New year, new goals, new mobile cell phone tools!

"The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results." Anthony Robbins

It is that time of the year. A chance to start fresh and anew. We all have achieved our 2009's goals - or have we? Regardless, it is now 2010 with a new set of priorities. We can all use tips to reduce and eliminate stress, cut costs, and promote a healthier lifestyle in our personal and professional life.

Let's describe creative ways to build your business, lose those holiday pounds, promote a productive and healthy lifestyle, and maintain good fiscal health! With the rapid adoption of cell phones and PDAs, you are empowered to do more tasks more conveniently using mobile technology.

You may be under pressure to accomplish more tasks in less than half the time to achieve even greater results. You cannot do this without the assistance of mobile technology.

You can take the convenience of the office on the go! Monitor and track your expenses from the palm of your hand. Maintain your lifestyle by being smarter when shopping using tools for comparison shopping. Promote a healthy lifestyle even while you are eating out. For example, even while dining out, you can record your ingredients directly into your cell phone, find the appropriate restaurant, or alternative foods.

Those of you who are resolving to stop smoking can also receive support dynamically and directly via your cell. Were you aware of this?

Stop Smoking
For those of you working to kick this the bad habit of smoking there are aids to support you.

• STEPP - If you live in the state of Colorado, there is now a program called State Tobacco Education & Prevention Partnership (STEPP) that is a message system on cell phones using an Internet quit program. http://www.steppcolorado.com.
• FixNixer - This is another program that is free. This is an anonymous and customizable program that helps you to quit smoking in 21 days. You can receive text messages to assist and motivate you in staying strong and successfully quit smoking. http://www.fixnixer.com.
• Quit Doing It - is a very handy resource of text messaging quit tools, patches, support etc. http://quitdoingit.com.
• MentorMobile - This is a very cool subscription service that you can receive daily motivational quotes to encourage those working to stop smoking. You can receive these daily coaching directly to your cell phone as text messages for this. http://www.mentormobile.com/smoking.htm
• STOMP - Healthphone Solution's launches (Stop smoking Over Mobile Phone) - a second generation Stop Smoking through your text message service. STOMP sends a series of personalized text messages over 26 weeks. http://www.1888pressrelease.com/healthphone-launches-second-generation-stop-smoking-via-text-pr-64536.html.

Get Out Of Debt
Mobile Banking provides many options to manage expenses while traveling, entertaining a client or relative, or checking your eWallet.

Let's discuss some options.

• Mint.com - Has a cool SMS feature that adds access to over 7,500+ banking and financial institutions. This is a great tool to budget your expenses dynamically. This tool has reward points so that you can gain additional advantages in saving money.
• Obopay.com - Is a service that lets you purchase, pay, or transfer money directly from your cell phone using the mobile App, mobile website, or through a mobile browser directly. Here is the cool thing with Obopay, you can add money from your bank or credit card account or even send money to anyone with a mobile phone number. No sign up fee and no charge accessed to receive money!
• Citi Mobile® - Owners of iPhones, Blackberrys and many other cell phones are able to conduct mobile banking directly from a cell phone. Go to http://citibank.com/citimobile.
• USAA - Free iPhone App that allows you to deposit a check using your iPhone's camera. You can find this Mobile App in the Apple Store.
• US Bank - US Bank has an awesome service to alert you whenever you use your debit or credit card to receive a SMS alert. In addition, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, HSBC and other banks offer mobile banking via mobile browser access, SMS services or mobile App.
• Check Please - An iPhone App that calculates the costs of splitting lunch or dinner - and includes the amount for a tip also.

Using tools dynamically while on the run, you can increase savings, reduce your debt, and watch your virtual wallet increase. With these tools you can add some powerful techniques to your arsenal so that you can achieve your goal to eliminate debt!

Save on gas!
Let's talk about how to save money for gas. Eliminate the guesswork of where to find a gas station and how to get to your destination. Many cell phones now come equipped with GPS. USE IT! Also, don't be shy in using your traffic app to avoid traffic jams which always eats those fumes during those commutes and waiting in traffic.

Here are a couple of suggested tools:

• Cheap Gas - iPhone App that can be purchased in the Apple Store
• Gas Buddy - iPhone App that can be purchased in the Apple Store
• Where - iPhone App that can be purchased in the Apple Store
• Gas Buddy Text Services - Text the words "gasbuddy" and a zip code or city name to '368266'. This works in the US and Canada.
• Traffic.com - Receive traffic alerts sent to your cell phone. http://bhelp.traffic.com/features-alerts
• Yellowbook/OMG! - This cool service provides information for gas stations, locksmiths, plumbers, electricians, towing companies, taxi, or veterinarians. There is a mobile App for G1 Android Google and iPhone. http://www.yellowbook.com/yb-mobile-applications

Paperless ways of doing things
Now let's talk about how to reduce your carbon footprint and do things "green." For many of us that are earth friendly trying to find ways to reduce paper waste, save trees, and eliminate anything that destroys the Ozone Layer, let's talk about ways to do things electronically.

Pay your bills electronically. Request for your bills or statements to be sent to your email address rather than your home or business address. This saves both you and the company on printing costs. Use the extra money to treat yourself in accomplishing meeting your New Year's Resolution of debt elimination.

• Payitgreen - Learn about how you can save a few bucks by using the Green Calculator and make a positive environmental difference. www.payitgreen.org

Funky Tip: Use your calendar for bill reminders

For those of you desiring to carry less paper weight around when traveling via airplane let's talk about paperless boarding passes. Did you know that there are at least five major airlines and about 30 airports in the US that are now testing and piloting paperless boarding passes using your cell phone. The following airlines are testing this:

• Continental
• Delta
• Northwest
• Alaska
• American

Another thing you should consider is to search for mobile versions of Expedia, Sidestep, or Hotwire.

Also peep TripIt! This is an awesome mobile App and service that allows you to manage all of your travel arrangements in one central place. http://www.tripit.com.

Shipping
You can receive free shipping alerts using www.freeshipping.org.

Using PriceGrabber's services for personalized list of items you are looking to purchase, buy, or just do comparison shopping. You can have SMS alerts sent to your cell phone. Save not only bargains but also free shipping.

Shopping On The Fly
So now let's talk about those of us on a shoestring budget. There are alternatives to shopping in the traditional sense. Usually, at the beginning of the year we are looking to upgrade our computers, laptops, or swap cell phones. Let's talk about tips for finding bargains, save on our purchases, and even more save time in our busy schedules.

Here are some tips to find a great deal.

One technique is to do comparison shopping using our cell phone and mobile devices. Comparison shopping avoids wasting time.

• eBay App - use this iPhone App to monitor sales or bids.
• Benjis App - This is an iPhone App that you can use to enter keywords or barcodes to find cheap prices for a product.
• SnapTell - iPhone App you can use to take a picture of a book or CD cover using your phone's camera. You will see a display of prices local stores that sell the product. You will also receive option for the directions to the location. (There are mobile Apps for Google's Android, Blackberry, and Palm).
• Amazon's TextBuyIt - Amazon will send you a text message with the product name and the Amazon selling price.
• ShopSavvy - This App is installed by default on the GZ Android.
• Pricerunner Mobile - A free service that mobile professionals can use for price comparison by texting "PR" to 60009. You will then be provided instructions.
• Kelkoo Mobile - Peep this mobile service. When you are in a store about to make a choice or in a hurry but not sure if you are getting the best deal, you can go to this mobile site to find out immediately if you are getting a true bargain. All from your cell or mobile phone. http://www.kelkoo.co.uk/co_15574-kelkoo-mobile-online-shopping-price-comparison-on-your-phone.html.
• SCCOPC - For those of you without data service on your cell phone plan, this bargain shopping alert provides a text message price comparison service. You can type a product name and model to "662555" and you will receive a list of matches, stores, and prices. www.sccopc.com.
• Buy.com - Buy.com sends alerts on Twitter - hurry up and follow!
• Sears2go - A mobile website you can use on your cell phone. www.sears2go.com.
• Walmart - Receive alerts for sales and discounts directly to your cell phone from Walmart. We all know that Walmart is an awesome place to find tons of discounted prices for products. Go to www.walmart.com/mobileinfo for these savings alerts.
• Cellfire - Provides mobile coupons in your Area. Saves paper too.

Funky Tip: Plan your gift purchases ahead of time.

Promoting A Healthy Lifestyle
Now that we are past the holiday season and enjoyed our good eats, it is time to jump back on the track - physically as well as monetarily. Many are people are suffering from physical ailments, disease, or weight problems. Were you aware that you can have the assistance of your mobile device in promoting good health. Any business professional working to increase their business ROI - this includes both physical and fiscal health.

Now texting for healthcare is still in its infancy in the US, but there are plenty of options to take advantage of these types of tools.

Weight Loss
There are some really cool Apps for Blackberry, iPhone, Palm, Windows Mobile to assist busy professionals in assisting them with calorie management, workout schedules, meal planning, or general coaching assistance - right from your finger tips. Sprint, Tmobile, Verizon, and ATT has some cool free weight loss counters.

Marinate on these tools you can use for calorie management:
Lose It - Free weight-loss iPhone App.
Livestrong Calorie Counter - Blackberry, iPhone has an App called Livestrong that you can use to map your workout when you run, bike, or hike. You are able to track your calories intake and burned. There is also a WAP version of this App for those who have other devices. http://www.livestrong.com/calorie-counter-mobile.
My Food Phone - This cell phone dieting service allows consumers to take a picture of their food and send it for evaluation by a nutritionist. You can receive and analysis and advice on improvement for your diet. http://www.mycanutrition.com.

Let's briefly touch on personal training right from your cell phone. Need a virtual personal trainer to put some fire on your butt?

Here you are:

• Nike+ - A accelerometer and pedometer you can use to track your progress and route. There is also an iPhone App for this you can get in the Apple Store. There is also a SportsBand you can purchase.
• Personal Training Business Management Software - This is a very comprehensive service that includes text messaging services. http://www.mindbodyonline.com/en/products/personal-training/full-feature-list.
• MUSC Weight Management - Offers a free service to everyone (not just patients) in which daily weight-loss tips can be sent to your cell phone via SMS. www.muschealth.com/weightmgmtmessaging.

Here are some more tools to spend more time with your family and less time in the kitchen trying to plan a recipe for dinner.

• SparkPeople - Free recipe App for Google Android G1 and iPhone (Blackberry users can use web browser version). http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/mobile.asp
• Calorie King - Diet Diary App for Palm from Calorie King. http://www.calorieking.com/software/ckmobplus.php.
• American Heart Association - For Hispanics and Latinos, the American Heart Association is providing users with 45 weeks of health text messages for free as part of the "Conozca Su Corazon" program. The texts are to provide heart risk factors, prevention, healthy cooking tips and suggestions for physical activity. Participants can enroll by texting the keyword CORAZON to short code 52733 (English speaking participants can text the keyword "HEART" to short code 52733).
• Heart Healthy Mobile campaign - The health messages give information on heart risk factors, prevention, healthy cooking tips and suggestions for physical activity.
• BLC Mobile - This is a companion mobile service to its highly successful BiggestLoserClub.com online program (http://www.biggestloser.com). The BLC Mobile service allows members to access information via their phones, such as weighing in, weight loss progress, logging meals, receiving recommendations for daily workouts and more.

Disease Management
For those needing diabetic log and guidance for monitoring blood sugar here are a couple of tools to keep in your arsenal.

Diabetes

• Calorie King's "Diabetes Log - Palm App to monitor blood glucose levels. http://www.calorieking.com/software/ckdiabetespalm.php.
• My Diabetes Guide - Sensei's "My Diabetes Guide" is an iPhone App to help diabetics manage their sugar levels and other proactive healthy living tips. http://www.senseicorp.com/Sensei-Solutions/Diabetes-Guide.

You now have some "funky" mobile tips and tools to assist you in meeting your 2010's New Year's resolutions. You can manage your wallet to reduce expenditures, increase savings, get in shape, manage your health and reduce your carbon footprint - all from the palm of your hand.

Be on the look out - iKeep It Funky's book is soon to be released. See "101 Practical Ways To Use Your Cell Phone" for details.

Keep It Funky!!