Those who know us already know we love Trello. For those who don’t know us: Hi, We’re Little Bird Marketing and we love Trello. Nice to meet you!
But seriously, if you’re looking for a project management tool/project collaboration powerhouse, look no further. Trello is based on a Kanban scheduling and inventory control system, and it works most efficiently for business purposes. But what if that’s not your thing?
We’re converts, here, so today I wanted to share with you a baker’s dozen of OTHER things you can do with Trello. Ready to organize and simplify your life? Buckle in.
1. Vacation planner
There are two types of vacationers: The ones who do nothing but relax, and the ones who try to cram absolutely as much enjoyment in as possible. Trello works for both, primarily because everyone needs to pack. Trello can help you organize your packing checklist so you NEVER get to the hotel without your toothbrush again.
For the people who love to see ALL the sights, Trello is awesome, because you can make lists of everywhere you want to go, then arrange the locations based on distance from your hotel, or order of importance!
2. Around the house
The ability to duplicate cards in Trello makes keeping track of recurring housework a snap. It’s master-list time! Share duties with the kids, spouse, or grandma (if applicable?). It’s equally awesome for home improvement projects.
Make notes of what materials will be needed so you have them at the home improvement store (likely saving three trips!) Take pictures of that paint swatch - it’ll be your safety net when you discover you need one more gallon and you can’t remember the color name. Was it dover white? Or snowbound?
Hear Momma Bird talk WITH Trello’s Stella Garber IN THIS AWESOME Podcast!
3. Party planner
Because there’s a whole lot to keep straight, make a board for parties, then make some lists. What kinds of lists? Invite list, home prep/cleaning checklist, drinks list, appetizers list, music list, games/entertainment list, and cleanup list. Or you could just wing it again. (Seriously, don't!)
4. Creative works organizer
Okay. If you're a graphic designer, a painter , a musician, a photographer, or basically anything creative, there is a lot you can do with Trello. Make an inspiration board, or a reference material board. Create cards to document your progress on various projects by uploading pictures, videos, graphics or audio files from your phone.
Have a deadline? Set a due date to keep yourself on track! The applications for creative management are limitless!
5. Collection compendium
I won't name names, but I know quite a few collectors. Not just the ones who collect valuable stuff, either. I know the ones who collect the weird stuff, like those 1980s Smurf glasses, old transistor radios, and tie-tacks. Or maybe it’s cufflinks. I forget.
To put it simply, last time you went to a comic book store, you overpaid for Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #7, but you meant to get #8, and then you were sad for three months. For goodness sakes, we don’t even have to remember phone numbers anymore. Why do we tax our mental capabilities by retaining every piece of our collections? It’s madness.
6. Wine list organizer
Similarly to #5, only way less ridiculous (no offense!), use Trello to keep a record of your favorite wines. Take a photo and put your notes in the description, complete with where you had it, how much it cost, etc. Then, when you get ready to have a party (see #3) you will know exactly which wine to buy. You can have a ready library of wine pairings in no time!
7. Grocery list
You're still writing a grocery list on a little piece of paper so you can mysteriously lose it into the black abyss upon your arrival at the store? That’s a bad deal. Not only can Trello fix that, it can also allow your spouse (if applicable) to add their requests right on the same card!
Go to the store, pull up the list on your phone, and boom! Nobody will say, “You forgot the almond butter!” when you get home.
8. Entertainment list
Binge-watch much? How long is the list of shows you’re planning to power through on Netflix? Maybe you’re a Hulu fiend? Maybe you still buy DVDs and CDs? (It’s cool, no judgment!) Let’s talk straight: It will take you 3 days, 18 hours and 30 minutes to make it through all 9 seasons of Seinfeld. My point is, you have a lot of planning to do, friend.
My advice? Make a huge list of everything you want to watch, then divide it into categories and start tackling that list. Time’s wasting!
9. Recipe organizer
Highhhhly recommend this. Think about it. So many different recipes. We look them up Pinterest, pull them from the family recipe book, get them from friends, and look! Look where they are… everywhere!
We have bookmarks, pins, we’re emailing them to ourselves, we’ve got index cards all over the place… it’s crazy town. Consolidate all that on Trello, and it will be there when you need it. No more digging.
10. Healthy living
One of the hardest parts of trying to improve one’s health is documentation. Use Trello to build a comprehensive health plan! You can make boards for healthy recipes, weekly meal planner, weekly workout planner, health goals and more.
Use the updates to document particularly effective workouts and/or stretches. Trello can help you track your progress and stick to your goals.
11. Baby book
This might sound crazy, and Trello doesn’t necessarily look it, but there’s a lot of heart here. Hear me out: Baby books are kinda hard to actually fill out, because when the baby stuff is happening, you’re a little busy - you know, parenting. Stay up late to find the baby book, and write a few things down, or go to sleep immediately because you’re exhausted? Exactly.
Trello is pretty well suited to this type of thing. You have a bajillion pictures in your phone, you can upload them and write descriptions for them. Make a board for each year and add your favorite memories with pictures. First words? Check. Favorite foods at six months? Check. Favorite Sesame Street characters? You get the picture.
12. Christmas Shopping (including budgets!)
As Clark Griswold said, “Take a look around you Ellen! We’re at the threshold of Hell!” Shopping for family members for the holidays is particularly troublesome if you have, you know, other stuff you do too; stuff like work, laundry, walking around…or breathing. It’s tough to keep it all straight.
Reduce the holiday headache by using Trello to organize your Christmas shopping list. You can include a budget for each person and check them off as you go. Heck, while you’re at it, add their addresses on a separate board and set a date so you can get their Christmas cards to them on time! It’s the gift that keeps on giving, Clark!
13. Goals/resolutions
You probably already know I’m big on New Year's Resolutions. I’m not just big on making resolutions, I’m big on sticking to them. Depending on your resolutions, using Trello can be a great way to hold yourself accountable to your goals for the new year. Set followup dates and check-in on your own progress, or let them act as a reminder to keep you focused.
Happy Trello-ing, friends! Comment below or hit us up on LinkedIn to let us know other uses for Trello that we haven’t covered. We love sharing ideas!
HEY!
Speaking of goals, check out our guide to SMART Goals. It has all the information you need to make your goals meaningful and accomplishable. You’re welcome!
Let Us Know What You Thought about this Post.
Put your Comment Below.