Phew! You made it! The world didn’t end on December 21, 2012 like some said the Mayans predicted and it didn’t have a complete electronics wipe out in 2013 due to “peaking solar activity,” a solar storm that could knock us back into the Stone Age. But… There are several end of the world predictions slated for 2014 and 2015.
Worried? Don’t be. The idea that the End is right around the corner is far from being a recent phenomenon. In fact, people have been crying doom since ancient times. Check out the eye-opening website A Brief History of the Apocalypse to get an idea of just how silly predictions actually are.
You shouldn’t worry about any kind of doomsday. But that’s not saying you shouldn’t live every moment of your life to the fullest. So, in the spirit of overachieving, we’ve scoured the online world for ways your smartphone can help you up the ante in 2014 and make it the year you stick to your New Year’s resolutions.
BUDGETING
iXpenseIt – iOS ($4.99)
This app may be a tad expensive, but is worth it by simplifying your money matters with daily expense tracking and monthly budgeting. Whether for personal or business use, its intuitive reporting provides insight to where your money went and identifies new ways to save. It also gives you the ability to input expense data anywhere, anytime within seconds and even allows you to store photos of receipts.
moBudget – Windows (Free – ad supported; $1.99 – ad free)
moBudget is a user-friendly budgeting and expense tracking app that will help you manage and organize both your personal income and expenses with an incredible array of options. Even better, it provides hints to perfect your budget and demonstrates money saving opportunities.
PageOnce – Android (Free)
Keep your finances in check with an app that lets you organize and track your cash, credit cards, bills, and investments, as well as pay bills. Once the app is securely connected with your accounts, it will remind you when a payment is due, provide you with constant updates on the status of each account and offer general money management.
EATING HEALTHY
The Eatery – iOS (Free)
Stop Counting Calories. Start Eating Better. That’s the premise of this robust app. It offers groundbreaking assistance in keeping your goals within reach. Snap photos of your food to record your meals and become more aware of your eating habits. The app helps you answer questions like: Did you eat better this week than last week? Do you eat worse when you have a late lunch? Where do you eat your best and worst meals? Best of all, the app encourages you and your friends to keep each other honest and on track through social sharing.
Livescape – Windows (Free 14-day trial; $4.99 after)
Track your weight, calorie intake and monitor your nutritional facts daily. Scan labels to import nutritional facts of the foods you eat, or calculate your body fat, lean mass and track your blood pressure, mood and stress. This app even allows GPS tracking and logging of your exercise activities, as well as monitoring of health issues.
Fooducate – Android, iOS (Free)
This app utilizes your device’s camera to quickly scan the barcodes on items you’re looking to eat and quickly grades your choices from A through F, based on the health content of each item. Additional notes about that food are provided, including healthier choices you could buy instead.
MISCELLANEOUS
Organization
Evernote – iOS, Android, Windows (Free)
They say an elephant never forgets; neither does this app. Evernote is an easy-to-use app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists and record voice reminders.
Time Management
Smart Goals – Windows (Free – limited version; $.99)
As impossible as it is to add more hours to the day, you can gain more time by maximizing your schedule with this app. Prioritize and monitor each goal status along with sharing your progress journal on Facebook and Twitter to get helpful feedback from your friends and hold yourself accountable. The app can also come in handy for monitoring exercise and dieting.
Overcoming Addiction
Quits – Windows (Free)
MotivAider – iPhone, Android ($1.99)
Old habits die hard, but you can make quitting a little easier. Keep tabs on your journey to overcoming smoking, drinking, alcohol or whichever vice is holding you back with these companion apps.
Language Learning
Babbel – iOS, Android, Windows (Free)
Traveling abroad? Take the high school route to a learning language – just enough to get by. These miniaturized language courses offers vocabulary lists, virtual flash cards and even uses your smartphone’s microphone to check your pronunciation.