Everyday tools I use
These are services I’ve stuck with for years. I value things that are boring, reliable, and don’t require constant attention.
Wise
I originally signed up to Wise years ago after dealing with an international invoice that took nearly a week to arrive — and lost money on the exchange rate for good measure. Wise was the first service that felt transparent: you see the fee upfront, the rate is fair, and the money actually arrives when they say it will.
Since then I’ve used it for freelance payments, moving money while travelling, and even just holding different currencies so I’m not constantly converting back and forth. It’s one of those tools that fades into the background, which is exactly what I want from anything finance-related.
If you ever deal with international payments — even occasionally — this is the first thing I’d recommend looking at.
Revolut
Revolut fills a slightly different role for me. I use it as a day-to-day spending card, especially when travelling or separating personal spending from everything else. The real value isn’t just the card — it’s the visibility.
Being able to glance at the app and instantly see where money’s gone has stopped a lot of “how did I spend that much?” moments. It’s also been genuinely useful abroad: no guessing exchange rates, no surprise fees after the fact.
I wouldn’t replace a traditional bank with it entirely, but as a companion account it’s hard to beat.
VPN
I held off on using a VPN for years because it felt like one of those things you “probably should” do but never quite get around to. That changed after doing a lot more work from cafés, trains, and airports.
Now it’s just part of the routine: connect, forget about it, get on with what I’m doing. It’s not about paranoia — it’s about removing an unnecessary risk when the solution is simple.
If you ever work on public Wi-Fi, this is one of those quiet, sensible upgrades.