Appy New Year…!

Here it is – 2013. Filled with promise and hopes of a better year than the last one – again. Last year’s resolutions were out of the window before Valentine’s, so how can you make sure this is the year that you make it happen? With your smartphone – that’s how.

We’ve rounded up a few of our favourite apps that’ll help you stick to some of the more popular resolutions that we make each year and usually forget by February…

Stop Smoking: My Last Cigarette (iPhone – £0.69)

For those wanting to kick the dreaded cigarette, this app is a real breath of fresh air. It keeps track of how much money you’re saving (which may surprise you when you look at it in figures), as well as real-time indicators of how your health will be improving and the resulting longer lifespan. Seeing all these things in one place is a real motivation and an ideal aid to quit smoking. Granted, it’s not free, but at 69p, it’ll set you back as much as around 1.5 cigarettes.

A similarly-featured app for Android users is QuitNow! – well worth checking out.

Lose weight, get fit: MyFitnessPal (iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile – FREE)

For many, the festive season is a little bittersweet – there are treats as far as the eye can see, but with those treats come the inevitable ‘festively plump’ version of your former self. Never fear – MyFitnessPal is your ticket to a healthier you. You just set yourself a daily goal for calories, record your food intake and exercise as they happen, and the app – which synchronises with the MyFitnessPal website – will help you keep within your goal. A simple way of making sure you’re eating and exercising your way to a smaller reflection in the mirror.

To help you get fit for less, you should also check out O2 Priority Sports. If you’re an O2 mobile customer, you can get closer to sports. Thanks to our partnership with Nike+, you can get exclusive access to some of the best products & offers, experiences and events. To get the app, just text SPORTS to 2020.

Improve your finances: Money Lover (iPhone, Android – FREE)

Thanks to the traditional post-Christmas squeeze, many of us enter the new year filled with promises to manage our money a little better. Money Lover is a simple app which helps you to manage your personal finances effectively, alerting you about transactions over coming weeks and months, as well as keeping track of your incomings and outgoings – all in one place.

We couldn’t mention saving money without a few shameless (but worthwhile) plugs for a few apps of our own…

First up is O2 Priority Moments, a free app for all O2 mobile customers which will tell you about great offers near your location. With partners like The Body Shop, Odeon Cinemas and lots more – as well as Priority Moments Local, to help you save money at local independent shops – there’s bound to be an offer that suits you. To get the app an your smartphone, text MOMENTS to 2020.

With O2 Wallet, you can send and receive money as well as shop online – we’ll even search for the best deals on the products you’re looking for. And it’s available to anyone, no matter which mobile network or bank you’re with. For more information and to get O2 Wallet, head to http://www.o2.co.uk/money/wallet.