8 Time-Saving Apps that Give You Back Your Day

The original title of this post was “The five apps I use to run my life,” but that felt a little hyperbolic…and also made me look like a lazy piece of sh*t. So instead, I’m highlighting apps/technologies I use and love that put more time back into my day.

I don’t have as many demands on my time as others, but I still run a thriving business, have to take care of myself, and try to make time to socialize – so I think no matter what our situation (kids, family, career, whatever..) we could all use a little extra time back in our day.

And since this month is dedicated to where we put our money and why – I thought it’d be nice to get a little peek into some of the things I think are really worth the dollar.

I firmly believe time is money, and since time is our most valuable asset, it’s important we outsource where we can.

My Favorite Time-Saving Apps

Trello

Holy cow, am I a Trello convert. I recommend it to everyone I know. It’s basically just a simple, collaborative to do list, but the UX is amazing. I use it to create MASSIVE to- do lists; being able to organize them onto boards and upload documents, pics, whatever directly to the boards makes staying organized SUPER SIMPLE.

I’m using a lot of caps. Wow. Trello gets my heart rate up in a good way.

I have Trello boards for my business, my finances, and even for personal tasks like what I need to order/when. Before it was just an array of post it notes everywhere. This system is much, much better. (And it’s FREE!)

How Trello saves time: Because I keep everything in Trello – my entire life is in one spot and I can easily re-prioritize things on-the-fly either on my computer or phone. This saves me time because I know exactly where to start when I sit down to work each day, and when you work for yourself – being able to self start is crucial. I also use it to communicate with my assistant, Torie and it saves us lots of time and back-and-forth so she knows what she needs to do as well.

Track

If there is one technology I am excited about above all others it’s probably Track.

It works in the same way Digit and Qapital do for your savings accounts, but it’s built to help freelancers and entrepreneurs save better for tax day. Taxes are tricky when you’re self-employed, so any technology that makes it easier is a no-brainer. You sync your checking account and when you get paid or deposit a check, Track will check in via text to ask you if it’s for your 1099 income and you respond yes or no. It keeps a running tab of your tax liability and you can set aside certain amounts to ensure you’re always putting aside the amount you need to.

How It Save Me Time: It’s not tax season (yet) but I know it will save me time come April 15. Also, it just frees up mental bandwidth so I can always know exactly how much I owe and need to save.

Trunk Club

I actually hate shopping in stores. I find it tiring and if I get too into shopping in a store I can overspend and my shopping problem comes back in a big way.

Enter Trunk Club – a styling service offered by Nordstrom. You talk with a personal stylist about what you like/don’t like and what you’re looking for and then they curate boxes of clothes or “trunks” for you to try.

It gets shipped to your house, you have five days to try it on. Keep what you like, send back what you don’t (and you’re not obligated to keep anything.)

It’s Nordstrom, so the price point on these items is higher than what you’ll find anywhere else, so I use them to find high-quality basics I’ll wear again and again. This is in line with my mission to buy fewer, better-quality pieces of clothing this year.

I love the personal touch and having someone find nice stuff for me that mixes and matches well together. My stylist, Courtney puts together outfits for me which makes getting dressed a snap.

How Trunk Club Saves Me Time: I’m not someone who enjoys the “thrill of the hunt” when it comes to shopping, so Trunk Club has saved me HOURS of time both shopping and pulling together polished looks for my more important outings – like business meetings, networking, and awards dinners.

Again, you have no obligation to buy anything from your trunk. Definitely worth checking out if you hate shopping!

UberEats

I know this isn’t a frugal tip and I know UberEats isn’t cheap (eating out really isn’t a money saving maneuver), but if you are in a time vs. money debate and you need more time in your day and have the money to order dinner – then UberEats in your answer.

I find it cheaper than other delivery options (like Seamless or Zifty) and it’s as easy to use as the regular Uber app.

How UberEats saves me time: I typically try to limit my “ordering takeout” to once a week, but on nights when I work late with Torie, it’s great to be able to order dinner and continue working (especially if I’m in “the zone”) and then take a break when the food comes.

Prime Now

Think “on demand” delivery only exists in New York and L.A.? Guess again. Many areas are now eligible for Prime Now – a FREE 2-hour delivery service of many items you can find on Amazon.com. (If you want one-hour delivery, it’s $7.99, so not cheap but hey – emergencies are emergencies).

How Prime Now saves me time: Throwing a party and forgot cups or napkins? Prime Now saves you the hassle of leaving the house when you’ve still got tons to do. Need emergency groceries? Covered. The time savings are invaluable especially in those “emergency” situations.

Cozy.co

Cozy.co is a property management app and I’m OBSESSED with this. It’s 100% free and it’s made renting out my house a snap. It handles the money management, the screening of applicants, and you can adjust the amount if your tenants handle a repair and you need to reimburse. I love it, love it, love it.

If you have a real estate investment or want to get started, I highly recommend. Did I mention that it’s free? They only make money when your potential tenants pay for screenings (like credit reports and background checks), otherwise it’s free for you and your renters.

How Cozy Saves Me Time: I was really worried landlording was going to take over my life. This app has put HOURS back in my day at the end of the month. I simply request the rent payment and tenants can pay me automatically.

Google Calendar

I know everyone has a different way of keeping up with their schedule, but for me if it isn’t in my Google Calendar – it just doesn’t get done.

If it isn’t in my Google Calendar – I forget it’s happening. I just have too much to keep up with to allocate any more room in my brain to trying to keep up with my schedule too. This is why I love my Google calendar – because you can now add everything in – from workouts to times you need to work.

How Google Calendar saves me time: I can block off time to work out, write, or whatever I want. Sometimes I get so busy I’ll forget I have a meeting coming up until I get a notification – so in that sense, Google calendar saves me time writing an apology email and rescheduling for a later date.

Pocket

Pocket is an app that allows you to save articles you think are interesting for later with just one click.

How Pocket saves me time: Do I really need to go into detail with this? There is so much good stuff on the internet, it’s easy to get distracted. This way I get to control my consumption without having to try to remember what I wanted to read. This app is also – you guessed it – FREE! They’re all free to use and love.

You’re welcome 🙂

What are some of your favorite apps?

Read more:

• Super Cool, Time-Saving Apps and Tools