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AppMatch Review: A Test to Find the Perfect App for You

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The team at AppMatch recently reached out to Wallet Squirrel to ask if we could do an AppMatch Review for the latest version of their app. At first, I laughed because I thought it was an app to tell you about other apps and it absolutely was. However, it was more like a StubleUpon for Apps, curating tons of apps to find those that fit your interests.

What is AppMatch

AppMatch is a site (only accessible on your smartphone’s web browser) that provides a 5-minute questionnaire, using your answers to filter apps, finding the absolute best apps for you. Think of a BuzzFeed Quiz, but for apps.

AppMatch hopes to solve the difficulty of navigating millions of apps on the app stores by getting to know you and recommending apps based on your responses to their curated questionnaire.

What Happened When I Tried AppMatch

I started my AppMatch Review by going to their website from my computer. It’s a simple website that has a large button “Click to Start”.

AppMatch Review - Desktop Homepage

After instinctively clicking “Click to Start”. I was quick to find a pop-up that asked me to visit their website through my mobile browser rather than my desktop. They don’t have an app, so you can only access the service through the mobile browser on your phone and don’t try to search the app store for one because you’ll only find dating apps like “Match”.

They don’t have an app, you can only access the service through the mobile browser on your phone.

Not for lack of trying. I later discovered this was because the App Store doesn’t allow apps that recommend other apps in the App Store, perhaps Apple doesn’t like the competition. AppMatch did submit an app, but it was rejected, like all discovery apps. That’s why there are no other apps like this out there right now. Luckily web browsers on phones nowadays are just as powerful as apps.

So I opened AppMatch.com on my phone.

AppMatch Review - Mobile Homepage

I Took Their App Personality Test

I couldn’t resist the large “Click to Start” button and was immediately thrown into their personality test. I have to admit it was super nice to start without having to sign up or give my email address. You just start.

You have to answer some “Introductions” questions first, there are maybe 7 Introduction Questions.

AppMatch Review - Introduction Questions

Once you answer their Introduction questions, you’re pulled into their “Quizzes” section where you select different quizzes based on your preferences. I assume this is like categories in the app store. From the screenshot below, you can guess “Lifestyle”, “Finances”, “Productivity” and I’m not sure about Paranoid Android. Maybe security?

AppMatch Review - Quizzes Menu

I selected “Finances can be fun….Sometimes” and took a couple of their other personality test to see what would happen and what apps it’d match me with. I don’t know maybe it’d match me with the Fluid App or a cashback app like Ebates.

Some questions made sense: The questions asked if I’m secure with my phone, my profession, and a happy person. I’m assuming this is trying to figure out if I like phone security and light-hearted apps that centered around my profession (Marketing). OK I get that

Some questions made no sense: “How is your relationship with your mother” & “Do you have deep rooted emotional issues”? I have absolutely no idea how this will affect what apps I prefer, but I continued. Maybe they threw in some questions to make sure you were paying attention?

I’ll admit the questions during the AppMatch Review were creative and they’re not afraid to cuss. I feel like these questions were curated by someone’s sassy best friend after a few glasses of wine. Check out the fourth response down.

I Finished The Test

In the end, it recommended to me some app called “Slice”. I instinctively thought, I’ve never heard of this, this is stupid. However, upon further review, I looked up Slice and it looks really cool. Especially since I just had an Amazon package lost in the mail (FYI – Slice tracks things you buy online). I could totally see myself using this.

What was on the AppMatch Review Pro List?

  • It’s a cool idea. They are solving the problem of millions of apps on the app stores by sorting them on your personality.
  • It’s really fun to take a few funky questions and see what apps pop up specifically recommended to you. It has the fun of a BuzzFeed quiz, but without all the ads in your face.

What was on the AppMatch Review Con List?

  • On my first attempt, the website did crash on me. They explicitly state that it’s in Beta. So I can understand a few hiccups. It’s a work in progress.
  • You can ONLY take their test on your phone, so when it recommends an app after the test, you can download it from your mobile device. I’d like to see a similar feature from their desktop website since it’ my primary web surfing device.
  • There are over 2 million apps on the app store, but not all of them are cataloged on AppMatch yet. AppMatch says they are regularly sifting through the App Store and tagging apps to be filtered by their personality test, but we have no idea how many apps they currently have cataloged. So we don’t know the diversity of their recommendations.
  • I retook the test and it told me it found ZERO matches. Does that mean I have no personality? How out of all the apps out there, there are ZERO that fit me? I think this is another of the hiccups of their BETA.

AppMatch Review - Zero Matches

How AppMatch Makes Money

To understand how a business is run you need to understand how they make money. From their website, it looks like AppMatch makes money from App Developers paying them to review their app for placement in the AppMatch ecosystem.

AppMatch has the audience of people taking their tests and App Developers will pay to be one of those apps recommended to us. Being in the AppMatch ecosystem doesn’t guarantee that the App Developer’s app will be suggested, only that it will be reviewed before the 2 million plus other apps in the App Store.

AppMatch Review Conclusion

I’ll admit it was a lot of fun (minus the small crash) testing this for the AppMatch Review. I love finding new productivity apps out there to help me do/be better. This was just another way to find those apps without scrolling through the app store, looking at description after description. I’ll admit, I was hoping for some more cool finance apps like Mint and Robinhood, but I’ll continue looking.

They still obviously have much work to be done, but I can see it as a fun solution of an overcrowded app store.

*Disclosure – I was paid for this review, even after telling them I would only give my honest opinion. 

Self Improvement – Get Rid of Your Distractions Right Now – Part 1/4

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Self Improvement – Get Rid of Your Distractions Right Now – Part 1/4

I am going to try something new for a self improvement article that has not been done here on Wallet Squirrel yet. Starting this week I am going to do a little mini series about getting rid of distractions within my own personal life. This series will go for the next 3 months with an article being released at the beginning of each month. It will be during the same week when Andrew releases one of his awesome income reports.

This will not be one of your typical self improvement articles where I list off a bunch of things for you to try. No, this is a list of items for me to go out to personally experience it for you! Over the years I have been reading article over article about self improvement, and do not get me wrong, there are some good tips out there. The issue is most of the writers have never tried these “self improvement” tips themselves so how do we know if they work?

Getting rid of distractions is key to self improvement. Without those distractions you can work on what you truly love.

Getting rid of distractions is key to self improvement. Without those distractions you can work on what you truly love.

One of my favorite writers about self improvement is Z from Zero to Skill. He often writes about his own personal experiences on becoming a better and more productive person. One article I loved was his Ultimate Guide For Waking Up Early. He walks through what helps him and what did not work out to help him get up in the morning after years of trial and error.

This personal touch is what I want to bring to this mini-series. My goal is to give you several ideas throughout the series on decluttering your life to for self improvement and increase your productivity.

The Beginning – Part 1 of 4

Today we will talk about the foundation as to why and what I plan on doing over the next three months. Today we will talk why we should all get rid of distractions in our lives. Then I will lay out some goals that I want to accomplish. Then I will set out for a month using several techniques I have researched about over the years. Part 2 of the mini-series will talk more about those techniques and what did or did not work out.

Let us begin!

Why Getting Rid of Distractions is Beneficial to Self Improvement?

Just this past weekend my pastor at church talked about work during his sermon. One thing he mentioned really resonated with me. He talked about what if everyone would cut back on all extra clutter in life (ie. Playing on the Xbox, watching Netflix, looking at Facebook, etc)? Then he asked, what if everyone took that time/energy and put it into their passions instead? Think about how much more productive and successful those individuals would be.

Now this is not the first time I have heard these questions about people spending more energy on their passion rather than only being consumers of unhealthy distractions. Sadly, I cannot remember those other examples but this is my most recent encounter with the thought.

The Fear

The thought of removing all of this extra clutter in my life seems really scary at first. I think, “What if a better video game such as COD: WWII comes out?” Or, “What if I miss some big important message or video of a cat saving a dog’s life on my Facebook feed?” This fear is FOMO, the fear of missing out. Just recently, I have only begun to understand that this stuff does not really matter in life. What I should be worrying about is my family, my friends, hiking in the Colorado mountains, along with other passions such as working on websites.

After coming to this realization I was able to clearly see that there are so many materialistic items in my house that I really did not use anymore. The only reason I am holding on to them is because of that “What if” moment. For the first time, I was free to let go of those items.

Question: Go ahead, take a look around your house. Do you have any of these items in your house? What is your goal by getting rid of distractions for self-improvement?

For me, it is all about getting rid or minimizing these distractions so I can become more financially free from debt. This will be accomplished by replacing Facebook, the Xbox, as well as reducing Netflix to spend more time on Wallet Squirrel, Adam Olson Photography, and other side hustles. This will all lend me to enjoy my family and friends more.

Ugh! Facebook…..

My Story

Getting distracted is very easy for me. Especially when I have something in front of me such as an Xbox, Netflix, or Facebook to distract me.

There is something that Marc from Surviving Prepper said that really caught my attention.

“If you eliminate items in your life that are not needed, you have room for items that are needed”

For me, I see this as I need to remove the distractions in my life so I can really focus on what is important to me (God, family, friends, fitness, and yes…Wallet Squirrel).

I tend to be a very materialistic person. These fun but worthless items keep me distracted on what really matters, my family, life goals, health, and so on. It is time to make the sacrifice by selling a bunch of items in our house that seem to add more value to my life but really do not. Some of these items include an extra 42 inch TV, an Xbox, a couple old laptops, an old camera, and whatever else I find.

I also like to watch a lot of Netflix on my own while working on tasks. It really slows down my productivity. Netflix will not get canceled because I also enjoy sitting down with my wife to watch a show or movie. Instead, I will set a rule that Netflix watching is only when I am with her.

Social media and Netflix are major distractions for me.

Social media and Netflix are major distractions for me.

The biggest step self improvement will be dropping social media sites such as Facebook. I have tried many ways to avoid this evil distraction but I cannot get away from it. Because I use Facebook messenger to communicate with my best friends and some are too stubborn to switch services **Cough**Cough** Andrew **Cough**Cough** I cannot get rid of Facebook altogether. So I will use Cold Turkey to block the site on my personal and Home computers as well as my phone.

Side Note: If you do not know what Cold Turkey is, I highly recommend you check it out. It allows you to block any distracting website on your computer or application on your phone. You can set up custom schedules to when and when you cannot access these websites or applications. It is really helpful!

Self Improvement Goals in the Next Four Weeks

I have a lot to accomplish in the next four weeks till the June follow up article comes out. Below is a set of goals I plan on accomplishing before the next follow up.

  1. Sell extra items that can be a distraction. I will sell the items just like Andrew did in his article How to Sell Something on Craigslist and Make Money. This extra money will go towards paying off our car loan quicker.
  2. Finish our backyard renovation. This project has been a HUGE distraction the past couple of weeks. We completely tore up the backyard and are starting all over with a blank slate. In a future article, I will write about this experience and save over $4,000 in costs! Stay tuned!
  3. Start waking up earlier, 5:00 AM, to work out. Using Z’s method, mentioned above, I will try to wake up earlier to work out on a consistent basis. It is well known that people who work out in the morning tend to be more productive during the day. My wants are there but the will is not so this is going to be a challenge.
  4. Stay focused on achieving my goals one percent at a time. There is nothing wrong with having big goals but trying to accomplish them all in one big chunk is setting yourself for failure. Instead, it is better to divide those large goals into smaller goals and accomplish those. I will focus on to only complete smaller tasks each day that get me one percent closer to completing my overall goals.
  5. Set up my next day the day before. Each night before bed I want to layout my plan of attack for the next day. This will not require much time, maybe 10 to 15 min. Here I will plan out the smaller tasks that I want to conquer.

 

Wakey! Wakey! Time for eggs and bakey!

What to Expect in the Follow Up

I will go over if I accomplish these goals or not and the techniques/tips used for each goal. There will be a detailed review of what I did to accomplish each one and what you can do for yourself. If I fail, I will go over what did not work and adjustments to be made.

Stay tuned for the remainder of this raw adventure giving yourself real life tips and tricks to getting rid of distractions for self improvement.

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Couponing at Its Best Using the Honey App

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Couponing at Its Best Using the Honey App

Just a few months ago I stumbled upon an amazing extension for Google Chrome. This extension is called the Honey App. The Honey App sits in the background while you shop online to help you find coupons automatically. Essentially it is your own personal couponing assistant.

I must disclose right away, you will not be doing any extreme couponing with the Honey App. So you will not end up getting 728 tubes of toothpaste delivered to your front door that you only paid $1.94 for. Rather this application allows you to save some dollars that you would not know about otherwise.

Couponing with the Honey app is so simple. Video courtesy of Honey.

Setting Up the Honey App

As mentioned earlier, the Honey app helps online shoppers find coupons automatically. Honey only takes five minutes to sign up for and install.

To get started, head over to the Honey website.

In the top right hand corner of the page click on “Join Now”. Enter your email and a password. They also allow you to sign up using your Facebook account if you prefer that method.

Next, click on the giant orange “Get Honey For Free” button. This will install the Honey App extension for the browser you are using.

After that, you are done and ready to do the best couponing ever! Now you can head over to Amazon to get the best deal ever on that JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank that you have always wanted.

Using the Honey App

Really there is not much to say here. Once installed Honey does all of the work from there.

If I am on Amazon, you can see potential savings within each product page. Honey will tell you either you are getting the best deal or if you need to go to another Amazon seller for the best deal.

Bose

Showing how you could easily save $21.34 on some Bose Headphones on Amazon.

 

Bonus Points: The Honey app will also give you information about the price history of the product. This will allow you to see if you really are getting a good deal or not. Maybe the price of the product jumped up in the last month so you know to wait for it to drop again.

When shopping outside of Amazon, the Honey App will pop up during checkout in the right hand corner of the browser telling you that it has found some coupons. Click the “Apply Coupons” button to watch the magic start. Honey starts scanning through all of the coupons it found and tries to apply them. Once complete, Honey notifies you if any of them were a success or not.

Results

The results have varied for me. I really have not had much success outside of Amazon. Since the Honey app is fully integrated with Amazon, it works really well there. The application tells you what other sellers are offering better deals. This allows you to easily hop over to their product page to check out the deal. Just be careful, if you are a Prime member, make sure this other offer is eligible for that service or else you might end up spending more in shipping.

Honey found 9 coupons to save some money on these sweet Nike shoes.

Honey found 9 coupons to save some money on these sweet Nike shoes.

Outside of Amazon my success has been minimal. After scanning through the coupons that pop up, I find more often most of the coupons fail. This is because Honey scans through all of the couponing websites such as Retail Me Not. Most of the coupons are out of date from these site. I have mostly received free shipping but hey that is five or ten bucks in savings right there.

My Thoughts

I absolutely love Honey! It is truly passive. Typically I forget it is even running in the background until it pops up saying that I could save some money during check out. I personally only have experience with the Honey App within Chrome. According to their website it does work on most major browsers.

Browsers

The Honey App works on most major internet browsers.

 

For anyone that likes couponing, the Honey app is a must for your online shopping. For anyone who loves saving money this application is still a must for your online shopping.

Looking to make more money? Check out our list of Ways to Earn More Money. We continue to explore new ways to earn money. This list has ideas and links to other articles to the ideas we have tried.