Life tends to get chaotic quickly. Juggling family schedules, doing chores, and working all vie for your limited time. Fortunately, technology can help. Even if you generally find computers and other modern day appliances to be more confusing (or frustrating) than beneficial, it doesn’t have to be that way! There are many easy-to-use tech tools that will help manage, simplify, and organize your space and schedule. Here are just a few we’d recommend, organized by top clutter concerns:
Assorted paper piles
Do you have paper piles that you’ve been meaning to tackle for weeks (or longer)? Once you finally organize them, a scanner can help you digitize the papers you have left. Then, once they’ve been imported onto your computer, use Dropboxor Google Drive to safely store them. You can conveniently access and share the files anytime and anywhere you have an Internet connection. To file budget-related items, check out digital bookkeeping tools like Quickenand Mint.
Bills
If you’re drowning in paper piles, it’s easy to miss a bill. Enrolling in online automatic bill pay can simplify your schedule by saving you the hassle of physically paying it every month, helping you avoid unnecessary late fees, and shrinking your paper piles. You can make the transition easier by signing up for email or text alerts that let you know the bill is due, and can easily check your bank account online as well to make sure you have enough money in your account to cover it.
To-do lists and schedules
If you’re on the go more often than not, technology can help you manage your time and eliminate your need for a physical to-do list. Google Calendar is one such tool that not only allows you to easily create and customize events throughout the day or week, but also gives you scheduling reminders. Coziis another useful app designed specifically to manage and simplify family schedules.
Note-taking
If you have lots of notebooks and post-it notes scattered around your home or office, you may want to consider using Evernoteto reduce clutter. Evernote is a cloud storage service that allows you to access information you’ve created – from Word documents to presentations to bookmarked websites – anywhere. If you want to jot down notes while you’re in a meeting or just watching TV, you can simply and easily create a new folder and save it for later. As long as you have an Internet connection, you have your consolidated and organized notes at your fingertips.
Magazines, books, newspapers
If you’re overwhelmed by piles of reading materials all over the house, consider switching to digital formats. Ipads, computers, and kindles allow you to access breaking news, a digital library of fiction and non-fiction books, and almost every magazine you can think of with a simple Google search. As an added bonus, you’ll never have to slip on another magazine on your way to the bathroom again.
Movies
Whether you’re a film buff, or just enjoy an occasional Friday night movie night, you can minimize cords, empty boxes, and loose discs by swapping your DVD collection with Netflixor Hulu. You’ll also cut down on clutter, and save on storage space and money spent on movies you’d probably only watch once or twice. Additionally, you’ll have more variety to choose from than just your own home collection!
Photos
Do you have scrapbooking paper, crafts, and photos that you’ve been saying you’ll get around to for months or years? Minimize clutter by storing your photos digitally, then uploading them to a photo-sharing service like Shutterfly. Or, sign up for Animototo easily create fun videos, slideshows, and other multi-media presentations. You’ll save time and storage space, while still sharing your experiences in a creative way!