Tires: I had been getting a fair amount of flats in the dirty winter/spring season, and switched to Specialized Armadillos. They are heavy and stiff to change, and I found I was getting just as many flats as with the regular tires. Now I ride Specialized All Condition Pro folding tires. I'm having great luck with them, and they are SO much easier to change that I am in love. I think the higher thread count helps, too.
Chain: Some of it depends on how you ride. This year, I wore out a chain a lot faster, and turns out I wrecked my cassette, too. I was on a climbing quest and did a lot of low gear mashing in trying to build my climbing stamina and strength. I'm sure that put a lot more wear on the chain.
"The best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew, and live through it." ~ Doug Bradbury