3. DropBox (http://www.dropbox.com/)

Accessing files from any device or location is essential for my work, but cloud-based storage also helps when we travel and in preparing for natural disasters. So I regularly upload travel documents, insurance policies, appraisal reports, home inventories, scans of old tax returns and other important paperwork.

I used the free service for years but recently approached the 2 gigabyte storage limit and upgraded to 1 terabyte of storage for $99 a year.

4. Mobile banking

I dismissed mobile check deposit as a fad until I actually tried it. Now I agree with financial planner Michael Kitces, who calls it "a crucial aspect" of his financial life.

"The only time my wife or I have set foot in a physical bank branch for the past two years was to get a legal document notarized. It’s glorious," said Kitces, research director at Pinnacle Advisory Group in Columbia, Maryland.

All the other stuff my bank app does -- transfer money, pay bills, send alerts, find fee-free ATMs -- makes this one of my most-used mobile money tools.