11 Apps That Will Totally Change Your Life
This piece originally appeared on DomaineHome.com.
It’s no secret that smartphones have changed socialization forever. But did you know they could change how you do your laundry, walk your dog, or even wake up? These 11 innovative apps will transform your life, saving you time, stress, and money.
Homejoy
Photo: Homejoy
Finding a reliable, trustworthy house cleaner used to be something you could only do via word of mouth. Homejoy allows you to easily schedule a background-checked, certified, and insured cleaner for as little as $25/hour. Your cleaning fee is based on the size of your home and any special cleaning tasks requested, and your cleaner will bring all the necessary supplies and equipment.
Porter
Photo: Porter
Need house cleaning, dog walking, or laundry services? Porter does it all, and each of its professionals have over two years of experience and are background-checked and insured. Pricing is flat rate (daily dog walking starts at $109/week, house cleaning at $68/week), and includes all supplies and equipment.
TaskRabbit
Photo: TaskRabbit
Wish you could pay someone to do… anything? With TaskRabbit, you can. Find safe, reliable helpers in your neighborhood, and have someone assemble your IKEA furniture, pack for your move, run errands for you, or wait in line for you at the DMV. All “taskrabbits” are background-checked and insured.
Handy
Photo: Handy
Need someone to hang a light fixture or install a shelf? Use Handy to book a trusted, background-checked, and insured handyman to help fix up your home. Appointments are available seven days a week in over 20 North American and UK cities—you can even book one for the next day.
Postmates
Want something picked up at a local restaurant, supermarket, or shop in your city and delivered to you? Postmates delivers from places that don’t even offer delivery themselves—think food, alcohol, electronics, prescriptions, and retail. All under an hour, 24/7, in 13 cities across the U.S.
Washio
Photo: Washio
There’s no quicker way to kill the mood than saying the words “laundry day.” Washio—available in LA, SF, DC, and more cities on the way—is an affordable dry cleaning and laundry service that picks up your dirty duds from your home, office, or wherever you are, and returns them within 24 hours. Payment is cashless (no more hunting for quarters!), pricing is market standard, and your clean clothes arrive with a cookie. Um, sold.
Instacart
Photo: Instacart
Do your grocery shopping from wherever you are with Instacart. With a few taps, the app allows you to shop fresh produce, meat, seafood, and other home and kitchen essentials from grocery stores like Whole Foods and Costco. Your delivery will be made within an hour, and you can even set a specific delivery time that works best for you. The app, which serves cities across the U.S., allows you to order from multiple stores at once, reorder previous deliveries, and even order fresh produce just the way you like it.
Venmo
Photo: Venmo
The next time you need to pay your friends for dinner, tickets, rent, or what have you, don’t worry about running to the ATM, not having even change, or having to write an IOU. Venmo allows you to easily pay or collect money from multiple people at once instantly for free. And better yet, you can cash out to any bank account overnight.
Wakie
Photo: Wakie
Have trouble waking up? Hate the jarring noise of an alarm clock? Wakie, available on Android and coming soon to iTunes, is a community of people who wake each other in the morning by socializing. The app connects you with friendly strangers from across the globe to wake each other up with a quick convo. The call lasts just 60 seconds and is completely anonymous. Weird, yes, but fun.
Shyp
Photo: Shyp
Forget packaging, waiting in lines, or even finding the time to get to postal office. There’s a new way to ship anything: Snap a photo of your item, enter an address, and Shyp will come pick it up, pack it, and send it anywhere in the world.
Uber
Photo: Uber
Located in more than 40 countries, Uber allows you to request a ride from a private driver and get picked up where you are within minutes. The on-demand services requires no reservations and can be paid for via PayPal or credit card.
In a similar vein, Lyft connects you with a local, DMV-checked community driver who will pick you up and drop off you off at an affordable price—cheaper than a cab ride. Want to take a good old-fashioned taxi? Download Curb or Flywheel to order one with the click of a button.
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