How Our Editors Streamline Their Digital Lives
It’s hectic over here on Chrome.
It’s no secret that we (you too, we’re guessing?) have a problem with the amount of tabs open both in our computers’ browsers and brains at any given time. We know it all goes back to that whole being-mindful, powering-down, unplugging (or at the very least turning our iPhones on to night shift come 10:00 PM) thing. But how can we really unplug when everything we do—from work to shopping for toiletries to even reading—is done on a device? Luckily, even though the amount of time we spend on the internet on the daily has increased, so have the amount of sites, extensions and apps that can simplify our lives, even if it’s just a tiny bit. Like the one that saves all the articles you want to read, or that inputs promo codes automatically on that new pair of shoes you’ve been eyeing, or the website that unsubscribes you from the original email newsletter that made you want to buy the shoes in the first place. Yeah, it’s a slippery slope—albeit one that leads to a better place. Below, our editors’ favorite time-saving and—we hope—money-saving digital tools. Brain clutter begone!
Alicia Cesaro
Parcel
“I’m still not sure if the online shopping tool Parcel is going to help save me a lot of $$ or result in me spending way more. But I do know that it cuts down on the amount of browser tabs open, which dramatically cuts down on my brain clutter, making me feel just a little bit more sane. With that goal in mind, it’s become a necessity. It’s basically an organized wish list of items, correlated in different ‘parcels’ so that you don’t have to keep fifteen windows open when trying to decide which new coat to buy. There’s a Chrome extension so you can add items directly from Zara, Net-a-Porter or wherever—and then it will alert you if those items go on sale. Right now I have three parcels going—wedding, interiors and winter items—so I can remember (and compare) items when payday rolls around.”
Jodi Taylor
Honey
“It’s no secret that I have a slight shopping problem. I partly blame it on my job, because, well, I’m forced to look at beautiful designer goodies every day (tough life, I know). In order to keep my credit card as far from maxed as possible, I do make a conscious effort to shop sales and capitalize on deals whenever I can. So, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered Honey, a Google Chrome extension that automatically scours the Internet for coupon codes for whichever site you are shopping on. Sure, sometimes there are no codes to be found (such is life), but in the few months since I downloaded it, there have been a good handful of times when I’ve actually found a code with a great discount. The beauty of it? Honey automatically checks all the codes for you, so it’s no extra work on your end. Now all I have to do is find out a way to not spend my saved money on another purchase.”
Noah Lehava
Gixen
“I have to give Meagan credit for changing my life—honestly. Because of this tool, which makes automated last-minute bidding on eBay for you, my blood pressure remains at a steady level and I’ve regained hours of my day. She, just like most people in my life, know that I’m a diehard eBay shopper—most of my best pieces are products of adrenaline-fueled bidding wars. But Gixen literally eliminates the worst part about eBay: losing. It’s not pretty, and its interface could use a bit of work, but it gets the job done. All I have to do it is input the eBay item number and set my absolute highest bid. Gixen pretty much does the rest by making only the necessary incremental bids at the very last second (literally two seconds, unless you pay for the premium timing of one second) so that I get the best deal.”
Laurel Pantin
TripIt
“I find searching through my emails endlessly frustrating, especially when I’m heading to the airport and need to quadruple-check that my flight is actually at the time I thought it was. I live in fear of showing up to LaGuardia for a flight that left three hours ago from JFK. TripIt consolidates all your travel information into a really easy-to-monitor format. All you have to do is make an account, and then forward all email confirmations to plans@tripit.com, and they do everything else for you. It’s amazing. You’re welcome.”