We all know that websites and apps can lead to a huuuuge amount of wasted time. We've all browsed Wikipedia pages we have no actual interest in, spent hours watching meaningless Youtube videos or played Doodlejump until our hands hurt. Despite living in an age where time is perhaps more precious than ever before, the internet has a habit of robbing us of our most valued asset.
But, there are a host of brilliant time-saving apps and websites that can have a positive impact upon your life. For a generation starved of time for themselves, we're hoping this list will provide a helping hand. Included in the list will be a selection of apps as well as websites, all of which are mobile-friendly and built to use on-the-go.
Todoist
Todoist is a great digital 'to-do list' available online, or as an iPhone/Android app. Todoist can help you manage tasks in both your professional and personal life, so we'd recommend registering right away. For those willing to pay, Premium & Business accounts are available, but most of Todoist's fab features are completely free-to-use - so there's no excuse not to give it a go.
Housekeep
(Yes, shameless plug.)
In an age where outsourcing help is as easy as it is today, there's really no excuse not to free up your week by a couple of hours. Your Housekeeper can assist with washing up, dusting, mopping and other tedious household chores. Freeing up time is scientifically proven to increase happiness, so why not book your first clean today.
Citymapper
A londoner's best friend. For anyone travelling across the capital city (as well as other global cities) this app/website could save you hours of your life. With optimised travel routes and live, real-time traffic updates, Citymapper ensures you get from A-to-B as quickly as humanly possible. They've even recently launched their own bus services, offering competitively-priced and efficient travel routes of their own. Join many of our great Housekeepers in using Citymapper daily.
Gophr
Where Citymapper gets you from A-to-B as fast as possible, Gophr does this for your packages. Using Gophr's streamlined, efficient booking process, you're able to secure courier services across London in next to no time at all. Plenty of people use couriers with frequency in both their professional and personal lives, and Gophr will make this process as quick and painless as possible. You needn't leave your desks, and Gophr's friendly riders are more than happy to pop up to collect/deliver the parcel to your office or flat.
If you're not in a rush for the parcel to be delivered though, widen the arrival window to make the most of their route-planning tech. A Housekeep favourite.
Google Calendar
An obvious choice for anyone who uses Googlemail in their personal or professional lives, Google Calendar seamlessly blends with your inbox and other Google apps. Great for organising and ordering your day-to-day lives - both inside and outside of the workplace - you'll find that instilling organisation across the board will save you time in the long run. Don't be fooled by the false economy - organising yourself will lead to a net gain of time, and you'll quickly find that you better stick to arrangements when they're set in Google Calendar stone.
https://www.google.com/calendar
Online Banking
All major banks and building societies now offer customers the chance to bank remotely through their smartphones or computers. Waiting in line for the bank over your lunchtime or on Saturday morning is always arduous and often you're waiting on a basic, easy procedure. Banking directly from your smartphone makes managing money fast and easy, so this one's a really quick win. Again, a little setting up is required but you'll find that this ones starts to pay off very quickly.
You'll find a quick Google search will provide more info on setting up mobile/online banking with your respective bank.
Asana
This is one for the professionals. Task and project management is made easy with Asana's user-friendly interface. If you run a team, you could find that integrating Asana into your working methods could save time across the board - for yourself, and for your colleagues. Asana was actually founded by two of Facebook's original team, and they've built the system off the back of their experience increasing productivity at Facebook.
In order to use Asana, you will need to purchase a plan, but these are competitively priced and you'll find that the increased productivity pays dividens from the get-go.
Rescue Time
Rescue Time tracks your digital trail and provides you with information about your computer usage. The result? A concept that these guys refer to as 'digital wellness'. You can set your own goals and warning alarms to ensure that you can meet your own goals for internet usage. If you believe you're spending too much time on a particular website, setting an alarm will mean that you're made aware of when you've exceeded your target.
We think this is a great idea. We alll love tech, and we're well aware of the brilliant things we can achieve with the help of the internet. Nevertheless, it's always important to remember that time away from the PC is also important. Gain some real perspective on your digital habits and rescue that time!