It's okay, you can admit it. Sometimes you watch Digitwirl and think, "Great. Another app I have to learn how to use?" Trust me, even I suffer from tech fatigue sometimes— there are so many new websites, gadgets and apps that emerge every day, promising to save us all kinds of time. Of course, I test them all (a small price to pay for you, beloved Twirlers!), but few actually deliver. They might be a bit helpful here and there, but if it's not a significant time-savings, you're less likely to continue to use it.
If I can't make it stick in my life, then it doesn't end up being a very good Twirl.
The tech tools below are what I consider to be the best-in-class, life-altering, savers of time. Not sure if they're worth the trouble? I've broken each down for you in terms of how much time you could save per month if you put all these to work.
Listen up, Time Warner Cable! Hear this, AT&T! I won't let you ruin my day and put a kink in my neck while I wait on hold for one of your customer service representatives! I'll just dial through the Fast Customer app and then hang up— the app rings me back when a real live person is ready to take my call. Time saved: 11 minutes.
Bills, statements, subscriptions... everything's on a different pay cycle, and it's an endless stream of letter opening (papercuts!), check writing (hand cramps!) and time on the phone contesting late fees (headaches!). Manilla makes all that a thing of the past— everything comes to one central dashboard, and you get reminders when each bill is due, which you can pay from right within the app. Time saved: 34 minutes.
Sure, there are some of us who love the thrill of collecting and clipping coupons. Most of us could do without scouring the papers and wielding our scissors if we knew we'd have that money-saving coupon whenever we needed it. Bingo— Coupon Sherpa is a website and mobile app full of coupons that you can use online, print before a big shopping trip, or dial up on your phone when you're at the store. Time saved: 17 minutes.
We'd all love a personal shopper to take stock of what we're low on, and head to the grocery store to buy it. Diapers, toilet paper, laundry detergent... all that non-perishable and oh-so-critical stuff that's a pain to lug home. Alice is an online shop for such things, but it's so much more— set up recurring purchases and you'll never have to remember to pick up paper towels again... they'll just magically appear when your'e running low, and you can save a trip to the store. Time saved: 60 minutes.
11 Comments
margaret says:
we don't all have smart phone so give us more pc tools
CKnobloch says:
Margaret-- CouponSherpa, Manilla and Milo are all web-based apps. No smartphone required-- enjoy!!
Brenda says:
Hey Digitwirl!
I LOVE LOVE your videos. So smart and fun to watch. I've linked to your website on my blog in the past because whenever I find something helpful I have got to share it with my audience. I know you put a lot of hard work into your videos, but you make it look so easy. All the best to you!
Susan says:
The app that I find is a great time saver is 30/30. How often do you start something and get so caught up in it that time flies by and you still haven't gotten to other things. This helps you map out how much time to spend on things that need to get done.
Ricardo Ramos says:
How does Manilla differ from Mint?
CKnobloch says:
Ricardo— Manilla is more for bank statements, whereas Mint allows you to see your bank activity. So you'd use Manilla to help you remember to pay your credit card bill, and you'd use Mint to see what your spending is like, and to set goals and budgets, in multiple bank accounts, all in one place. Make sense?
Angela says:
Hi Carley
I agree with Brenda. I really love what you are doing and appreciate all the work that goes behind it. Thank you so much for sharing!
Sarah Kaufman says:
Hi everyone,
I'm Sarah, the marketing manager at Manilla. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about the service! Feel free to contact me in these comments or email me at skaufman@manilla.com
Best,
Sarah
Regina says:
I am looking for some past twirls - specifically one about brands & options of portable scanners - and the videos are no longer available. Are they archived somewhere?
Ayelet says:
I love your blog! how do the prices compare on Alice.com to other ways to shop.
thanks
CKnobloch says:
Ayelet (love the name!)--
Prices are competitive but I'd recommend doing your own price comparison, factoring in gas, and time expenditures (us ladies sometimes forget that our time is valuable!)