By Deborah Shure
January 1st is the day when we all get a fresh start. It’s a new year, and many of us are vowing to make 2017 our best, healthiest, most productive year yet. While motivation is high for a few days, many of us lose steam as the first week or two of January flies by. How can you make this year different and stick to those New Year goals? The answer could be in your pocket!
More people are downloading apps and using their smartphone to keep resolutions and meet goals. You have your 
phone with you 24/7, why not make it work even harder for you! No matter what your resolution is for 2017, there is an app out there that can help. Below are just a few examples of apps that can help you do more, get healthy, and reach those goals.
Any.do To-do List
Any.do calls itself the “all-in-1 app to get anything done with to-do list, tasks, reminders…” While there are hundreds of apps out there that will help you get your busy life organized with task list and reminders, this one is different! You can sync it with all over devices (hello iPad to work laptop to phone), and you can share your lists with other users (your spouse, your kids, your nanny!). Create your lists and get morning reminders. The app itself is free, however you will have the option to make in-app purchases.
EveryDollar: Budgeting by Ramsey Solutions
Trying to watch your budget for 2017 and finally start saving? EveryDollar: Budgeting allows you to make a budget, manage your money, and track your spending. If you’re a fan of Dave Ramsey, you know that every dollar counts. This app is free, allows you to quickly analyze your spending, shows you how much you can spend before you blow your budget, and will help you reach your money goals.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is an app that will help you figure out your calorie goal, track what you eat, track your fitness, and more. The Google Play store says this app is the world’s most popular health and fitness app and that members have lost 200 million pounds as a group! There are over 6 million foods in their food database, you can add a photo of your meal, connect with friends and cheer each other on, connect your Fitbit and see how many calories you crushed through movement, and sync other fitness apps to it such as MapMyWalk.
Do you have a different goal for 2017? Search your phone’s app store and see what innovative new apps are out there to help you! There are also apps out there that can tell you if that “healthy” diet shake is really healthy (like Fooducate), apps that can help you stay on top of household chores, apps to work on your elder’s memory skills, apps to teach tots to sign, and apps that can create workout routines personalized just for you.
Deborah Shure is the owner and founder of Nanny Tax, the premier nanny and caregiver payroll service in Canada. With over 25 years of combined financial experience, Deborah and her team are the most trusted source of nanny payroll information. When she isn’t busy providing “nanny tax frustration relief”, Deborah is spending time with her 3 kids doing all the things that supermoms do!