Skip to content CraigSaves

Explore CraigSaves

Everyday life,
worked out.

Getting more out of everyday things shouldn't take so much work.

I build tools for things I want to do better, but keep having to work out by hand. My goal is to do more of that work for you.

Do the research Work out the numbers Keep track of the details

Less for
you to
manage.

The work I want my tools to take off your hands.

These things shouldn't be so hard.

You want to get more value from a credit card. Or buy the things you need when they're on sale. The benefit is there, but getting it can mean research, calculations and another spreadsheet to maintain.

That is where CraigSaves starts. I want to make those things worth doing by improving the result and reducing the work it takes to get it.

Get more value from my credit cards.

Offers, fees and bonus rules take work to sort through. RWRDS started with me trying to work out the best choice.

Explore credit cards

Pay less for the things I already buy.

A sale is useful when it's for something you need. The shopping tools bring deals and price history together.

Explore shopping

I started with my own spreadsheet.

I had a large spreadsheet to work out the optimal credit-card choice. The early RWRDS website was that work made available to other people, run from a Google Sheet.

The same idea runs through what I build. If I'm doing a useful job by hand, I want to turn it into a tool that does more of the work for everyone who needs it.

My spreadsheet became the early RWRDS site.

A useful tool should ask less of you.

Ideally, you tell it a little about your situation. It works out a good way forward and handles as much of the work as it can. That is what I'm building towards.

  1. Start with what you want to get done.

    Understand what you're trying to achieve and what gets in the way. Test whether the tool actually helps.

  2. Count your effort too.

    Extra rewards or savings can come with extra work. The time and attention you spend are part of the result.

  3. Let the tool do more.

    Use sensible defaults. Ask for details when they help. Take on calculations and repeated tasks wherever possible.

  4. Make the next step easy.

    When something needs your attention, help you do it. Keep improving the parts that take too much effort.

How I learned to approach problems this way

I have two university degrees. One taught me software engineering, how to build the tools. The other was modelled on Stanford's d.school. It taught me to understand people's needs, question how things work, and test better ways to do them.

I use both throughout the work. A tool needs to do a useful job and fit into the life of the person using it.

My approach draws on Clayton Christensen's Jobs to Be Done, Steve Blank, The Lean Startup, Stanford d.school, Nielsen Norman Group, and BJ Fogg.

What would you like to work out?

There are tools for shopping, credit cards, net worth, places and cooking. Each does a different job today. I want them to take on more of the work over time.

Find a tool for your next task

I'm Craig. I write about the work in Craig's notes. You can email me about the everyday things you wish were easier.