With such a variety of social media sites and a plethora of funny videos that go viral daily, it’s easy to feel like much of our time gets wasted online. However, the internet is also a great way to get your life more organized so you can be more efficient and productive. There are many online apps, many of which are free, that can help you manage your money and your time, plan healthy meals and organize your home.
Money Management
There are several ways you can use online apps to help you manage your finances. Again, many of these programs are free and some charge a small fee. Do a little research to choose the app that meets your needs for the best price. Consider some of these money management options, which are available in many of the apps currently on the market:
Set limits for different categories of expenditures. Receive notifications when you are approaching or surpassing these limits.
Set financial goals for savings and see what areas of your budget you need to limit in order to reach your goals.
Sync your bank and credit card accounts so you can see where you are spending your money no matter the account from which it is pulled.
There are also apps that help you save money. Some of these help you find coupons or compare prices at different stores. Because you can use the app on a smartphone, you can shop around without even leaving the store.
Time Management
Online calendars are a great way to organize your time. In fact, you can keep your whole family organized using a digital calendar. For example, when you add a dentist appointment to the calendar app on your smartphone, it can automatically update your husband’s calendar. Since he can access the calendar from his phone and computer as well as receive reminder notifications, there is almost no way he can forget that appointment.
There are also great apps to help you organize your to-do lists. You can categorize tasks based on due date or project type such as home, work, social, family, etc. If you find yourself with some extra time on your hands, you can view your errand list based on geographic location. Instead of wasting an hour while you wait for your kid’s soccer practice to end, you can allow the GPS tell you which errands are near the soccer field and get those checked off your list.
Meal Planning
There are a variety of tools available to help you meal plan and organize your grocery list. Some apps are great for those “foodies” who seek to try new recipes with exotic ingredients while others are better for busy moms who need quick ideas using easy-to-find items. Either way, using a meal planning app will help you spend less money eating out. Additionally, homemade meals are usually healthier and can help you stay true to your diet goals. The best part of using a meal planning app is that it can generate a grocery list based on the recipes you choose. It’s much easier to stick to a meal plan when you have all the ingredients you need for your recipes.
De-cluttering Your Space
Going paperless is a great way to organize your space. Most businesses and banks already offer paperless billing and account statements. However, you can take this one step further by using a cloud network to organize all your papers. A cloud network allows you to store documents online, often at no charge up to a certain amount of storage.
Scan important papers into digital files which can be stored on your cloud network. This can include bank statements, user manuals, tax documents, warranty papers, legal documents and more. You can recycle these papers and de-clutter your space. After scanning, use a PDF creator to create PDF files which are easily stored, shared and printed when necessary.
By using these technologies, you will have more time and money to spend on the people and things you love most. You’ll just have to avoid the temptation of using that extra time to watch yet another funny video.
