25 brilliant ways to use AI outside the office

I bang on about AI at work all the time, but what about using it to stop your home life from being an absolute disaster? AI can help with that!!

Here are 25 practical ways to use AI at home. Whether you want to save time, solve annoying problems, or spark some creativity with the family, these are all hacks you can try today.

Food and kitchen wizardry

The Fridge Detective Trick: Take photos of your full fridge (doors open, obviously – we're not photographing appliances for fun). Upload them to AI so it learns what you normally stock. Then when your fridge looks sad and empty, snap another photo and ask "What am I missing?" Instant shopping list.

Smart Grocery Lists: Tell AI your weekly meal plan and it'll create an optimised shopping list grouped by supermarket aisle. Just tell it your store layout once and you'll zip through the shops like a productivity legend.

Leftover Rescue Mission: Got leftover bolognese from last night's lasagna? Upload a photo and ask for three creative ways to transform it. There's a lot you can do with bolognese, turns out.

Budget-Friendly Meal Prep: Ask for meal ideas under a specific dollar amount per serving. Be realistic – don't ask for 50-cent meals unless you enjoy disappointment.

Dietary Swap Shop: Get a base recipe, then ask for swaps for allergies, intolerances, or picky eaters. "How do I make this work for someone who thinks onions are the devil?"

Home organisation

Declutter Helper: Upload photos of your messy spaces and get a step-by-step decluttering checklist. Makes the process less overwhelming when you've got a plan to follow.

The Laundry Whisperer: Remember that ABC lady who could remove any stain with household items? AI can do that now. Describe the fabric and stain, get specific removal instructions.

15-Minute Guest Panic Clean: Take a photo of the space that needs tidying and ask for a fast cleanup routine before guests arrive. Reusable system for when people decide to pop over unexpectedly.

Parenting sanity-savers

Custom Bedtime Stories: Give AI your child's name, maybe your pet's name, and some details about what they love. Get a personalised story, bonus points for requesting it "in the style of Dr. Seuss."

Homework Helper: When your kid comes home with concepts that make you feel ancient or confused, ask AI to explain it in age-appropriate language. No more feeling like a fraud during homework time.

Instant Quiz Machine: Child has a test coming up? Give AI the topics and it'll create practice quizzes with questions and answers. Better than you frantically googling "Year 7 maths questions" at 9pm.

Co-Parenting Communication: If you're dealing with a tricky co-parenting situation, AI can help tone down emails into neutral, professional language. Removes the emotion, keeps things civil.

Health and wellbeing

Personal Trainer Personas: Tell AI to channel your favourite fitness expert (I love using Andy Galpin's approach), describe your goals and equipment, and get a personalised workout program.

Equipment-Free Workouts: Take a photo of your home setup (or lack thereof) and get exercise routines that work with what you've got. No gym required.

Macro Analysis: Take photos of meals and get breakdown of macros. Also works in reverse – tell it the macros you want to hit and get recipe suggestions.

Social life and fun stuff

Party Planning Pro: Planning a gathering? Get creative solutions for themes, menus, decorations, and themed playlists. Takes the stress out of hosting.

Gift Idea Generator: Describe the person, their interests, your budget, and get thoughtful gift suggestions. Saves you from panic-buying another scented candle.

Travel Planning: Use Perplexity for this one – describe who's travelling, ages, interests, budget, destination, and dates. It'll create itineraries and even find events happening while you're there.

Board Game Rule Translator: Upload those incomprehensible board game instructions and get them explained in simple language. Fewer arguments, more fun.

Everyday productivity

Budget Assistant: Upload photos of bills or credit card statements (check your security settings first) and get help creating realistic budgets.

Polite But Firm Email Drafter: Need to tell your neighbour about their barking dog? Ask your landlord about something? Get help writing emails that are diplomatic but clear.

Contract Clause Checker: Upload contracts for photography, events, or services and ask it to highlight any concerning clauses. Not a replacement for legal advice, but useful for everyday contracts.

Problem solving

Warranty Translator: Upload warranty documents and ask what they actually mean in plain English. Include your location for local consumer law context.

Plant Doctor: Take photos of your dying plants and get identification plus care instructions. Might finally stop you killing everything green.

Wardrobe Stylist: Upload photos of clothing items and get fresh outfit combinations. Also useful for creating packing lists for trips.

Lost Item Search Strategy: Can't find your keys/phone/passport? AI applies behavioural science to create systematic search plans. Surprisingly effective.