By Swint Friday
Source: Caller Times.
CORPUS CHRISTI — I have enlisted my smartphone in my ongoing battle against the bulge. There are applications to log calories and websites to search calorie counts for any meal from major restaurant chains to home cooked fare. I am always amazed at the massive number of calories contained in most every menu item at the most popular chains. It is no wonder we are having such a hard time controlling our ever growing waistlines.
Our spending decisions are much like our food choices. In the case of calories, we quickly go over the limit with no idea where they came from. Similarly, with money, we quickly go over budget and have no idea where it all went. We often live in a state of denial with regards to both. This makes it very hard for us to make substantial progress in achieving our more important financial goals such as paying down debt and accumulating a substantial nest egg for financial security or losing 20 pounds.
Like our eating choices, our smartphone also is a valuable tool to control spending by putting the results in our face on a daily basis. One of the simplest functions provided by most all banks and credit card companies is email alerts. My credit cards email me a daily alert for additional spending and a daily balance report.
I just recently set my primary bank accounts to do the same thing. This way, any time a check clears or a deposit is credited, I get updates via email on my cellphone so that I can monitor both inflows and outflows. These constant updates make sure that I stay constantly informed of the results of my spending especially if it is getting reckless. This tool is incredibly useful for those of us that often find it a real challenge to keep an updated account balance in the register.
There also are a number of applications to assist with budget development and monitor progress toward staying within budget. Some require a monthly fee while many are free. Other money saving uses includes using the phone’s Internet access for price comparisons or to research product quality while shopping. Also, the phone’s built in navigation helps find everything from the nearest drugstore, service station or even sushi bar quickly saving time and fuel.
Use the camera to take pictures of credit cards, debit cards, membership cards and discount cards for future reference or if they are lost. I routinely use my phone to check stock market movements as well as news reports. Now through Google, your phone can be used just like a credit card soon making the plastic in your wallet obsolete.
