5 Great iPhone Apps for Personal Money Management

If your new year’s resolution is to better manage your own money, you may want to check out these iPhone Apps designed for personal finance. Whether you are trying to stick to a budget, save money or manage your vast wealth of investments, you will find that these iPhone apps come in handy to master your money directly from your iPhone or iPod touch.

1. Mint iPhone App (Free)
Mint has been touted by many as the best free online budget program. Using your online Mint account, this app allows you to manage multiple accounts from several different banks and track your purchases that you set up in categories to get a good idea of where your money is going. (Spending a little too much on clothes?) This free mint app is also handy for those who are keeping track of their debt / income ratio as it automatically updates the balance on your personal loans and credit cards.

2. Quicken Online Mobile (Free)
If you are a devoted Quicken user, you will love this free app that lets you manage your money directly from your iPhone. Quicken Online Mobile connects automatically with your Quicken Online account to help you keep track of your cash, pay your bills and find the closest ATM. One great feature of Quicken financial software is the Paycheck Forecaster. It shows you not only how much money you have left in your account, but also figures in what bills are coming, so you can make the rent AND go out with your friends without sliding into the red.

3. Grocery IQ ($0.99)
Those looking to be more efficient with their spending and stick to a grocery list will love Grocery IQ. This mobile app is a great way to never be without a grocery list again. This iPhone app helps you save money on groceries as well by allowing you to browse hundreds of coupons for your favorite brands. You can easily depend on your spouse or other family members to get groceries because your grocery list is automatically shared and updated on other devices. You can also email your grocery list to others directly from your iPhone.

4. E*Trade Mobile Pro (Free)
Keep up with your own portfolio investments using E*Trade’s mobile app. If you have an E*Trade online account, you will appreciate the familiar, intuitive interface that is found on the web site. Even if you are not a professional day trader, you will be impressed with the streaming quotes feature and the visual last trade tracking. E*Trade is used by professional stock traders as well as investment novices who want to learn more about stock markets. This app is a great way to see how your personal investments are doing on a daily basis.

5. Bloomberg (Free)
Another good application for measuring your current investments against the rest of the world market is Bloomberg’s free iPhone app. Personal finance options include a portfolio tracker, a financial glossary and a wide array of calculators that include mortgage, auto loans and retirement calculators. In addition to managing your own money and assets, Boomberg is a great resource for market news and market data. Make wise decisions on investing based on Bloomberg’s current data and market news.

April Lentini writes for ApartmentGuide.com in Chicago. If you are on the go and shopping for places to live, check out Apartment Guide’s handy iPhone app. You can browse Chicago apartments by price range, neighborhood or amenities.

Photo: William Hook Flickr Creative Commons

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Benefits of Renting a House vs. Staying in a Hotel

If you are a business traveler or frequent vacationer, you may realize that short-term rentals are quickly becoming the new luxury hotels. They may not have room service or housekeeping service, but many of them provide luxury amenities and perks that you simply cannot find in a hotel chain. Here are three advantages of staying in a rental home rather than a hotel:

Photo by: Chad050 Flickr Creative Commons

1. Lower Costs

Especially if you are staying in town for a week or more, renting a house or condo can be cheaper than paying per night at a hotel. Even for the most economical hotels, you could easily pay up to $1,000 per week. But many nice rental homes charge a similar amount for an entire month’s stay and even prorate the rent if you only stay part of the month.

2. Nicer Location

Hotel chains are often built in commercial zones, limiting you to freeways and fast food chains. When you rent a privately owned house or condo, you choose your area and neighborhood. If you are visiting Chicago, for example, you may prefer to stay in a trendy neighborhood of Chicago near Wrigley Field or Lincoln Park. In neighborhoods such as Bloomingdale in Chicago, you have pedestrian-friendly access to public parks and trendy local restaurants to choose from, giving your visit a more personal and local feel.

3. Better Amenities

Hot tubs, large flat screen TVs, billiard rooms, and a private washer and dryer are not necessarily included in hotels. They are, however, fairly common in rental homes. If you don’t mind cleaning up your own mess, having a fully equipped kitchen is nice if you are traveling by yourself or if you want to invite people over for a meal. Having a front porch or backyard patio can be a refreshing change of pace from the usual four walls of a hotel room as well.

If you are considering visiting a city for business or pleasure, it is wise to check out the wide variety of short-term rentals in the area before plunking money down for a pricey hotel. Rentals.com lists rentals by city, neighborhood and zip codes as well as property type, features and price range.

April Lentini writes for Chicago’s Apartment Guide. 

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Overcome Hat Anxiety on National Hat Day, January 15

Jan. 15 is National Hat Day. If you are a hat person, this holiday was made for you. Certainly you do not need an excuse to wear a hat for the day. However, if you are not a hat person (“I don’t look good in hats.”), this is a great opportunity to try on some head wear and hopefully learn to feel more confident wearing a hat.  Here are some tips to help you break into hat wearing.

Photo: Alexesmenzato / Flickr

Try Every Single Style

Today, pretty much any hat is in style, so go crazy at the store and give them all a try. Do, however, consider what looks good on your frame. If you are a short woman, you should stay away from large wide-brimmed hats. Otherwise, you’ll end up looking like a mushroom. Full figures on the other hand should look for wide-brimmed hats to balance out their frame.  Extremely tall men should never wear a tall, 10 gallon cowboy hat, and when wearing a large hat, women shouldn’t let other accessories compete such as large earrings. Let the hat be the star of your outfit. Once you understand the basic rules of hat wearing, you are ready to start your own hat collection and repertoire of looks.

Choose a Hat Based on the Occasion

When choosing a hat to wear for the day, think about how appropriate it will be for the occasion. You may look awesome in a straw cowboy hat, but if you are wearing it out to a martini bar, you’ll just look out of place. Cozy, warm knit hats are always en vogue for cold weather. In the summer, however, light crochet hats are more appropriate if you are going for the grungy Rastafarian look. Newsboy caps and beanies are more casual types of hats. Bowler hats, cloche hats and bucket hats look good with matching scarves and gloves when dressing for the office. For a list of the names of different style hats, click visit www.hats.com.

Own the Look

Just like any other clothing, the best way to wear a hat is with confidence. In fact, owning the look is the only way to truly pull it off. When you stop caring about what others think, your hat will look like it was made for just for your head. Remember to wear your hat with respect and don’t leave it on your head while you are having lunch or dinner in a nice restaurant. No matter how confident you are, you’ll just look silly wearing it all day long indoors, but once you get a feel for when to pop it on and when to take it off, you will be opened up to a whole new world of hat wearing.

April Lentini writes for Apartment Guide in Boston. In Boston, the most popular hat is the Boston Red Sox cap, which is worn proudly by Red Sox fans year round.

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Celebrate National Soup Month in January

January is National Soup Month, and now is the best time to get your slow cooker out to try some new soup recipes. Gather around your dining room table for some comfort food, and melt the winter chill away with the steamy aroma of wholesome, flavorful soup.

Photo by Jugglerpm/Flickr

Who Started National Soup Month?

Nobody really knows who started Soup Month or when it began. Some believe it was started by a popular soup company, but no commercial endorsements of this national holiday can be found. While January is publicized as National Soup Month, there are no congressional records or official proclamations for this. Regardless, National Soup Month is widely celebrated as a time to embrace and explore a wide variety of soups.

What Is the History of Soup?

Soup, as we know it, has been around since humans learned to boil water. Technically, however, soup can be dated back as early as 6000 B.C. , when it was served cold in rudimentary cooking vessels such as animal skin or clay pots. In ancient Greece, soup was sold on the street and considered the first “fast food.”  Soup got its name from “sop,” which was a piece of bread served with broth. Later, the focal point switched from the bread to the ingredients in the actual soup. In the book “Soup Through the Ages: A Culinary History with Period Recipes,” author Victoria Rumble calls soup “the world’s first prepared dish, which became the unpretentious comfort food for all civilization.”

Why is Soup Good for You?

Basically, soup provides fluid. Especially in cold weather, many people forget about drinking water, so a hot bowl of soup can provide the body with much-needed hydration. While chicken noodle soup is not really a cure for the common cold, the steamy broth can comfort and open up a congested nose.  The ingredients in the soup determine how healthy it is. However, not all soups are good for you. Some canned soups are loaded with sodium, and powdered soups can contain harmful artificial additives. According to Dr. Robert Vogel, chief medical director for Pritikin Longevity Center and Newsweek magazine, you should stay away from cream soups for its high fat content. One restaurant chain’s popular cream of broccoli soup has as many fat grams as a 20-piece Chicken McNuggets.

What is the Most Popular Soup in America?

According to the Campbell’s Soup Company, chicken noodle soup and tomato soup are two of the most popular soups in America today. However, many international soups have made their way into our mainstream culture. Japanese miso soup, French onion soup, Chinese hot and sour soup and Mexican black bean soup are a few international soups that have been made popular in America today.

How Do People Celebrate National Soup Month?

Many people participate in soup swaps through churches, clubs or other community organizations. Some people plan soup swapping get-togethers among friends and neighbors. But you do not need to exchange soup to honor National Soup Month. Experimenting with new recipes and trying new soups is enough to get in the spirit of National Soup Month.

April Lentini loves using her Crock Pot and enjoys vegetarian soup recipes. She writes for Apartment Guide in Boston. Browse the many apartments available in Boston on apartmentguide.com.

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5 Great Places to Vacation with Your Income Tax Refund

Like many other people, the stress of the holidays may have left you worn out and in sore need of a getaway. After you tear down the holiday decorations and once you get your income tax refund, take advantage of the travel deals in January or February for some quality rest and relaxation.  Here are five great places to vacation with your income tax refund money.

Take a drive to Red Rock Canyon Near Las Vegas

Las Vegas

Nothing is more American than gambling with your income tax refund. Risk takers will have fun making those dollars work for them by playing Blackjack or Craps in the casino capital of the world. However, fancy casinos are not all that Las Vegas has to offer. You can easily spend a few days exploring the many attractions on the strip. Some of them are free such as the nightly performances at the famous Treasure Island Casino or the fountain light show at the Mirage.

January and February are the best times to visit Vegas because it is off season and also because you will not have to endure the overbearing desert heat of the summer. In addition to the fine dining and great shows on the strip, there are some nearby outdoor state parks that are definitely worth a day trip. Rent a car and take a drive to the Red Rock Canyon to see the Joshua trees. February is a great time to take a drive to the Mojave Desert to experience the blissful, silent solitude that contrasts all the action in Vegas.

Austin, Texas

Not only is Austin a fun winter destination, but for those on a budget, it is a very affordable January or February vacation. If you are coming from a cold city, you will enjoy the very pleasant weather in central Texas during the winter months.  With cool nights, warm days and little rain, this charming state capital is perfect for getting out and exploring local attractions.

If the weather is warm enough, you can go for a dip in Barton Springs Pool, a natural spring which is open year round. There are many posh clubs for bringing in the New Year, and don’t forget about the fabulous music venues in Austin.

Tucson, Arizona

Clear your foggy winter head with a warm, dry climate in the beautiful city of Tucson, Arizona. On your getaway to Tucson, you can enjoy majestic mountain peaks, unique southwestern cuisine and a relaxing balance of natural outdoor beauty and an eclectic, thriving city.

Tucson not only has some of the best spas and golf courses in the world, but it also has a little something for intellectuals. History buffs will enjoy many historical sites in Tucson, including the breathtaking Mission San Xavier del Bac, acclaimed as the finest example of mission architecture in the United States. There are many cultural events throughout the year so be sure to check for concerts, shows and festivals taking place in the months after your tax return check arrives.

Boston

If you do not get your income tax refund check until April, you may want to consider a vacation in “Beantown”. April in Boston is one of the most beautiful months out of the year to visit this city as the frigid weather fades and colorful flowers start to bloom.  Boston, also known as “America’s Walking City” is a great place to stretch your legs and explore this historical city on foot.

If you decide to take a vacation in Boston in April, you will be able to catch just about any major league sporting event that you wish. See the Red Sox get the baseball season started, check out the Celtics wrap up their basketball schedule or root for the Bruins as they finish up their Hockey games for the year.  There are many attractions for Boston tourists including whale watching, world-renowned museums and walking tours.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs has over 300 days of sunshine each year so if you are looking for a sunny place to shake off the winter, an outdoor adventure in Colorado Springs may just be the perfect thing. Go rock climbing on one of the magnificent rock formations or tackle the rapids on a river rafting tour that twists through the Royal Gorge. Colorado Springs is a great place for sports such as fishing, camping, hiking, bike riding, skiing and even hot air ballooning if you are looking for something different.

Colorado Springs also thrives on culture. Enjoy the symphony and performing arts center, as well as over 50 other attractions including a diverse range of museums. Garden of the Gods is one of the nation’s most wonderful city parks. Nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak, the stunning red rock formations draw photographers to capture a perfect shot of the rocks framing the snow-capped peak.

Tax refunds are a great reason to travel if you have made no other plans for the extra cash.  Many discounts can be during the beginning of the year when most people need to recover from the busy holidays. Spend some time traveling by yourself or with your family and enjoy your tax refund vacation.

April Lentini writes for the Boston ApartmentGuide. Browse the many apartments available in Beantown.

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