10 Money-Saving Gadgets That Fight Inflation
With inflation now predicted to soar to more than 10 percent this year and next, many people are wondering whether there are any gadgets out there that could potentially help them save money.
Author:Stefano MclaughlinReviewer:Luqman JacksonJul 30, 2022106 Shares1.4K Views
With inflation now predicted to soar to more than 10 percent this year and next, many people are wondering whether there are any gadgets out there that could potentially help them save money.
Well, the good news is that there are. Today there are all sorts of budget-friendly appliances and electronics you can install in your house to save some pennies.
So what are they? Let’s take a look:
Smart Thermostat
You probably saw this one coming. A smart thermostat is a programmable device that can also learn how you like to arrange the heating in your home. These connect to your WiFi and phone and let you adjust your heating to whatever level you like.
What’s nice about these gadgets is that they show you how much energy you’re consuming in real time. You can see both the per-hour and per-day rates, and what you can do to bring them down - now, that’s a nice solution in a year when energy prices are up 100 percent!
Herb-Keeper Vases
Most store-bought fresh herbsonly last a couple of days before they lose their freshness and begin to wilt. However, with herb-keeper vases, you can prevent this from happening. These clever receptacles give the plants the moisture they need to stay fresher for longer. Because they don’t have roots, they won’t last forever, but you might be able to keep them going for a week or more if you’re lucky.
Using them is inexpensive, too. Just fill them up with a little water and then top them up later on, if required.
Low-Energy LEDs
Imagine if you could keep the lights on in your home all day long without ever having to worry about energy bills or them burning out. Well, that’s precisely what you get when you choose LEDs. These use semiconducting materials to convert electrons into visible photos, negating the need to heat an intermediate filament (which is a requirement for traditional bulbs). This process dramatically reduces energy consumption to the point where using a lightbulb becomes a negligible expense.
How little energy can LED lights consume? Some bulbs are available that will draw less than 4 watts from the mains, which is between ten and twenty times less than traditional bulbs.
Money Monitors
Money monitors are a bit like smart thermostats in that they tell you how much money you’re spending each day by keeping your appliances turned on and plugged in. They plug into your mains outlet, showing you how much your TV or microwave is really costing you.
If you can, try to fit the money monitor close to where the grid power comes into your house before it goes into different circuits. This way, you can keep track of your total spending on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis.
Once you have the information to hand, you can quickly see which devices are energy hogs, and which aren’t. You can also see those that are costing you money even when switched off.
Food Preservers
You can now get gadgets that look like bath bombs that you place in your refrigerator that keep your food fresher for longer. They work by absorbing gasses that fruits and vegetables emitas a ripening signal. This way, items remain significantly fresher for longer, even if some of the fruits in your refrigerator are older than others.
The return on investment is high. Food preservers themselves will set you back around $12 while, over the course of a year, they may preserve food worth up to $600 or more.
Hands-Free Lights
Most businesses operate hands-free lighting systems in corridors, warehouses, and basements. Lights only turn on if there’s someone there. Otherwise, they switch off.
Nowadays, you can get similar systems installed in your home. This way, no matter who lives with you, you can minimize light usage.
Hands-free lighting systems are a great option for anyone who has children. This way, you don’t need to remind kids to turn off the lights when they leave a room. Technology does it all automatically.
Solar-Powered Garden Lights
Once you pay the upfront cost, solar mushroom lightsdon’t cost any money to run. During the day they collect solar energy via a small solar panel, storing it in a battery. They then use it to power lights in the evening, allowing you to enjoy your garden at night.
Thanks to the way solar panels work, rain and snow don’t matter either. Panels will still collect solar energy, even if conditions are bad.
Save Energy With Socket Switches
Many sockets don’t have any switches at all. And while this is a convenient way of doing things, it also allows energy-sucking appliances to increase your electricity bill, even when you’ve turned them off.
Now, though, you can get helpful socket adapters with a switch on top. Simply press the switch to cut all power to the devices.
Surge Protectors
Occasionally power companies make mistakes when supplying energy to customers. They provide too much or too little which can harm today’s sensitive modern electronic devices, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage. The same is true of lightning strikes or when power lines get cut down in storms. Power surges race through the system, causing untold damage.
Therefore, surge protectors are a great way to save money. These clever little devices monitor current and voltage and automatically cut the power to zero if there is a problem. They are particularly good at protecting sensitive appliances, such as refrigerators, against under-voltage, a common problem in developing countries.
A Cable Protector For Your Notebook
Most notebook manufacturers include moderate cord protection on their cables. This prevents damage to the metal wires inside that carry current.
However, these aren’t always 100 percent effective. They last for a couple of years and then fail, forcing you to splash out on new cables in the future.
Stefano Mclaughlin
Author
Luqman Jackson
Reviewer
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