13 Alexa Hacks That'll Help You Make The Most Of Your Weekend

If you want a fancy dinner reservation for a date or your friends but don't know where to go, Alexa can help. Just say, "Alexa, open OpenTable," and your virtual smart assistant will help you make dinner reservations up to 2.5 hours right before your plans. Alexa will ask you a few questions to try and gauge where you want to eat, and then you'll be able to choose a restaurant you like best from a list. All you have to do is give your name, number, and email so that you can have all the confirmation details on you once your dinner plans are set.

Figuring out what you want to eat in the moment can be super daunting if you're indecisive. But thanks to Alexa's Meal Planner skill, you can plan your meals ahead of time to make sure you don't have to scramble when dinner time rolls around. Plus, knowing what you're going to eat or have to cook can potentially stop you from getting frustrated and going out to eat. This could even save you some money! Either way, whether you need to add a meal to your Saturday plan or be reminded of what you're eating for breakfast Sunday morning, it's all possible.

If you want to knock out some cleaning over the weekend, you can use Alexa to make a to-do list of all the things that need to be swept, wiped, and shined. You simply say, "Alexa, add 'Clean the shower' to my to-do list," setting Alexa up to read your list back to you later. You can keep adding things to your list until you've got every surface (and crevice) covered.

If you have a go-to order from your favorite restaurant, Alexa can help you have a relaxing night in by reordering it for you. Just say, "Alexa, open Seamless," and you can easily guide Alexa to place an order for your usual meal. And because having Seamless on Alexa means you already set up your credit card information, you don't have to do anything besides open your door when your food is there.

When was the last time you saw a movie in theaters? If you want to see whatever's playing on a whim, you can say, "Alexa, what theaters are near me?" and discover the best movies playing close by. You can take it to the next level by even purchasing your tickets with your voice by saying, "Alexa, open Fandango" and searching through the best ticket prices. Unfortunately, you are going to have to buy popcorn yourself (in person).

Don't want to have to leave your house to see a good movie? No problem. You can use Alexa to stream a movie right from your living room using your Amazon devices. All you have to do is say, "Alexa, search for Legally Blonde" and you'll be able to put on a movie either for yourself, you and a date, or you and your friends.

If you want to do something exciting and spontaneous for the weekend, you can have Alexa order you concert tickets ahead of time. By saying, "Alexa, open Ticketmaster," you'll get to explore upcoming shows, check out the cheapest seats, and pay for tickets all with the sound of your voice. You can do all this in the time it takes you to pick up your phone and text your BFF, "I got us concert tickets for tonight!"

If you want to get out for the evening, you might want to order a Lyft, and if you know you'll be pressed for time, you can use Alexa to figure out how long a Lyft will take to get to you. You also can check how much it'll cost you ahead of time. All you have to do is say, "Alexa, ask Lyft how long a Line to Wendy's house will take" or "Alexa, ask Lyft how much a Line to Starbucks will cost" and you'll be able to figure out your Lyft details without even lifting a finger. Lyft even gives you the option to ask Alexa to tip your driver and leave reviews.

If you haven't invested in a lot of board games, that's no problem. You can still plan a fun game night with friends using Alexa's skills. From drinking games to intellectual puzzles, there's a wide range of possibilities. All you have to do is go through Alexa's extensive game list (which is listed underneath Alexa's Skills) and choose what games would be best for your party.

Although resting on the weekends is good, if you get too much rest it can mess up the flow for the rest of the week. You can make sure this doesn't happen by letting yourself sleep in but still planning a weekend morning routine with Alexa's Routines. These routines sync with your smart devices and let you schedule out a series of events that are triggered by a vocal command. For example, if you set your trigger as "Good morning," once you say that, you can have Alexa read you the news or report on the traffic.

Want to host an impromptu party next weekend but are too busy to send out invites? No worries at all. If you program your email into Alexa's settings, you can create and send emails to as many people as you want just with vocal commands. Send emails to your closest friends inviting them over all while vacuuming the living room. You won't have to miss a beat.

If you're seriously Type A and need to plan out every hour of the day, Alexa can help you out. Just by telling Alexa your plans for the day, you can create a virtual and oral schedule for yourself to make sure you pack in as much fun as you possible can. Simply say things like, "Alexa, schedule brunch with Georgina Saturday at 10:30am," and you can go through your day making plans and staying on schedule. By asking, "Alexa, what's on my schedule for today?" you'll also get a rundown of the day's activities anytime you want.

If you like your weekends to be productive, you can use Alexa to help with that too. Getting grocery shopping done on weekend mornings is a great way to make sure you have everything you need for the upcoming week without making a big dent in your day. And with Alexa's shopping lists, you'll be able to get your groceries faster and more efficiently. Just say, "Alexa, add almond milk to my shopping list." Then, you can continue to vocally add items whenever you realize you need them. This way, when you run to the store on Saturday morning, you'll already know exactly what you need.

It doesn't matter if you want to go out and party with dozens of friends or spend an intimate night in by yourself — Alexa can help you plan your ideal weekend all without even getting out of bed.