Mint Coupons

This week, we can't cover the news without mentioning the government shutdown.  Also find out how happiness = money (although money doesn't = happiness), why it's good to cut down on dining out, how rock stars make their money, "Extreme Couponing," and strange new inventions.

Like Tiffany Ivanovsky of mylitter, I set up a Mint.com account. Last year. Got a few email notifications. And let it sit. No bells and whistles went off. So I just left it alone. Partially, I was a little hesitant to link my financial information to an unfamiliar website. Besides, I balance the check book, what more could I possibly get from staring at my finances?

With a mortgage, new car purchase, and daycare payments (to name a few), I have some pretty hefty expenses I have to worry about.  Probably more than anyone, I need to keep a close eye on my cash flow to make sure I'm not overspending. 

Like everyone else, I'm trying to cut down on expenses while pushing more towards savings and other assets.  For over a decade, I've been savings receipts and then entering them in onto my old MSN Money program that I've been using.  For the time being, this helped to manage spending and develop budgets for some of my financial goals.  But sometimes, I don't want to deal with the hassle of storing receipts in my wallet and carving out time to enter them all. 

To resolve some of the drawbacks of my current cash flow tracking, I decided to test out Net Worth Pro app for the iPhone.  A mobile app is enticing because I always have my phone with me.  So keeping track of my money should be easier with this mobile app, right?  Let's see. 

GoMiles.com is the latest entrant into the rewards-tracking field, joining sites like Points.com and AwardWallet in helping frequent travelers to stay organized.  Dreamed up by a former management consultant with too many frequent flyer miles, the start-up hopes to take the headache out of managing multiple airline, hotel, rental car, and other travel loyalty rewards programs--making all those rewards credit cards a lot much more useful.

The New Year is upon us, and while you prepare to ring it in, you might also be preparing some resolutions for 2011. Do you want to lose weight? Keep better track of your money? Quit smoking? These days, it's easier than ever to follow through when you have the right apps to back you up.

Here's a list of some super helpful Apple apps for your iPod, iPhone, and iPad to assist with the two most popular resolutions: losing weight and saving money.

I have a friend who is a decisive shopper. She is able to immediately divine the relationship potential of a leopard print chiffon scarf. My modus operandi is more of a skittish courtship. Neurotic, I'll analyze a wildly distressed hobo bag, agonizing over the tassels and hardware, leaving it and returning to to finger the leather half a dozen times. Will this work with my wardrobe? How will this affect my budget? Is this color really me? Do I even like me?

Shopping with me sometimes snowballs into an existential crisis. I know that I have a problem--which is why I'm seriously intrigued by personal budget apps. Being able to punch in a potential purchase and seeing the immediate effect on my monthly budget takes some of the uncertainty out of the process--and it certainly makes my decisive shopper friend happier as well.

Now the problem is--which one do I pick? Readers, maybe you can help me decide between four serious contenders...