Feeling Lazy? There's An App For That!
- Zane Balmaceda
- Aug 22, 2016
- 5 min read
Do you still remember the old days when you have to do all the chores: pick up the groceries, make dinner, queue-up to order lunch, get a takeaway, run to the wine shop, pick-up dry cleaning, hail a cab... and the list goes on. That is so ten years ago. These days, with the development of handy devices and apps, some might say, these two things are our modern day heroes.
In cities like Hong Kong and Manila, you can never save enough time to squeeze in a simple errand in the middle of your day. When everyone and everything is in such a hurry and the traffic is just as bad as always, how do buy time so you can have enough for your friends, family or even just for your own sanity? Here are some suggestions that could make your daily life easy.
FOOD DELIVERY
There are two big players of restaurant food delivery in Hong Kong - foodpanda and Deliveroo. Although foodpanda has more restaurant options and is more widely available in many areas in both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Deliveroo keeps its promise to deliver your orders within thirty-two minutes.
If you live in Manila and Cebu in the Philippines, you might want to explore the restaurant options that deliver within your area using foodpanda. If you like to read food reviews and features on the restaurants before you make the order, Zomato is the app for you. Zomato delivers in more areas than foodpanda.
foodpanda is available in Hong Kong and in the Philippines
Deliveroo delivers in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon
Zomato, formerly known as Two-Any-One is available in the Philippines
GROCERIES-ON-THE-GO
With a little bit more cost on your regular groceries, you can buy yourself precious time to do something else. In a fast-paced city, this brings a stunning amount of convenience in to your daily life.
In Hong Kong, this kind of convenience is offered by Honestbee. Your groceries are guaranteed to be delivered in the next sixty minutes or sometimes, even less.
In the Philippines, your helping hand is none other than HappyFresh. They also deliver your grocery items within in the next hour.
In a busy day, you can even schedule your delivery time so you can shop on your phone during your lunch break and have your items delivered to you when you get home. This also works for sick people who can't get out of bed or for those who just don't want to get out of the bed.
Honestbee delivers on the same day in Hong Kong on your preferred time.
HappyFresh promises to give you that convenience any day that you need it within the Philippines
TRANSPORTATION
Uber in Hong Kong was launched in 2013 and it has changed the way we live our lives in terms of traveling to and from work. Why waste an hour waiting for a cab or why force yourself to hop on a bus or take the MTR when an Uber driver can take you places with ease and comfort? This is ideal for people who need extra minutes of sleep and for people who need to work on their computers at the backseat of the car.
Uber is also in the Philippines, but with a strong rivalry against Grab. It could get a bit pricey during surge hours for both of these players, but they ensure you safety and comfort especially when you have to endure long hours on the road trying to get to your destination. Another good news is that you are safe from scamming taxi drivers all around the metro.
Uber is available in Hong Kong and the Philippines
Grab can take you places within the Philippines
HOME AND OFFICE CHORES
Whether you don't have the time or you're just feeling super lazy, a personal assistant would come in very handy. You can ask someone to do the tasks for you: pick-up the laundry, get you a cup of coffee, paint the walls or even help you with planning an event. Give the tasks to the right people. Who says you can't hire an assistant for a day?
If you need an extra hand in Hong Kong, SpotHelp is your best bet. If you are in the Philippines, the guys from Gawin.ph will get the job done.
And since we promised you laziness, these personal assistant apps and services could even cook you food or clean your house because why the heck not?
SpotHelp is your assistant on-demand in Hong Kong
For whatever help you might need in the Philippines, give a shoutout to Gawin
RESTAURANT DINING
If you are not keen on ordering food delivery, or if you are looking for great deals that will also ensure you a table for an important business meeting or a group gathering, these next apps are something you will surely need.
You can set your preferred time once you select a restaurant, and the good news is that you are in for a treat! You can get as much as twenty to fifty percent discount on your total bill when you book your lunch or dinner or even a short coffee break in the afternoon.
In Hong Kong, Chope offers this service. All you need to do is sign up and select the area where you want to dine, and then select the discounts and promos that you want to avail. In the Philippines, Gourmet Society which will be re-branded as BigDish which is set to launch on September, and Booky are your guide to finding the best restaurant deals that will surely get you a table reserved under your name.
Chope gives you a big list of options for restaurant dining in Hong Kong
Gourmet Society will be re-launched with a new brand name - BigDish. Opening in Manila and Hong Kong this September 2016
Booky will help you get that table reservation with great deals and offers from restaurants in the Philippines
MOVIES AND ENTERTAINMENT
Yes, we did say lazy. And these next apps will surely get you glued on your couch or bed all day with the world's biggest list of movies available on streaming using your laptop, iPad, tablets or any smart phone. This is what we call the kings of all the lazy apps out there. With these, you can watch movies and TV shows while ordering food delivery, while your on-demand assistant cleans your home or even while you're on the backseat of a moving Uber car.
Netflix was launched in Hong Kong and in the Philippines at exactly the same time last December 2015. Although the selections are still a bit limited as compared to what the USA version does, there are still some Netflix exclusives that you can enjoy.
iflix on the other hand, available in the Philippines has more shows and movies available in their library. The user interface is not as user-friendly as that of Netflix, but hey, they've got Korean, Filipino, Hollywood and European movies available for you any time of the day. Subscription is also a lot more affordable with iflix.
Enjoy your favourite Netflix shows on-demand any time of the day in Hong Kong and in the Philippines
Subscribe to iflix in the Philippines to watch your favourite local and international shows and movies
It is very true that technology changes the way we live. It provides enormous comfort and convenience in our busy lives. For just a little bit extra cash to add on your usual spending budget, you can buy yourself some precious time to relax with your friends and family or finish some other more important tasks at hand.
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