Real Talk 23rd February 2017 by Victoria Stokes

Busy AF? We Trialled 3 Apps That’ll Give You Stacks More Time

Is outsourcing your life the way forward? We reckon yes!

Staying late at the office, spending hours commuting to work, squeezing in a side hustle, and all while trying to keep up with your mates.

That’s a typical scenario for millennials these days and I’m no different. I work Monday to Friday, 9.30 to 5.30, I spend an hour in the gym five times a week and I use up at least a few hours every week studying for a certificate in life coaching.

That’s before I’ve even accounted for the time I spend socialising with friends and family, attending events for work and edging in some time to relax.

Naturally then, when a PR firm contacted me and asked if I wanted to trial three apps that would streamline my life and give me back a stack load of my time in the process I jumped at the chance.

Included in the deal was a three-hour house clean from Hassle, a wash and fold laundry service from Laundrapp and €100 credit for takeaway app Deliveroo. (When I first saw that balance I thought it would take me forever to spend it. It didn’t…)

So how did I get on? And is there really a case for appifying your life?

To suss it out, lets weigh up the pros and cons and look at each app individually, shall we?

Deliveroo

Most of you will already be familiar with this one, mostly because of those turquoise-clad cyclists you’ve seen whizzing around the city, delivering people’s dinner. I must admit, I got a bit carried away with this one and invited two mates around for a takeaway on the first day I downloaded it. It’s certainly handy, and there’s loads of choice on there depending on your area. There’s even a decent range of healthy options if that’s what you’re after too. The only downside? An obvious one: ordering takeaway all the time is going to get pricey. Still, it’s a good one to have lined up if you’ve had a terrible day at work, are killed with period cramps, or seriously CBA cooking dinner.

Hassle

Recently I’ve been getting up at 5.30am to try and squeeze everything in, so I was looking forward to letting tech take over for a bit and it was the Hassle app that excited me most. Here’s the premise: it’s basically a cleaning service app that hooks you up with local cleaners in your area. Once you’ve found one, you can opt for a one hour or three hour clean of your house. Then all that’s left to do is to let them into your gaff and let them get to work.

I can’t mention this app without saying how uneasy I initially felt about letting a complete stranger into my home, despite him being absolutely charming and lovely. That all subsided when I returned after work and found my house cleaner than it’s probably ever been before. Like, glistening. It’s pretty decent value for money too, I reckon. A one-hour clean costs €13.90, so it’s definitely affordable if you’re aiming for a once a week clean, especially if you’ve housemates to share the cost with.

Laundrapp

Handing over a load of dirty washing to someone you don’t know feels a bit weird if I’m honest. With this app, you book in a slot when you’re free and someone will call over at that time to collect all your laundry. Then they’ll drop it back to you all freshly washed at a time you’ve selected. There are loads of options on this and if you’re feeling particularly flush with cash you can opt to have your clothes dry cleaned and ironed too. The biggest pitfall? The service is charged per kilo so it can work out fairly pricey. Still, this app made me feel like I was living back at my parents’ house and getting my mum to do all my washing – and I certainly wasn’t complaining.

So what’s the verdict then? Is outsourcing your life to apps the way forward?

If you’re short on time but not on money then using these three apps is a no-brainer. Realistically though, not everyone has the cash to eat takeaway more than once a week or to outsource their cleaning and their laundry on a regular basis.

That said, the sheer luxury of having the cooking, cleaning and washing all taken care of was an incredible relief.

My thoughts? I’d download these apps and save them for those weeks life is getting particular stressful. When you’ve got a looming deadline or more commitments than you can count, knowing that you’ve a takeaway en route, clean clothes to wear and a tidy house to go home too, surely makes things seem just that little bit more manageable.

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