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17 cheap purchases that save me time

2023-05-26 · Long video (solo, talking head or whiteboard) · Ali, Ali Abdaal (channel) · recording, 9:18 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Productivity and time · mode: List of tips or lessons · tags: Sponsor segment present

Ali lists 17 cheap purchases that save him small amounts of time, from a keychain of charging cables, a physical alarm clock and a padlock for the gym to AirTags, spare chargers, an always-packed wash bag and a nail cutter, then says such things do not really move the needle on time management.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Introduction: 17 cheap purchases that save time

00:00:06 — Cable keychain, alarm clock, bins, padlock, journal, big backpack, EarPods, AirTag, spare chargers, second toothbrush, wash bag

  • ★★ Ali keeps a keychain of USB-C, Lightning and USB-A cables attached to his keys, so he is never without a phone charger. — 00:00:06
  • ★★ A small, cheap physical alarm clock saves Ali a lot of time: he does not need his phone to wake up, so he does not end up doom-scrolling on it before bed. — 00:00:19
  • ★ Ali keeps a cheap bin of five to ten dollars in every room, so he can throw things away without going to another room. — 00:00:34
  • ★★ Ali keeps a $3 padlock in his backpack, and another in his jacket, so he can go to the gym whenever he is out without going home to drop off his bag of expensive tech. — 00:00:50
  • ★★ Journaling and checking in with yourself on whether the way you spend your time is still in line with your goals and priorities saves, Ali says, a great deal of time over the long run, because it stops you working on the wrong things. — 00:01:16
  • ★★ Ali carries a big backpack, currently the Peter McKinnon one, so he never leaves home without his laptop; he has never once regretted having it with him. — 00:01:42 · Peter McKinnon
  • ★★ Ali keeps $20 wired Apple EarPods in his tech pouch for their microphone; although he owns AirPods Pro 2, he still reaches for the EarPods when he has an important call. — 00:02:49
  • ★★ Ali has AirTags on his keychain, in his wallet, his bag and his luggage; when he loses his keys, Find My on his iPhone tells him where they are. — 00:03:12 · iPhone
  • ★★ Ali keeps spare chargers in his bag, his travel bag and almost every room; cheap third-party chargers cost about $10 to $15, and charging anywhere lets him work where he is. — 00:03:40
  • ★ Ali keeps a second toothbrush that always lives in his wash bag, so he can stay at his mum's or with friends without packing. — 00:04:20
  • ★★ Ali's wash bag is always packed with a toothbrush and toiletries small enough for a plane, which saves the time of packing, unpacking and refilling. — 00:04:40

00:04:56 — Blender and Huel, the video's sponsor

00:06:38 — Water bottles, extra underwear, sleep masks, power bank, nail cutter

  • ★ Ali keeps water bottles in several rooms but likes small ones, because refilling becomes an excuse to go to the kitchen and take a break from work. — 00:06:38
  • ★ Ali takes finasteride and a Heights supplement in the mornings, and keeps a water bottle in the bathroom for it. — 00:06:38
  • ★ Ali has worn only Uniqlo AIRism underwear for five to seven years and owns about three times as many pairs as needed, so he can do the laundry half as often. — 00:07:09
  • ★★ Ali keeps three sleep masks, in his backpack, his travel bag and the bedroom, which help him sleep better on flights or at friends' places. — 00:07:29
  • ★ Ali always carries a basic Anker power bank, so he does not need to come home early to charge his phone or iPad. — 00:07:58
  • ★ Ali carries a nail cutter in his bag, because long nails make typing on the go unpleasant. — 00:07:58

00:08:46 — These purchases do not move the needle; the Trident system for time management

  • ★★ Ali admits that the cheap purchases on his list only save little bits of time here and there and are not really going to move the needle. — 00:08:46
  • ★★ For a time-management strategy that really moves the needle, Ali points to his Trident system, which comes with a free Google Sheets and Google Calendar template. — 00:08:46

In the description and comments

  • ★ Ali Abdaal (channel): Asked where to get the wash bag in the video, the channel answers that it is from Peak Design. — creator comment
  • ★★ Asked why he is not making more videos, Ali says he is taking a brief break to finish off his book. — creator comment · Feel-Good Productivity (book)

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

People: Peter McKinnon

Organizations: Anker · Heights

Concepts: Trident calendar system

Products: AirPods Pro · Apple AirTag · EarPods · Finasteride · Huel · iPhone · Uniqlo AIRism

Only in the description or credits: Feel-Good Productivity (book) · Peak Design

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