Are you trying to find ways to save money around your home? Technology has advanced greatly, which means more methods than ever before for reducing costs and cutting down expenses. From intelligent thermostats to automated payment systems, utilizing every tool available can help maximize the amount of savings possible. In this blog post, we'll examine eight different ways modern tech can support you in saving cash at home. Whether it's creating a budget application or taking advantage of voice-activated assistants, these pieces of advice will surely get you on track toward having an improved financial situation. Have any ideas come about how technology could be used as a way to save money while at home?
The 'smart home' is a fresh angle of the 'internet of things'. This involves objects that can aid you better by interacting amongst themselves or directly with you through your phone's apps. Ideally, in the future, all our appliances and gadgets could communicate with each other smoothly.
Exploring the Link between Modern Tech and Home Savings
Modern technology has totally transformed the way we save at home. We can now use tech to monitor our spending, plan for big purchases, and get hold of online discounts. Technology also makes it possible for us homeowners to make our homes more intelligent and energy-efficient which means saving money on power bills too!
One great example of how modern tech can help you out with savings is a budgeting app - Mint or YNAB are just two examples that let you stay on top of your expenses plus put aside whatever amount you'd like each month as part of an overall goal.
Using technology can be a great way to save money. For example, you can set up automatic transfers from your checking account into your savings account so that you never forget to put money away. These apps are user-friendly and free of cost – plus they give meaningful insight on how much you’re spending on what items and when – this is the perfect tool for making sure that every month, you stay within budget!
Additionally, modern tech also provides us with plentiful opportunities online where we can gain discounts or deals - places such as Groupon offer deals on common household essentials like groceries and toiletries while other websites provide discounts on trips or activities and other related fun stuff. When we have visitors we always check coupon sites for discounts and we usually find a discount or coupons that can only be found online.
Shopping online can often save us a lot of money and put it back in our bank account! Nowadays, there are websites that enable us to compare prices between different stores so we're sure to get the best deal. Many sites offer free shipping, saving you gas or just having to go shopping in a store.
How could living in such a high-tech home look?
Consider this scenario:
- Imagine your bedroom lights gradually brighten to softly wake you up, rather than a harsh alarm. The smell of fresh coffee fills the air to rouse your senses. When the lights are fully on, your heating system starts, ensuring your room is cozy before you leave your warm bed.
- As you get into the shower, it starts by itself and adjusts to your favorite temperature and water pressure. It even knows exactly how long you need to finish your shower and turns off by itself.
- Once you've left in your car, your home's alarm system turns itself on. It also has the ability to recognize other family members and unlock the door for them using biometrics.
So, do all smart homes function this way now? Not entirely. Although you can find some of these smart features in certain homes, we are not yet at a point where every feature knows what you want and when. But, with each year, we are getting closer to the exciting, shiny future we envision.
Following are eight trends for smart homes that can also help with savings:
Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats give us more control over temperatures around the house depending on our habits or time (for example lowering them when nobody is there). Old programmable thermostats work with a clock. But, they can be hard to set and are not always efficient. They just turn on and off at certain times, whether you are home or not.
New smart thermostats adjust the temperature if they sense you're home. When you leave, they go to standby mode saving power and money. Nest does this. It also lets you change the temperature remotely through your phone.
Smart Smoke Detectors
A good smoke detector can save lives. However, many use battery-powered ones that beep loudly when out of power. Instead of changing batteries immediately, we often disable the detector (which can be dangerous). Smart smoke detectors like Birdi not only monitor smoke but also carbon dioxide and pollution. They can tell the difference between an actual fire and burnt toast.
Smart Sprinkler Control
The weather can be quite unpredictable. We often face severe drought, particularly in summer. We might also experience extensive rainfall during the Monsoon season. We all know how heavy rainfall in a short amount of time can wreak havoc in the desert. But usually, once the Monsoon season is over, and sometimes we don't get enough rain from it to begin with, we need to water our lawns and plants.
Rachio Iro is a smart sprinkler controller. What does it do? It saves you money. It also protects our water resources. How cool is that? You can program it with your computer or phone. It adjusts the watering by itself. It does so based on the season and weather forecasts. Plus, you can change the settings with a mobile app at any time.
Smart Solar Panels
Let's talk about putting the sun to work with solar technology. It helps your home and the environment. Also, it can save you money. You can monitor the performance of these smart solar panels and switch them off. This applies during any weather emergency or fire.
You need to do your homework to see if installing solar panels will really save you money. In some cases, if you're just leasing them or purchasing them outright it can take around 8-9 years to break even. Are you going to own them or will you simply rent to use them? Will your roof hold up or will you need to install a new one in order to be able to install the solar panels without having to reroof down the road while the panels are still good.
Are you planning on moving before the solar lease or any kind of payment plan is up? Some buyers don't want to take on a lengthy lease or payment plan, and they will usually need to qualify to do either.
Smart Home Security Systems
Home security has advanced recently. Previously, contractors had to come and wire your house. Now, it's much simpler. Just place some smart devices in your house. They monitor movement and check whether doors and windows are closed or open.
Some systems even include audio and video monitoring. Sirens to ward off intruders are an added bonus. An app informs you about security issues immediately. This makes it more likely for intruders to get caught. For example, the Canary is a common all-around safety tool. It has video, audio, sirens, and even night vision. Check one of our prior blog posts about "5 Strategies to Enhance Your Home Security".
Now on to Smart Locks
Classic key locks are not the best. They can be easily picked by thieves. But new smart locks? They allow you to decide who gets in your home.
Name-brand Kwikset offers secure online keys. You can set these keys to work only for a while, like for a visitor's stay, or the cleaning crew's work hours.
Some lock systems use biometrics like finger scans. There are also systems that recognize faces to unlock your door.
Let's not forget the new August smart lock. It connects with Apple. This means you can tell Siri to open your door for you.
Moving on to smart lighting systems and bulbs
Good lighting makes a house feel cozy. However, lighting can be pricey. It eats up to 12% of your electricity bill, even reaching over $200 a year. But, cool smart lighting tech can cut this cost as they can offer efficient light use.
Philips Hue Wi-Fi lights are simple to add to your home. No need for special gear. Gadgets like smart light dimmers and sensors help watch your energy usage. Plus, you can use your phone to flick them on or off.
Want control over how warm or cool your room feels? Try new smart light bulbs. Take Lifx LED light bulbs. They let you set when to switch them on or off. You can have them wake you up gently with increasing light. Or, change the light from daytime to party mode.
We could also install LED lighting instead of classical bulbs. Small changes like this combined with modern tech - which usually don’t cost any extra - result in plenty of savings every month from utility costs!
Smart Appliances
Remember programmable slow cookers and coffee makers? Those were nice for their time. But now, smart appliances are here. They offer more control over food storage and preparation. Plus, they make house chores less of a hassle.
Like newer coffee makers. Take the Smarter coffee machine. It allows you to customize; your coffee. From the grind of the bean to the temperature. From strength to ready-to-drink timing.
Smart fridge technology keeps your food at the perfect temperature. It can adjust the temperature when the fridge is used a lot. For example, the LG THINQ fridge. Your phone app can warn you if a door hasn't been closed.
Smart ovens ensure meals are cooked just right and signal when ready. A neat oven, June, is by past Google, Apple, Go-Pro, and Path folks. It’s smart, with cameras and tools creating tailored food suggestions.
Smart washer/dryers allow fabric-safe custom cycles. Fancy features help extend dry times to conserve power.
Also, you'll find auto-ordering on connected appliances by GE, Samsung, and others. These smart machines can order detergent or softeners directly from Amazon. No more urgent store runs!
To sum up, modern technology can be incredibly useful in helping us save money at home. From automating our payments to tracking what we spend, there are plenty of options for people regardless of their tech knowledge level to make the most out of their home budget. Keeping these eight tips in mind should give you a great start on building your perfect plan and ensuring that everything is optimized when it comes to saving money! Do you have any other ideas on how technology can help with managing finances? Have you sampled these top-notch technologies? Or perhaps there's a favorite gadget we've missed? Share in the comments section!
Posted by Judy Orr on
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