With budgets tight this holiday season, Mint.com's SMS service could come in handy. By texting "Bal" or "Balance" to MYMINT (696468), users can get real-time balances of their checking and savings accounts, credit union and investment accounts that are tracked in their Mint accounts. So, if you're in line for a purchase, you can quickly see which account you should use, and if you're in danger of overdrafting. And with support for more than 7,500 financial institutions, it's a good bet that your bank will be supported.

"As the holiday season approaches, we’re proud that the more than half a million Mint.com users are well-prepared to shop within their budget and avoid crushing debt, especially in this uncertain economy,” said Aaron Patzer, founder and CEO of Mint. Mint is free and claims nearly 600,000 users, tracking more than $50 billion in transactions and $15 billion in assets.