THE NUDGE Review: Your Personal Planner In ATX
1 in 4 Austin millennials are “nudgers”… you should be, too! Nudgers subscribe to an SMS service called The Nudge which sends out detailed plans for things to do around town. The Nudge is completely FREE and it can easily plan an amazing day for you- while remaining COVID conscious of course.

“Our goal is to help people live their best lives. We make tools that help you watch more sunsets, try new workouts, and sip wine with friends. In other words, be your best self in your precious free time,” The Nudge Co-Founder Sarah Peterson told me. “We believe in #nudging – the way you live when you remember life is short.”
So how does nudging work? Well, you’ll get 2 nudges sent to you per week. These are texts you’ll actually be excited to get, and I promise they’re nothing like the annoying political texts everyone got this year. A nudge might tell you about a new outdoor patio on South Congress and attach a link to reserve a table.
A couple of days later, a nudge could ask you how you’re wanting to spend Halloween and ask you to reply to an idea with a corresponding number. So they might list ideas labeled 1-6 and tell you to respond to one. You pick “#4 ghost tours”- the Nudge will then send you a detailed plan of where to catch a ghost tour in Austin and dinner close by. The next week it could send you a location of a secret hike with lots of wildflowers, and a sick food truck for breakfast tacos afterward.

This service is especially great because it takes all the hassle of research away. Especially due to COVID, it’s hard to anticipate where is really open, and what you can do. The Nudge is like your planner friend that always knows where, what, and how to make the most of your time!
Austinites need to take advantage of this incredible resource because we are one of only four cities across the country where The Nudge has launched. Started in San Francisco, the Nudge has since graced NYC, Seattle, and Austin with its lovely presence. Austin has an outgoing millennial population, and there’s enough here to be discovered for every type of person.
Peterson told me that at the beginning of the pandemic, the nudges were geared towards creative at-home ideas. More people were nudging than ever! As things began to re-open, the Austin city director and a team of local ambassadors constantly adapted content according to safety guidelines.
Every nudge sent out is something that has been personally done by someone on The Nudge team, so don’t worry about being bombarded by advertisements or paid promotions. This subscription is purely customer-based, so it’s all about what you can get from The Nudge- not the other way around.

“We want Nudgers to know they can trust us to only send them nudges for things and places we genuinely love, rather than just being paid to send them,” Peterson said.
That being said, if you really love The Nudge they just launched a premium version a few days ago! This will just give you access to local discounts, complete on-demand access to all nudges ever sent, and exclusive seasonal nudges just for you! This Plus subscription will only cost you the price of one medium coffee per month. If you thought The Nudge was already great, The Nudge Plus makes it amazing.
You’re missing out if you live in Austin and don’t subscribe to The Nudge. Free texts are sent twice a week telling you stuff to do, and you can sign up in less than a minute here www.nudgetext.com/austin. They also have an App available on the App Store and Google Play. The Nudge won’t sell your data nor push sponsored recommendations- it’s just an easy, clutter-free tool to help you use your free time in this amazing city!
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