As a Service Partner on the Arise® Platform, productivity apps should be your best friend. After all, you’re constantly managing responsibilities and obligations while also working hard to optimize your free time. That’s why you need something more powerful than the old pen-and-paper duo.
The good news is that being busy is doable when you’re armed with the right help! Did you know you can have a virtual assistant right at your fingertips? How about a financial advisor? There are countless free and inexpensive apps you can download now to your phone to make your life significantly easier — and believe us, once you’ve tried them, you won’t be able to live without them.
Here are simple, tech-forward ways to streamline your life using four types of helpful productivity apps:
Calendar Apps
You’ll always struggle to stay organized if you’re not properly using a calendar app. You may prefer to write things down the old-fashioned way and keep a written agenda. However, calendar apps are a way more efficient option. They allow you to maintain your schedule and keep a close eye on the days where you’re free as opposed to the days you’re jam-packed. They even offer convenient reminders and alarms to your phone, so you’ll never miss a beat, an appointment, or a family adventure!
Whether you download a paid calendar app or simply use the one built into your phone, a virtual calendar is an absolute necessity. We suggest taking it up a notch by downloading a powerful calendar app that allows you to create events and schedules for every aspect of your life, from family obligations to personal to-dos and work reminders.
Try some of our favorite free options (available for both iOS and Android): Google Calendar, Any.Do, and TickTick.
Budgeting Apps
Budgeting apps are a great way to have a financial advisor right at your fingertips. These apps offer tons of incentives, tips, and tricks to help you on your journey to financial wellness. Break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck, get out of debt, and finally start saving more money by expense tracking and diving into your personal finance goals.
These apps are essential because they allow you to gain total control over your money. You’ll be able to see where every dollar goes in real-time.
Try some of our favorite free options (available for both iOS and Android): Every Dollar, Mint, Good Budget, and YNAB
To-Do List Apps
Do you ever have trouble keeping track of your tasks? Do the errands you need to run suddenly slip your mind just as you’re about to go out and run them?
In addition to downloading a calendar app, we have another simple solution to your problem: a virtual to-do list. Forget writing your errands on notepads and forgetting to bring your grocery list with you. Task management apps offer multiple ways to organize responsibilities, remind you of important deadlines and dates, and even keep your life in sync with your calendar.
Pro tip: No task is too small for a to-do list. To be the most efficient, create to-do lists for anything and everything you need and want to accomplish, from grocery lists to workout goals and work assignments.
Try some of our favorite free options (available for both iOS and Android): Todoist, Remember the Milk, and Monday.com
Calling Apps
Your regular phone plan may not cut it when you’re working from home all day. Apps like Skype or WhatsApp allow you to place voice and video calls for free — and who doesn’t love free?! Once you’ve downloaded them, you can communicate easily and freely with whoever, wherever, whenever.
Try some of our favorite free options (available for both iOS and Android): WhatsApp, Skype, and TextNow
Organize Your Life Like Never Before
Everyone can use a little bit more organization — Service Partners included! Once you’ve had the chance to download and explore the apps mentioned above, you’ll be set to optimize your time like never before.
Ready for more must-know tips? Check out our guide on work from home balance and tricks to avoid distractions while working from home.
The Arise® Platform does not receive compensation for these recommendations. They are provided simply as a resource to Service Partners.
