There is something I've been saying to my friends for quite a while now - we are living in the future. I'm serious! There is so much futuristic/sci-fi stuff going on right now. Our lives are nearly entirely online, we carry small computers in our pockets, we pay with these small computers......I mean we're living in the future! Because of this there are three online services I think you should totally be paying for.
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Google Drive
I use Google Drive as my cloud storage. I started using the 15 GB that is free with your gmail address but I found that I really prefer that storage system to something like the Apple iCloud. My devices include Apple & Windows products so I like that I can cross between both of them. Because part of my online cloud storage was already tied up in the 15 GB, I decided to just jump to 100 GB for $1.99 a month. Apple's iCloud is 5 GB free, I believe, then 50GB for 1.99. The terabyte option between the two is comparable at $9.99 but since I don't need that much I'm not considering that tier. For blogging, I usually take photos on my phone, edit them & add text, upload to my Google Drive from my phone, then access the photos while writing the posts on my computer. I love that I can go between all of my devices.
Amazon Prime
This is just a no-brainer! Amazon Prime makes it so easy to purchase things you may not be able to find locally and get it quickly. I also love that you can save money on somethings you can find locally. I have a dash button for my HP ink because it is significantly cheaper from Amazon than from Office Max. If you can wait 2 days then you can save a butt ton. I don't use Amazon Video as much as I could, and honestly it's not really a selling point for me. I've watched a few things a year - like American Horror Story & Rupaul's Drag Race. But mostly it is my last resort for entertainment. I do however like the Amazon Photo storage included in the Prime membership. I know I said I use Google Drive above, but it is more organized than my Amazon Photo. I have it set to back up the photos on my phone when connected to wifi so I don't have to worry about deleting the 100 pictures of my dog. I know I could do the same thing with Google Drive.....but I prefer it with Amazon Photo! Plus, Amazon Photo will alert you to memories which is cool when you have vacation photos uploaded.
Shipt
This is a newer membership to me but I already love it. Shipt is a grocery delivery service that just recently entered my area. It has also been bought by Target and I think its in the works to be a same day sort of delivery service for in store Target products....so as a planner girl, you know that makes me happy. I love Shipt because I don't have to go to the grocery store. I can't fill up an Amazon Pantry box and Shipt gives me access to fresh things. Having my groceries delivered has been a sanity saver because I can't express how much I despise the grocery store. I mean, I really, really do. I can choose to have my groceries delivered at nearly any time of day - 2am and need groeceries? Shipt! There is a $35 minimum for an order or you're charged a fee & the annual plan is $99. I haven't found that I've spent more on groceries - I usually shop the sale section first and I can link my rewards/loyalty card from Meijer as well. Since I can't just run out (well, I could) I have to plan my meals better and Shipt is super helpful for that. I buy what I need for 2 weeks of meals and I'm done. I can also purchase general merchandise if needed. So I love that!
These three things are my top 3 futuristic, life simplifying, and believe it or not I'm gonna say money saving online services. I think the cost is well worth it for each service! One reason I pay for anything over choosing the free option is that it is time saving & more organized. So rather than lugging around an external hard drive (that I wouldn't be able to have access to with my phone), Google Drive makes my dependence on using files across my devices easier. Amazon Prime saves me money on ink and it also saves me time for things like gifts. Friends/family can make lists to share and I can pick out exactly what they want for Christmas. The bonus is Amazon Video & Photo. So the fee you're paying is at least 3 services in one. The convenience of Prime shipping makes the scatters use of Video & the random use of the Photo option well worth the price. I would like to spend more time with family, more time blogging, and less time in line. So I will gladly pay for Shipt! Really all I asked for was curbside pick up.....but my Meijer doesn't offer that. The only downside to Shipt is that when its snowing outside or the weather is bad I'm not going to ask someone to try to drive in it just to get my groceries. So the winter has put a damper on it....but I'm still all about it!!
What online services do you pay for? How do they help you in your daily routine?
xoxo, Moe
What online services do you pay for? How do they help you in your daily routine?
xoxo, Moe
I have been thinking about using a Google Drive or Apple iCloud, but haven't decided yet. I need to figure out how much space I need and how to use them and what would be easiest one for me. Well, that's a job for one day!
ReplyDeleteHeidi ✨ | Heidi’s Planner
How would you compare Google Drive to Dropbox? I have things scattered across Google Drive, Dropbox and Amazon. I'd love to consolidate them this year into one place.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I haven't used Shipt, but I am in love with Kroger's ClickList. I do my list all week long - adding things as they come up or we run out - and I schedule my pickup time and I'm usually in and out of the parking lot in 10 minutes. It's worth the $5 convenience fee to save an hour+ I'd spend in the grocery store. I also find I don't end up with as many impulse buys because I really only add things to the list as we run out.
I think if you need a lot of the things dropbox offers - which I just skimmed over their plans - then the basic plan of $8.25 for a TB would be a great option. I do also like that Dropbox seems to integrate with more apps as a way to save something you're working on instead of saving it locally...and you can import from Dropbox on apps I've seen too. Personally, I don't need that much storage and the 2GB free is too little storage for me. I also like that Google Drive is tied to my gmail...I don't have to make another account for something (though I do have a Dropbox account lol).
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