The following resources are some of the invaluable tools and sites that I use to get through the day, a big project, or life in general. I will keep this list updated as I discover cool new stuff. This list is just an intro/overview. I will link to in-depth blog posts as I write them.
Some of the tools below might include affiliate links, which means that I get a small benefit (free service, a small commission, etc.) from that company if you sign up through my link. It never costs you anything, but rather it is a way for me to help pay for the expenses of running and maintaining this site.
Productivity & Organization
Another app I use multiple times a day! Like most people, I was using the same variation of 2 or 3 different passwords for everything. I knew I shouldn’t have been doing that, but there was no other option. I was wrong, 1Password and other apps like it are essential in this day and age. Every password I have is unique and as strong as each service will allow, 1Password remembers it all for me and even keeps me up-to-date on security breaches, so I am never vulnerable. I wrote a blog post about 1Password that you can find here.
I have used many different to-do managers and to be honest the biggest flaw in all of them is me! That being said, Trello is my current task manager of choice. It is easy to add tasks on the fly and the apps themselves are synced to all the devices I use. It also offers just enough functionality to do everything I want without being bloated. Read this post I did for my school to see how I use it: How to Task Manage Like a Champ
Dropbox was the first company to “figure out” online storage and they are still the best out there. I use the free plan and while it is initially limited, you can jump through some easy hoops to improve your space (sign up with my above link to get an extra 500MB). Dropbox is the first program I install on a new computer/device and is essential to your digital life. I already wrote a post about using Dropbox to get your photos off your phone easily and I have a post about Dropbox in general.
When it comes to note-taking, brainstorming, or planning, I have been an outline person for most of my life. I still use outlines a lot, but recently I have taken to mind maps. MindNode is synced on my phone, tablet, and computer; it makes beautiful mind maps and makes them easily. When I make a mind map, I reach first for MindNode.
I love taking photos and recording videos of my family. I also place a lot of importance on these digital memories, so I use BackBlaze as my offsite backup for these files. Read my post about BackBlaze.
Photography
I used Aperture for many years and was sad when Apple shut it down. However, this was a blessing in disguise. I use Lightroom to manage 3 different libraries and handle all of my photo editing. Lightroom has been everything I need in a photo editing app and every photo my wife or I takes goes into Lightroom.
See the image at the top of this page? That image and the many others like it on my site are from Unsplash.com, an awesome website that hosts amazing images that are licensed under the creative commons zero policy. That means you can do whatever you want with the images and you do not even have to attribute the images to the original photographer. Unsplash is the first place I look for images.
Finance & Money
I wrote extensively about Mint in my Financial Freedom series so read through those posts to learn more. But to reiterate, Mint is how my family keeps track of our expenses, savings, and budgets. It is an essential tool!
Since my family uses credit cards exclusively, I rarely have cash on hand, and I prefer not to receive cash from others. Square Cash makes it so you don’t have to worry about this. Read my post about Square Cash here.
I know about and trust Square Cash (above) because I have used Square as the payment processor for my videography business for years. I have always been impressed with the high-end design of the software, the great customer service, and fast payment processing of Square. If you have a need to collect money via credit card, you should use Square.