7 essential apps for international road warriors

The last thing you want to do when you're traveling is try to find a printer, a post office, or a fax machine--but what else can you do if you have to sign a contract and send it back while you're overseas

Well, you can use DocuSign Ink, a free app for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone that lets you virtually sign and date documents and email them to clients and employers. DocuSign Ink is a cinch to use: Just open up your document (usually a PDF) in the app and tap to sign it. If you have a physical version of the document, you can also take a photo of it and then virtually sign it.

You don't even need to sign every single document: The app has you sign once and then it takes that signature and places it into future documents. You can sign as many documents as you like for free, store them in cloud storage services such as Dropbox or Evernote, and send them from the app (you get 5 free sends per month, and you can buy more with in-app purchases). DocuSign Ink is compliant with the eSign Act, so your signature is legally binding.

Expensify

If you're traveling, you're probably spending a decent amount of money on things you normally wouldn't: hotels, food, and other incidentals. But if you're traveling for work, those costs could be expensed to your company--or tax-deductible if you're self-employed--so it's a good idea to keep track of them with Expensify.