I still remember the first time I asked my phone to set a two-minute timer for boiled eggs and it actually worked. Felt like magic, right? Fast-forward a few years and the same “magic” is waking me up, sorting my inbox, editing holiday photos and even reminding me to drink water so my mum doesn’t have to. The trick, of course, is artificial intelligence quietly running the background chores we used to do manually. Below are the tools, gadgets and tiny habits I personally rely on — nothing fancy, mostly free or freemium — plus a few that friends swear by. If you spot something that fits your day, steal it; if it feels over-hyped, skip it. Life’s too short to babysit gimmicks.
Morning fuzz: the alarm that learns
Sleep Cycle (iOS, Android) listens to my breathing and wakes me during a light-sleep phase. No more heart-attack alarms. Free tier is enough; premium (USD 29/yr) adds snore trends and Philips Hue integration. Google’s Clock app does a basic version for zero cents if you’re on Android.
Coffee, news and a five-minute brief
I’m half-awake, so I let Google Assistant read the daily brief while the kettle boils. “Hey Google, good morning” fires weather, calendar and NPR updates in one go. Alexa can do the same, but I like that Assistant piggy-backs on the phone I already own.
Inbox zero without the scroll-of-shame
Gmail’s Priority Inbox is old but gold; it shoves newsletters and “10 % off” spam into a side pile. For work mail I added Superhuman (USD 30/mo) because the keyboard shortcuts save me roughly 20 min a day — worth it when client emails fly in at midnight. If the price makes you cringe, try SaneBox (USD 7/mo) or just the free “multiple inboxes” lab inside Gmail.
Writing that doesn’t sound like a washing-machine manual
I draft in Google Docs, then run Grammarly (free) for spelling and tone. The premium tier (USD 12/mo) spots wordy sentences and suggests punchier lines — handy when I’m on deadline and my brain is custard. For long-form stuff I open QuillBot paraphraser (free up to 125 words) to escape repetitive phrasing without accidentally plagiarising myself.
Meetings that end on time (well, almost)
Fireflies.ai joins my Zoom and Teams calls, transcribes everything and emails a summary. Free plan gives 800 min of storage; paid (USD 18/mo) unlocks keyword search and CRM sync. Otter.ai is similar and a bit cheaper if you need Spanish or German support.
Slides in minutes, not hours
Beautiful.ai (freemium, USD 12/mo) auto-aligns graphics and keeps fonts consistent. Dump bullet points, pick a template, done. PowerPoint’s new “Designer” pane does a decent job for free if you already have Microsoft 365.
Groceries before the fridge becomes a science experiment
AnyList (free, USD 10/yr family) learns my repeat items and shares lists with my partner in real time. Google Keep works too, but AnyList sorts by supermarket aisle so I’m not ping-ponging between bread and bleach.
Dinner decisions
Yuka (free) scans bar-codes and flags junk before it lands in the trolley. For recipes I ask ChatGPT (free tier) “give me a 30-minute vegetarian dinner using spinach and paneer.” It spits out steps, macros and a shopping list. I still cross-check spices with mum’s handwritten diary because AI once suggested cinnamon in daal — not cool.
Money, bills and the guilt trip
I connect all accounts to Mint (free, US & Canada). It auto-tags transactions and yells if I blow the restaurant budget. YNAB (USD 14/mo) is stricter and uses envelope logic; great if you like granular control. Outside the US, MoneyWiz or PocketGuard do a similar AI categorisation dance.
Commute without road-rage karaoke
Google Maps’ “live view” AR arrows save me when I exit the subway and have no idea which way is north. Waze (also Google-owned) crowdsources traffic cops and potholes. Both free, both draining battery faster than a bored teenager.
Fitness tracking that isn’t a cult
I wear a Xiaomi Band 7 (USD 40) which uses AI to detect naps and REM cycles. Data syncs to Google Fit. If you’re already in Apple’s walled garden, the Watch SE (USD 249) does fall detection and irregular-rhythm alerts — peace of mind for parents.
Photos that sort themselves
Google Photos recognises “dog“, “passport“ and “rakhi 2019“ without me labelling a single shot. One search for “red car“ surfaces my Maruti pics from 2015. iCloud Photos does the same on iPhone. Free up to 15 GB, then pay Google One (USD 20/yr for 100 GB).
Language practice on the train
Duolingo’s AI adapts difficulty based on mistakes. Free version is usable; Super (USD 84/yr) removes ads and gives “mistake review” sessions. For live conversation I book 15-min pop-up calls on Cambly (USD 10.99/mo) — AI matches me with tutors in my time-zone.
Smart home lite
A ₹1,600 Mi Smart Plug turns the geyser on 20 min before I reach home. I set the routine in Google Home — no hub needed. If you rent and can’t rewire, these plugs are gold.
Health triage without Dr Google hysteria
Ada Health (free) asks symptom questions and suggests possible causes plus urgency level. It’s not a replacement for an actual doctor but stops me from imagining rare jungle fevers every time I sneeze.
Reading later, without the pile-up
Matter (free beta) uses AI to declutter articles and gives audio narration so I can “read” while folding laundry. Pocket’s “listen” feature is similar and available on free tier.
Focus music that actually works
Brain.fm (USD 7/mo) generates instrumental tracks that shift beta waves; I use the 30-min “deep work” loop when deadlines loom. YouTube’s “lo-fi beats“ radio is free and close enough if budgets are tight.
Travel planning minus spreadsheet hell
Hopper (free) predicts flight price drops and nudges me to book or wait. For road trips, Waze + Google My Maps lets me drop pins for dhabhas and photo stops; the route auto-updates if I miss a turn.
Kids’ homework (or your own upskilling)
Photomath (free) shows step-by-step solutions when you scan a maths problem. Khanmingo, Khan Academy’s AI tutor, chats Socratically — great for quick concept checks without paying ₹3k per hour tuition.
Backing up the brain
Notion AI (USD 10/mo add-on) summarises meeting notes, drafts blog posts and even writes SQL snippets for my side-project database. Obsidian with free community plug-ins can do similar local-first magic if you hate subscriptions.
Price reality check
Most everyday AI Tools is already baked into apps you own — Gmail, Photos, Maps, Siri, Google Assistant. If you’re starting out, exhaust the free tiers first; paid upgrades make sense only when you can measure the time saved or money earned. I spend roughly ₹1,800 a month on the stack above (excluding the Apple Watch) and earn back at least 8-10 hours of brain space — a trade I’ll take any day.
AI tools for daily life – ab iski poori kahaani hinglish mein, ek hi breath mein
Morning fuzz: the alarm that learns
Subah ki pehli cheez: phone alarm nahi, Sleep Cycle hai. Bande ne suna ki main abhi light neend mein hun to 6:28 pe hi baja diya – free wala version, premium 29 dollar saal bhar ka hai, lekin free mein kaam chal jaata hai. Uthte hi “Hey Google, good morning” – weather, calendar, aur dad ki tarah yaad dilata hai “aaj car ka service hai”. Alexa bhi kar sakta, lekin mere paas to phone hi hai, kya extra speaker khareedun?
Google Assistant
Bathroom mein kya karta? news brief chala deta, 4 minute mein NPR, BBC Hindi, aur local Aaj Tak ka podcast sun leta. Chai banate time Gmail khulta – Priority Inbox ne already “10 % off” wale mails side mein daal diye, asli kaam upar. Free hi hai, lekin agar client mails raat ko aate hain to Superhuman le rakha 30 dollar mahine – keyboard shortcuts se 20 minute bach jaate, varna free mein Gmail labs ka “multiple inboxes” bhi kaafi hai.
Grammarly free extension
Docs pe jo likhta hun uska angrezi theek karne laga rakha. Premium 12 dollar mahine ka hai, lekin free wala bhi spelling aur tone bata deta hai. Kabhi kabhi QuillBot free paraphraser – 125 words tak free, sentence twist kar deta hai taaki lage maine mehnat ki hai.
Meeting mein Fireflies.ai ko bula leta –
Zoom/Teams pe aa ke transcript bana deta, summary mail kar deta. Free mein 800 minute storage, agar zyada calls hain to 18 dollar mahine. Otter.ai bhi same kaam 10 dollar se shuru, lekin Fireflies mujhe zyada pasand kyunki Hindi bhi thoda samajh jata hai.
Presentation ka chakkar? Beautiful.ai –
slide auto-align karta hai, 12 dollar mahine. PowerPoint ka free “Designer” pane bhi kaam chala sakta agar 365 already hai. Boss impress ho jaata hai, bonus mil jaata hai – paise wasool.
Grocery list AnyList pe banata –
repeat items seekh jata hai, wife ko share kar deta, free. Google Keep bhi chalta, lekin aisle-wise sorting AnyList mein hai, supermarket mein dobara peeche jaane ka nahi.
Dinner ke ideas ChatGPT free tier se le leta:
“paneer aur palak se 30 min wala kuch bata” – recipe, calories, shopping list ek saath. Kabhi kabhi masala galat suggest kar deta, mummy ki diary cross-check karta hun.
Paise ka hisaab Mint (free) se –
bank accounts connect karta, auto-tag karta “restaurants”, “fuel”. YNAB 14 dollar mahine, envelope system sikhata hai, lekin free wala bhi kaafi agar self-control ho.
Ghar se nikalte hi Google Maps live view –
AR arrows dikha deta kaun sa mod lena hai. Waze free mein speed trap bhi batata. Battery kha jata hai, lekin road-race wala stress kam ho jata hai.
Fitness ke liye Xiaomi Band 7 –
40 dollar, sleep aur nap auto-detect karta. Apple Watch SE 249 dollar, lekin fall detection hai, budhape mein kaam aayega. Data Google Fit mein jaata, doctor ko dikhana easy.
Photos ka kya bataun –
Google Photos free 15 GB tak, “red car 2015” search karo, Maruti ki photo aa jaati hai. iCloud wala bhi same, lekin paid plan badhana padta hai 20 dollar saal se shuru.
Duolingo
Bhasha seekhna ho to free, AI difficulty adjust karta. Cambly 10.99 dollar mahine, live tutor se 15 min baat karwa deta, accent theek hota hai.
Geyser on karne ka Mi Smart Plug –
1600 rupee, Google Home routine laga rakha “reach home 20 min pehle on karo”. Kiraye pe rehte ho to wiring nahi chedna padta, plug mein daalo bas.
Health check Ada Health free app –
symptoms puch ke batata “doctor ke paas jao ya rest karo”. Dr. Google se kam darata hai.
Padhai ya bachhon ka homework –
Photomath free, step-by-step maths scan karta. Khanmingo AI tutor free beta mein hai, concept clear kar deta.
Focus music Brain.fm
7 dollar mahine, 30 min deep work loop. Free mein YouTube lo-fi bhi chalta, lekin Brain.fm ka science wala claim sun ke dimag shaant lagta hai.
Flight booking Hopper free-
price drop predict karta. Road trip pe Waze + Google My Maps – dhabha pins laga ke rakho, wrong turn pe route auto-correct.
Backup brain Notion AI 10 dollar add-on –
meeting notes summarise, blog post draft bana de. Obsidian free plugins se bhi kaam chal jaata agar local pasand ho.
Price jod lo: main kharch karta hun lagbhag 1800 rupee mahine (Apple Watch alag), lekin 8-10 ghante bach jaate hain. Time = paisa, deal fair hai.
Free wale options bhi likh diye hain, kahi na kahi se shuru karo. AI ki koi entry fee nahi, bas plug-in lagao aur kaam lo. Aur haan, jo time bache usme se 10 minute mummy ko phone kar lo, usme bhi thoda real intelligence kaam aayega.
