As a productivity consultant and professional organizer, I get asked frequently about which apps I love and what technology I use to simplify my life. The reality is, many apps that get downloaded are used only once and then become clutter themselves. What works for one individual may not be a great fit for someone else, but here's a list of 10 apps that have made a real difference in my daily life:
1) AnyList
There's nothing fancy about AnyList, and that might be why I like it so much. I use the built in calendar to list our meals for the week, and I can upload/link recipes using the app's import tool. This is where I keep lists to share with my husband - grocery, target, punch list of items around the house, etc. Basically, as the name suggests, you can have a list for anything, and share with others to collaborate.
2) Instacart
Sure, they sometimes forget a bag of my refrigerated items in the trunk, or pick out the wrong brand of pretzels, but there has been no greater time saver for me than outsourcing grocery shopping. Even pre-pandemic, I would order grocery delivery on occasion, and now it has become the rule rather than the exception.
3) Slack
Our team of organizers communicates over this instant messaging tool. We can share files, search threads, and create discussion areas for whatever topics we need, and we almost never use email anymore.
4) Waze
In my opinion, Waze is the most accurate and up-to-date on traffic conditions of all of the GPS apps.
5) WhatsApp
With the ability to connect over WiFi, group texting is much easier to manage, even while traveling. Plus I can silence notifications when my family and friends are in a texting frenzy.
6) Reminders
I love to use the iOS built in Reminders app to avoid cluttering up my calendar with daily reminders.
7) Noom
Noom offers a built-in food and activity tracker, paired with a personal coach and accountability group, so it has everything I need to stay on top of my wellness goals.
8) Calendly & Doodle
With Calendly, I can share available times on my calendar for other people to use to schedule phone calls and meetings at a time that is convenient for them. And for group meetings, there's nothing quite like a Doodle Poll to take the back-and-forth communications out of trying to schedule time together.
9) LastPass
Everyone should have a password vault. I like LastPass, and though it's now a paid feature, I can access my vault on my phone or on my computer. With the built-in browser extension, LastPass prompts me with usernames and passwords. I can generate secure passwords, and LastPass also prompts me to update the vault when it detects a change. And, I can securely share my information with trusted people who might need to access my accounts.
10) Spotify
I'm in love with the premium family edition of Spotify, which means that each member of the family can have commercial-free access to so much content - music, podcasts, and more - and create their own playlists and favorites.