a widget to your Home Screen on your phone. No more time-zone conversions each time you reach for your phone because let’s be real, who wants to do that math every single time? My husband also has this on his end so that he knows what time it is for me before that random FaceTime!  

2.  Roadtrippers

Shortly after we received our first orders together as a married couple, I remember sitting down with my husband at the kitchen table with our massive world atlas trying to figure out which way we wanted to take to get across the country (literally, from Virginia to California). We knew we wanted to see a few national parks, but what else were we missing? This is where Roadtrippers helped us out! Roadtrippers will allow you to enter your destination and plan your route – including fuel stops, over a million landmarks, lodging, rest stops, and more! Our PCS included Mount Rushmore, Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park – and so many more wonderful stops along the way, all made easy thanks to Roadtrippers. Roadtrippers is a free app, but be sure to check out Roadtrippers Plus, which allows you to check out pre-made trip guides and collaborate with others in the app. At $29 for an entire year, it’s a price you can’t beat to simplify one step in your PCS.

3. Hopper

Speaking of traveling – have you heard of Hopper? I found Hopper in late 2020 when trying to plan two different trips for family weddings that were within a week of each other. My husband and I had to get from California to Texas to Virginia! Hopper allows you to track flight prices and will alert you when the price for your flight and dates drop. The price predictions have always been on point for us, letting us know when to lock in a price or when to wait a bit longer for better pricing. Next time you visit home, plan ahead and check out Hopper for the best flight and hotel prices! Ready to go? Use this link for $10 to start planning your first trip with Hopper here!

4. MyBaseGuide

Though we’re a Marine Corps family, sometimes I find myself on other military branch installations for work or during travel. In fact, during a recent trip to see my in-laws, I was able to stay on a major Army post! MyBaseGuide was incredibly helpful for me to navigate the post, as well as have quick access to a directory of important phone numbers while staying on post. For more detailed base guides, be sure to check WAF for base guides written by other WAFs!

5. ID.me Shop

So many wonderful companies and organizations offer military families discounts and ID.me is a quick way to locate these offers in one spot! I had previously heard of using ID.me to verify your spouse’s military status, but I didn’t know that you could actually shop through ID.me. The ID.me Shop app allows you to access all of these discounts in one spot. There are hundreds of brands and companies on this part of their website and app that I didn’t know even offered a military discount. When making a big purchase, be sure to check ID.me Shop first!

Whether your spouse is deployed, TDY, or just crazy busy at work, I hope these apps are as helpful for you as they have been for me!