Okay, so I admit that it’s a stretch to say that I couldn’t live without these items. Technically, I need food, air, water, shelter and that sort of thing to survive.
However, these 10 things contribute so much to my life that I’d really hate to live without them. This list isn’t all inclusive, but these are the things that come to mind when I think of what really makes my life easier and fuller.
What’s on your list? What items would you never want to live without? How long have you had them, and what makes them so great?
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Evernote
I use Evernote to draft my blog posts, store my recipes, keep notes from work and home and much more.
I keep records of how and when I did certain household tasks and home repairs and how I resolved various problems at work. I store photos of my kids’ artwork so that I don’t have to save every masterpiece they bring home.
One of the coolest things about Evernote is its browser plug-in, which lets you easily clip text or entire web pages. This lets me save articles for later reading and save recipes that look yummy.
Cloud Storage (Google Drive and Dropbox)
Google Drive and Dropbox make it super easy to automatically upload photos and videos from your phone to the cloud, where they can sync automatically with your computer.
If you don’t already have Dropbox, you can sign up for free at this link. If you have a Gmail or other Google account, you already have 15 GB of free Google Drive space waiting for you, though your emails count against the 15 GB.
Upgrading your Google Drive space is super cheap, though. You can upgrade just your space with Google Drive, or you can subscribe to G-Suite for as little as $5 per month per user. With G-Suite, you get 30 GB of storage plus a Gmail address with your own company domain along with access to Google professional office software suite for documents, spreadsheets and presentations, smart shared calendars and more.
The following codes should get you 20 percent off your first year of G-Suite: A7J74J4KNNMR9RL or Q7NGPN47TEVW96L.
Amazon Prime
I can’t even begin to count the ways in which I love Amazon Prime. The two-day shipping by itself is almost worth the pricetag (try a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime
As if the two-day shipping isn’t awesome enough, Amazon Prime now offers some items with free same-day and next-day deliver, plus there’s Prime Now for ordering groceries and other items you can get delivered to your door within a couple of hours.
Plus, there’s Amazon Instant Video, with scads of fantastic videos available to stream at no extra charge – free with your Amazon Prime membership. It’s a big part of why I was able to cancel my pay TV service for good last summer and not miss it at all. True, I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I do like to watch something on occasion, as do my husband and kids. I really thought we’d miss the satellite dish more than we do.
I also listen to Amazon Prime Music all the time, which includes most of the songs I want to hear, whether old or new, completely ad-free. What’s your favorite part of Amazon Prime?
Roku Streaming TV Devices
I got my first Roku around 3 years ago, and now we have Roku streaming TV devices on all three of the TVs in the house.
As a result, we’re now saving more than $100 per month since we canceled our pay TV service last summer. Keep in mind that having Roku is not the same as having a smart TV with built-in access to Netflix and Amazon Prime.
We have a “smart TV” in our family room, and the user interface is slow and clunky. We almost never use the smart TV function for streaming. We use the Roku or sometimes the XBox 360. Before we got the Roku on that TV, we probably used the XBox more for streaming TV than for games.
My Samsung Smartphone
I had my first smartphone, a BlackBerry Tour, for a few years, then had my Samsung Galaxy S4 for two more years. Though I loved both phones, it was easier to transition from the S4 since I went from that to the absolutely incredible Samsung Galaxy S7.
You can find more specifics about my experience with the Samsung Galaxy S7 in my comprehensive review, but one favorite feature of mine is the outstanding camera. I thought my S4 had a dandy camera, but the S7 even blows that away. I’ve taken nighttime photos outside my house with no flash and just the nearby pole light as the only lighting source, and they came out looking fabulous.
If you’re looking to upgrade your phone, I highly recommend the Galaxy S7.
My Schwinn Recumbent Exercise Bike
I’ve had my Schwinn recumbent bike for 10 years. The model was discontinued a long time ago, but it’s similar to the Schwinn 270 recumbent bike on the market today.
This bike was an extremely wise investment on my part, considering how long I’ve had it and how often I ride it – generally four times a week. A good piece of exercise equipment that you’ll actually use is much cheaper in the long run than a gym membership. A recumbent bike ride also goes by quickly since you can easily read a Kindle book or watch TV while you’re riding.
Walmart Grocery Pickup Service
I used to avoid shopping for groceries at Walmart because I couldn’t stand the crowds and long checkout lines. That all changed last summer when my closest Walmart store began offering their new online grocery ordering service.
Unlike other local grocery stores’ online shopping services, Walmart Grocery is free, and Walmart remains the cheapest grocery store by far. I save tons of time and money by using Walmart Grocery service. Want to try it?
Click this link to try Walmart Grocery for yourself and save $10 on your first order. Be sure to search for your local Walmart first, to make sure it offers the service.
My Dyson Cordless Vacuum
I heart my cordless Dyson vacuum, which is a DC59 Motorhead. The current version, the Dyson Cordless V6 Motor Head vacuum, seems even better.
A cordless vacuum makes it so much easier to vacuum, not only for standard vacuuming but also for stairs and vehicles. It’s incredibly convenient to vacuum everywhere without dragging an electrical cord along.
Sonicare Electric Toothbrush
Besides Glide floss, my trusty Sonicare toothbrush is the other tool in my dental toolbox to help keep my pearly whites clean and keep dental cleanings relatively brief.
I’ve had my Sonicare for about 10 years. I’ve tried other electronic toothbrushes and always went back to my Sonicare.
Crocs Shoes
I couldn’t understand the appeal of Crocs until I tried them myself, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve hardly ever worn tennis shoes since buying my first pair of Crocs.
I even have a pair similar to the Women’s Kadee Flat Crocs that I wear for work sometimes. That’s right – Crocs come in a variety of different styles besides the standard clog that you think of when you think of Crocs, including styles appropriate for the office.
It’s important to note that there’s no substitute for real Crocs. Those knock-offs in drug stores and discount stores are not even close to the real thing. If you compare them side to side, you can immediately tell which ones are the real Crocs.
One of my daughters used to have a pair of fake Crocs, and they actually rubbed her foot to the point where it bled! I have never bought phony Crocs again since that happened.
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