There’s no doubt we’re living in tough times; this has been the worst & longest recession the US has faced since the Great Depression. However, unlike society in 1929, we have a tool that’ll allow us to save some money during these hard times, the all-mighty iPhone.

The following is a list of the iPhone apps that will help you get through this recession without spending a dime.

NIMBUZZ (Free)

Nimbuzz is hands down the best instant messaging app for the iPhone & iPod touch out there. First, It lets you connect to all the main-stream instant messaging services like MSN, Yahoo, GTalk, AIM, Facebook & Myspace, but it also lets you connect to some others that aren’t quite main-stream (Giovani, Hyves,Gadu-Gadu etc.). Additionally, It lets you take advantage of all the voice features for the aforementioned messaging services, meaning that you can call your msn, Skype, Yahoo or GTalk through VoIP for FREE using the built-in iPhone mic or the apple mic accessory for the iPod touch. To make this deal even sweeter, Nimbuzz lets you share pictures, transfer files, supports display pictures and SMS messaging. To make your Nimbuzz experience more pleasant it lets you do it all in landscape mode, which makes typing a breeze. Nimbuzz also lets you take advantage of the iPhone 3.0 OS with the newly implemented push notifications, which means you can IM while you use other apps. So how much money are you saving with Nimbuzz? In comparison to apps like Palringo,Beejive 3.0 and IM+ which charge for features like push notifications and landscape mode your saving an average of $7.00 for the cost of the apps, not to mention the cost of the provided services (using the free VoIP instead of placing a phone call, SMS messages etc.).

•  Nearest Competitor: Beejive 3.0 ($9.99)

Savings:      

• $9.99
• SMS Costs, Calling costs (Free VoIp, Free SMS)

RemotePad
(Free)

What’s cooler than being able to control your computer (Mac,PC or Linux) from your iPhone or iPod Touch? Being able to control you computer from your iPhone and saving a couple of bucks in the process! RemotePad is a free open source alternative to programs like iTap, Rowmote, ControlPad, touchTrack and Snatch Trackpad .  This cool little app allows you to control your cursor and use your keyboard all from your iPhone. Furthermore, it includes some other cool features like allowing you to customize your control interface and an experimental accelerometer setting to control your cursor (similar to the Wii remote). This program is specially useful for people who like to interface their laptops to their big screen plasma or LCD TV’s allowing them to surf the web, watch movies, or check your e-mail from the comfort of their couch. RemotePad is also useful for professionals who interface their computers with projectors and require the use of a clicker; being able to click through your PowerPoint and use your cursor (to draw on a slide or navigate through a program) from your iPhone not only improves your presentation but it also impresses your clients and co-workers. 
RemotePad directly competes with remote applications in the app store and indirectly competes with those unnecessarily expensive’ clicker applications, including Apple’s Keynote Remote.

Summing it all app, RemotePad saves you not only all the cost of all those apps, but it also saves you storage on your iPhone by being able to do the work of two separate apps. Averaging costs for both clicker and remote apps, this adds up to savings of around $5.13.

• Nearest competitor: iTap ($3.99)

Savings:   

• $3.99
• Ability to Impress

Files Lite (Free)

Despite the fact that both the iPhone and iPod Touch run a complete version of Mac OS X, the iPhone OS lacks a built-in file manager. Fortunately for users, there is an innumerable amount of alternatives in the app store. Unfortunately, most of these alternatives cost a decent amount money. Files Lite is the best alternative out there for the typical user considering that it has a simple and straight forward interface, but contains all the powerful features of other file managers. The file-managing app allows you to view Microsoft Office files,(even xml formatted documents), images, PDF files and audio files. Even better is that with Files Lite you can use your iPhone as a portable hard drive to transfer files to your Mac or PC. What’s really great about this feature is that you can actually use your device as a file server so guests can access files from any browser using WiFi. The only drawback to Files Lite is that there is a 200 Mb limit for storage.

• Nearest Competitor: AirSharing ($4.99)

Savings:

• $4.99
• The price of a USB flash drive

TextPlus (Free)

Even though this app seems more directed at iPod touch users because it gives users the ability to text message through an internet connection, iPhone users can also save a great deal of money by using this handy little app. textPlus allows you to send unlimited text messages to anyone using a US phone number, but it does this in an innovative way by allowing ‘group text’ where you can text one or more people in a ‘chatroom-like’ session, and it does it all for free. Furthermore, people you’ve texted can reply to your messages and you can carry out a conversation as you would normally. What’s best is that when you send out a message the recipient can see your actual name on their caller id and not some random number from an unknown line like in other apps. What makes this app top of the line though is that it supports Push notifications, which means you can receive text messages on your iPod or iPhone even when you’re not using the app. Did I mention there is an offline mode?

If your kids text message (and we know they are) or if you don’t have a text messaging plan this is a great app for you, saving you a bunch of dollars on text messaging fees and lowering the cost of your phone bill.

• Nearest Competitor: Textfree Unlimited ($5.99)

Savings:

• $5.99
• The cost of text messaging fees

WootWatch (Free)

Do you like to find a bargain? Woot brings the bargain to you, and WootWatch features an elegant way to track items being sold on woot. With WoothWatch you can buy that Plasma TV you’ve been saving up for at a discounted price on woot.com, compliment it with a discounted home theater system from sellout.woot.com, dress the kids for under $10 with shirts from shirt.woot.com and even get drunk from 4-6 bottles of Californian wine from select wineries for under $50 dollars at wine.woot.com.

WootWatch saves you hundreds of dollars by presenting 4 bargains every day on your screen.

• Nearest Competitor: Woot Assist ($0.99)

Savings:

• $0.99
• The cost of items you would buy at retail stores

Total Savings:

• $25.95

• SMS Costs, Calling costs

• Ability to Impress

• Price of a USB flash drive

• Cost of text messaging fees

• Cost of items you would buy at retail stores