The internet is full of amazing things, but how do you find them all? I love seeing what tools other people use to make their life easier and save money, so I’m sharing the things I use here.
Some of these are affiliate links, so I may receive a small compensation for any purchases you make through these links. But please be assured, I only recommend products I love and would buy for my mom. If she needed it. She doesn’t like clutter. It doesn’t cost you anything, and it helps me pay the bills for this website.
Amazon
Okay, okay. I don’t LOVE Amazon. I have a rather love-hate relationship with it. But with my schedule, and COVID, online shopping is my deal. And Amazon often has the best selection, or the best price, or the fastest delivery. And with Amazon Prime, I’m not trying to scrounge together hairbands and furnace filters to make a minimum order for free delivery.
American Express
American Express cards waive the annual fees for military members, so you can get their amazing travel benefits without paying the premium fees. And those benefits genuinely are amazing. Depending on which card you get, it might include free shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue, Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check, airport lounge access, and an ongoing list of discounts and freebies. I’ve saved about $500 this year just by having a free-to-me American Express card.
Basic Allowance for Housing Rates
Current Basic Allowance for Housing rates can be looked up here: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bah.cfm
Canva
Canva is a fast, simple, and fun way to create images for any purpose. Whether it is Pinterest graphics or a design for the front of next year’s planner, Canva means that even someone artistically challenged (like me) can create nice looking stuff. It’s amazing. The free version does a lot; the paid version does more.
In Case of Emergency Binder
I like to make things hard, harder than they need to be. And sometimes, because I’m making things hard, I don’t get them done. (Just ask my husband how many half-finished projects he has received for Christmas.)
Which is why I needed this pre-written In Case of Emergency binder. It gives me direction to capture the information my family will need if something happens to me. Because DONE is better than done my way.
Plum Planner
If I don’t use a good planner, I can’t get anything done. I just wander around doing little things and never accomplishing anything. In comes my Plum Planner. There are tons of planners out there, but after a lot of trial and error, I’ve decided that this is the one that works for me. I get the layout with notes on the left and the days of the week on the right, and I label the two columns “personal” and “work.”
Rakuten (in a previous life, Ebates)
I started using Ebates way back in the stone ages of internet shopping, and I’ve earned several THOUSAND dollars in rebates since then, just doing my regular shopping. I’ve gradually gotten used to their new name, Rakuten. I’ve installed the Rakuten Extension for Chrome so that it pops up and reminds me when I’m at a participating website.
And Rakuten always has bonus promotions for new members, so you can make some money just for trying it. Pretty nice.
My Bookshelf
Things That Make My Life Easier
