Here’s a list of my favorite services related to money, efficiency and general life improvement. I’ve personally used all of these and can attest to the quality of their content. Feel free to send me a message or leave a comment with any suggestions of resources you’ve found useful and I will gladly check them out!
Down Dog
This is a yoga app that I’ve been using every morning before work for the past couple of years. It helps me wake up and feel stretch out before jumping into my day. I use the free version of this app and that has worked well for me. They have various time frames for sessions ranging from 10 minutes to 55 minutes with additional time added on for Savasana. Definitely cheaper than a yoga studio!
Google Fi
Google Fi, previously Google Project Fi, is the cell phone service that my wife and I had for several years. On average, our bill was approximately $85 for both of us combined. The service, price and customer service were great, especially for international travel. More recently, we’ve switched to Mint Mobile, since we plan on staying in the states for the next few years. That being said, Google FI is still a great service that I recommend, particularly to frequent international travelers.
Honey
This is a free browser extension that runs in the background on your PC or phone. It sees when you’re on a website and then automatically pulls any active coupon codes for that site. Sometimes the coupon codes do not work, but it’s always worth checking to see if you can get something off of a purchase you were already planning on making!
Hoopla
Hoopla is similar to Libby in the sense that you add your library card and you can take out e-books and audio books on your phone. So, why recommend both? I’ve found that Hoopla and Libby can have some different books from each other and sometimes if there is a wait for a book on one app, the other will have it. Which begs the question, why not have two library apps?
Juno
Juno is a group that uses buying power to negotiate with lenders to get you the best interest rates available. Think student loans, with a volume discount. The best part is that it’s completely free and you don’t have to use their service if there’s a better deal out there for you. If you want to know more, check out this post on how it all works and what they can do for you.
Libby
I’ve just recently discovered this app and I LOVE it. I have the hardest time just getting to the library, but this allows me to take ebooks and audio books out on my phone!! I’ve now replaced all of my mindless wait times with reading because I now constantly carry my books with me at all times.
Mint Mobile
Starting in September of last year, my wife and I switched over from Google FI to Mint Mobile. We noticed that our data usage was increasing and from that perspective, Mint Mobile is a much cheaper option with their 4 GB data plan starting at $15/month and even unlimited data is only $30/month. The coverage internationally has been reviewed as less than desirable. However, our personal plan does not have us travelling internationally for at least the next year or two. So, bring on the savings!
Scrib’d
For any e-books and audio books that we are not able to get over the library apps, like Hoopla and Libby, we use a service called Scrib’d. The current price for this service is $9.99/month, with full access to all of their content. The difference between this and Audible is that there is no premium, or premium plus version. You get access to all of their content at once. Plus, using this link gets you your first 2 months for free.