Five iOS Apps for people learning to 'adult'

Five iOS Apps for people learning to 'adult'

The anxiety young people have about maturing in their twenties has lead to the word "adulting" becoming quite popular. It's a useful, albeit somewhat glib, catch-all term for taking care of yourself. Doing your laundry? Adulting. Scrambling an egg? Adulting. In truth, the real sign of adulthood is living a life that's within your control, and for that, there are several iOS apps to help. With these five apps, anyone can "adult" -- or at least fake it when they need to. 

How to Cook Everything

Learning how to cook is probably the most important "adulting" skill on this list. Home-cooked meals are healthier and cheaper, and allow you to show off your newly acquired maturity to friends at dinner parties. Based on Mark Bitterman's bestselling book, the How to Cook Everything app is both a treasure trove of easy recipes as well as a teaching tool for cooking techniques. You can find step-by-step tutorials, search for quick weeknight-friendly recipes, and even check out suggestions on how to vary the ingredients so you can keep recipes exciting. There's also a vegetarian version of the app for anyone trying to avoid meat. 

Home Routine

The next step to being a competent adult is keeping your home to an acceptable level of cleanliness. Home Routine lets you schedule weekly, monthly, and seasonal chores so that your cleaning regimen stays consistent. You can set up custom cleaning routines with reminders, or use their built-in routine to make sure you're not forgetting any parts of the house. A few weeks with this app will help establish a cleaning habit that makes your home more comfortable and welcoming. 

Planner Pro 

Being an adult means never missing an appointment or forgetting a task. While there are plenty of productivity apps out there for calendars and task management, Planner Pro lets you control everything in one place without bogging you down with too many features. The daily view lets you see appointments and tasks at a glance, and by linking the app to your Google or Apple calendar you can set up multiple calendars to track every part of your life. Try making a birthday calendar for loved ones' special days, or connect your work or school email to make sure you don't miss those important deadlines. You'll end up being a more reliable person whom friends and colleagues can depend on.

Sworkit

Adults know how to stay healthy, so unless you're already a gym enthusiast, you should have one solid exercise app in your arsenal. Sworkit is perfect for young adults just getting into the exercise game. The app features equipment-free bodyweight routines that you can complete in as little as five minutes. The individual exercises are simple and clearly explained, making Sworkit a great way to ease into the healthy habit of exercising every day.

Mint

Financial security is the ultimate sign that you're "adulting" well, but to be financially secure you need to be tracking your finances. Mint lets you connect all of your bank and credit card accounts to one app, then set up budgets and track spending. The interface is easy to follow and there are plenty of charts and graphs that make it simple to see just where your money is going. Once you get an idea of where you're spending (or overspending), you can set goals for savings, debt payoff, and retirement that will take your money skills to the next level. 

So there you have it: five simple apps that can take your "adulting" skills to the next level. Now go pay a bill, workout, and pat yourself on the back for at least posing as a grown-up.