Resources: 10 Tools I Love Using

Every now and again I get asked about the tools I use to do all the things I do, so here’s a list of resources that I have actually used, and, in some cases, still use on a regular basis.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, so if you do decide to purchase after clicking through, I get a “smalls”. Feel free to go directly to the relevant sites instead and skip this if you prefer. Below is my formal disclosure.

Disclosure: This personal website is independently owned and operated. It’s not a professional review site but may receive compensation from the companies whose products and/or services I review or mention. I have tested and reviewed the web sites listed here and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Resources for Building Websites

	WordPress: I use this for almost all my sites and have done since 2005. I love the flexibility of being able to create just about anything I need. If you’re not up to hosting it yourself, then feel free to check out WordPress.com
	After 10 years with my original host, and then about 7 years with my next, I switched to GreenGeeks in 2022. I am using them to host all my personal sites. I have had no uptime issues and their customer service is pretty good! I am using the shared hosting, but they do offer managed and VPS hosting as well – all green!
	WP Engine: For larger, more serious projects, you might want to consider these guys. It’s managed hosting running on some pretty serious infrastructure. The snapshot (before you make changes) feature is totally worth the money if you have ever messed up your site completely.
	Carrd: For simple (and temporary) websites where I don’t need or want to spin up a whole WordPress instance, I go with Carrd. You get up to 3 sites for free, but starting at $19 per year the Pro account lets you add custom domains and more features (totally worth it).

Resources for Creating Content

	Canva: I’ve been using Canva since their first year and I still love it. They make it easy to create great looking images, documents, slides and it’s my go to for all things graphic. I have used the paid plan but even the free one lets you do so much.
	Scrivener: This is an amazing piece of software for writers. Besides using it for major writing projects like a novel, I am using it to capture all the drafts and research for blogging.
	Scrivener has a learning curve but you can, of course, get some training to help get you up to speed quickly. Try Learn Scrivener Fast. I was part of the early beta programme and the material is solid.
	HitFilm: I started out doing videos in iMovie but my film visions grew bigger. HitFilm is an amazingly powerful video and VFX sofware, even without going to the (subscription) Creator or Pro versions. I barely scraped the surface of the things this tool can do, but it’s well worth checking out.

Resources for Managing Life

	YouNeedABudget (YNAB): This programme is my saving grace. Though I am still working my way through the basic principles of budgeting that the makers recommend. When I use the software, it definitely keeps me on track. Slowly but surely.
	Complice: This is more of an intentionality app than a to-do app but the approach is much more aligned with how I want to get things done in my life. It has helped me make consistent progress towards major life goals and I highly recommend.