Growing up in the late ’90s and early 2000s, technology looked a lot different than today. I remember using dial-up internet and calling my friends on their home phones. However, I am still young enough to have adapted quickly as technology rapidly advanced. Fast forward to today, technology is woven into nearly every area of my life. Here are a few ways that I use technology to make my life smarter, more efficient, and safer.

Smart Home Devices

Having a “connected” home was something I did not want at first but now makes life much easier and safer. We use a video doorbell camera to always be aware of what is happening right outside our front door. I have set up several “routines” in our Amazon Alexa app, including one to turn off all the lights in the house when I tell it “Goodnight”. One of my favorite smart home additions is our connected alarm system that includes smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, all controlled with an app on my phone. In the event any alarm is triggered, we would be immediately notified, and the proper authorities would be sent to our address. We have been called for a false alarm, and this gave us reassurance that we are protected. A recent addition we have made in our home is a smart thermostat. I have set schedules to automatically adjust the temperature at various parts of the day and night to maximize efficiency and save money. My vision doesn’t stop there; the next device I have been eyeing is a robot vacuum. 

Help from Apps

Our phones are useful tools kept right in our pockets. The Notes and Reminders app on my iPhone are two tools that help me stay organized. The Notes app offers a to-do feature which allows checking off tasks you’ve completed that helps me to stay organized. I also schedule reminders with the Reminders app to ensure I don’t miss anything. For example, our trash is picked up every Tuesday morning and our recycle bin is taken every other Tuesday. I have a reminder scheduled each week on Monday evening to make sure the bins get to the street. These reminders pop up on my iPhone home screen for easy access, so I never miss a task. Many brands of phones have similar features, and reminders and notes can even be set up on your Amazon Alexa. 

One of my favorite apps is the Google Calendar app. Here, I add events like birthdays, haircuts, vacations, and doctors’ appointments. You can even take this a step further by adding people to your Google Family. You can then share events or your full calendar with family members, so they are aware of what is happening and helps you stay connected with your loved ones.

Cloud Storage 

Instead of saving important documents in a physical filing cabinet or on my computer’s local drive, I opt for Cloud Storage. By doing this, I can securely access my documents anywhere, anytime. Many of the popular cloud storage options (including the PlanFirst Vault) use encryption. This means that your data is saved in a way that in the unlikely event the server was breached, the hacker would still need the key/legend to decipher the information. The three Cloud services I use most in my daily life are Apple iCloud, Google Drive, and the PlanFirst Vault. I trust these services to protect my data.

Digital Coupon Clipping

Nowadays, it seems like every restaurant and store has an app or rewards program. This is no different for grocery stores. Most of our grocery shopping is done at Kroger and Edwards Food Giant, both of which have an app offering digital coupons. When preparing a grocery list, I clip coupons on the app to make sure the savings are applied when I enter my membership ID at checkout. To me, this is much more convenient than bringing the coupons we get in the mail to the store and trying to make sure all of them get used. A task that might take me 10 minutes at home often saves me 5-10% on my grocery bill.

Expense Tracking

Tracking your expenses is an important part of your personal finances. With accurate spending data, you are able to get better long-term cash flow projections. For my expense tracking, what started as an Excel spreadsheet has shifted to the PlanFirst spending tab. This requires some maintenance, but this technology helps decrease time spent tracking my expenses and gives easy to read graphs outlining the data.

Wrapping it All Up

Sometimes I joke that I would rather have someone break into my house than into my Google account. While I say this in jest, it has hints of truth in it. Your digital security is as important as ever, and it is crucial to use complex passwords and enable 2 factor authentication on every account you can.

When used properly, technology can make your life easier, safer, and more efficient. I recommend trying to add one or two of these changes every couple of months to make technology your friend. 

Jake Spradlin, CFP®

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