Tracy Davidson

Kim Komando shares with USA Today apps on your iPhone or iPod Touch that can help you stick to your resolution in 2010!

Unless specified, these apps are free.

Save money

Mint.com Personal Finance puts your finances at your fingertips. Track investments, and credit card and bank account balances. Create a budget so you always know where you stand. Then, see where you’re spending your money each month. The app works in conjunction with Mint’s site.

Find a new job

Search for jobs across multiple job boards using Indeed.com’s Job Search. Or, find listings on employers’ sites with LinkUp Job Search Engine. Use 50 Interview Questions & Answers Lite to prepare for interviews. If you need help with your resume and career planning, try Career Rescue ($1.99). It offers a wealth of advice to jump-start your search.

Lose weight

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker helps you set a goal for daily caloric intake. You can then track meals and exercise. There are more than 250,000 foods in the database. See how many calories you have left for the day at a glance. Track major nutrients like fat, protein and fiber. Progress reports keep you motivated. Or, get support via MyFitnessPal’s site.

Exercise

Body Fitness is an exercise journal. The database contains hundreds of exercises that you can track. Track the sets and reps and add notes to entries. You can also find new exercises to try. Exercises are divided by type; animations show you how to perform them.

Quit smoking

Sick of Smoking ($1.99) provides tips to help you quit smoking. It also tracks how many cigarettes you smoke, helping you lessen nicotine addiction. Sick of Smoking also provides motivation. See how much you’ve saved and how your health is improving.

Drink less

Drink Less Alcohol Tracker ($1.99) helps you watch your alcohol intake. It tracks the money you spend and the amount you drink. You’ll see how your drinking has decreased and how much you’ve saved. The app also provides facts to help you drink less. You can even set up a reminder message as your wallpaper.

Beat stress

Stress Check will help you assess your stress level. Just answer the quick 20-question assessment. Then, see where the stress is coming from. Other apps will help you relax and reduce stress. For example, White Noise Lite plays soothing sounds like waves and rain. It will help you fall asleep or block out a noisy, stressful environment.

Volunteer

Catalista helps you find volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits. You can also invite friends to volunteer via e-mail or Facebook. Catalista will also track the time you spend volunteering. This is handy if you get credit from school or work.

The Extraordinaries lets you volunteer wherever you are. It lists microvolunteerism opportunities, many of which can be completed on a phone. For example, tag photos or translate text.

Improve your education

Many apps will help you improve your education. Prepare for college entrance exams or professional exams. Enter the name of an exam for apps that will help you prepare. For example, there’s Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary Flashcards ($4.99). Or, prepare for the SAT with SAT Math Review ($2.99).

Get organized

If you want to be more productive and organized, you need 2Do ($5.99). This handy app helps you get tasks under control. Group related tasks by category. Then, view tasks on tabbed calendars. Or, view all categories on a single calendar. Then, get notifications and e-mail alerts of upcoming tasks.

Get motivation

Finally, no matter your resolution, you’ll need motivation. MyinstantCOACH offers support and motivation. Learn how to overcome barriers to reaching your goals. And send reminders via text messaging. Streaks Motivational Calendar ($1.99) uses calendars to help you achieve goals. The idea is to keep the streak going. At a quick glance, you’ll see how well you’re sticking to your resolutions.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/2009-12-31-resolutions-apps_N.htm

Tags: apps, consumer