(TL;DR) 5 minutes saved each day is 3 days a year.
Living in this digital age of smartphones, it is amazing how so many things are made accessible to us with just a click of a button. I’m all for making my life as easy as possible and here are 5 apps I use everyday for that little bit more convenience and time-saving productivity!
1. Uber / GrabTaxi
(Uber) Download: Apple App Store / Google Play
(GrabTaxi) Download: Apple App Store / Google Play
If you haven’t already jumped onto the Uber / Grab bandwagon, where have you been?! This year, it’s time to say goodbye to reservations and waiting in line at the taxi stand – you know now specifically where your driver is and how long it will take him to get to your pickup location (so you can plan that quick bathroom pit stop). Moreover, GrabCar charges a flat fee that allows you to know upfront exactly how much your ride will cost you before you make that booking. Additionally, both apps can be automatically charged to your credit card so there is no need to fumble with cash and change at your destination – you literally just hop in and hop out of your ride!
2. lalamove
Download: Apple App Store / Google Play
Think of this as the Uber driver for your goods and parcels – you can send an item anywhere in Singapore with same day delivery using this nifty app. There are different types of vehicles available – bikes (for that document courier delivery) to even vans and entire lorries for multiple items and odd sized delivery. Prices are transparent and upfront, and pretty reasonable too – it costs about $9 to courier a document from Serangoon to Beach Road.
3. Foodpanda
Download: Apple App Store / Google Play
With a tagline of the world’s most convenient food delivery app, dining options when you’re stuck in the office doing OT or lazy weekends at home no longer need to be restricted to just that same few fast-food chains who do delivery. Foodpanda allows food delivery by over 400+ restaurants in Singapore (including Halal options) with minimal delivery fees starting from $4. Participating dining outlets even include hipster cafes like The Lokal, SaladStop!, Nandos and Old Chang Kee perfect for that afternoon department meeting.
4. MyFitnessPal
Download: Apple App Store / Google Play
After eating all that curry puffs from Old Chang Kee, dieting and keeping track of your fitness has never been easier. MyFitnessPal allows you to log easily your daily food intake and track your calories (the app even includes local dishes such as char kway teow and tau suan!) There’s also a pedometer included to allow you to track your number of steps taken every day so perhaps you can save on that Fitbit!
5. AXS Payment
Download: Apple App Store / Google Play
You now can have your very own AXS machine and say goodbye to queues! Like the physical AXS Station, this AXS m-station app allows you to pay all your credit card, insurance, telco bills and fines right in the comfort of your own home – my favourite feature is that I’m able to store my bill account details securely in the app so I don’t have to enter my Singtel / other account numbers every single month when I make payment!