At Home with Tech

Every second of your day counts. Especially when you want to collect additional minutes to do more of what really matters. Wait… did you hear that? Yes… technology to the rescue!

I don’t know about you, but there never seems to be enough time.
Maybe it’s simply because I’m a busy parent of a four year old.
Perhaps I should also acknowledge that maintaining a blog can be a time suck. (writer’s choice)

Time for regular TV viewing?
Ha!
I barely touch the national average of 2.8 hours/day.
(according to a recent American Time Use Survey)

I’m lucky to squeeze in an episode of “Mad Men.”

But remember what Ferris Bueller said…
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Really, you do want to protect your available free time, especially those ‘quality’ moments. And thankfully, technology can help you squeeze precious minutes back into this favorite bucket of your day.

So here are six tech tips to help you focus more of your life into that happy zone:

#1
Order Stamps Online
Why would you ever choose to waste a fraction of your existence in the post office buying stamps?
The lines are endless. It’s like Purgatory in there.
Even the stamp-dispensing square autobot will drain your life force.
Why not simply purchase your stamps from your home computer?
It’s wicked quick…

#2
Withdraw More Cash from the ATM
Yes, there was a time before time when there wasn’t easy money on almost every corner. But today’s 24/7 access to an ATM is a mixed blessing.
Who wants to always be thinking about where the nearest one is when you need twenty bucks?

I know this idea may not appear like a fiscally responsible suggestion, but if you can control your spending urges, I think you should withdraw more cash than you think you want.

Here’s the trick:

• Visit your favorite ‘magic money box ‘ less frequently… say once a week. Take out enough cash to get you through this interval and pledge not to return for another seven days.

Rationing the use of this tech will save you time and can prevent you from going to the well more than your budget dictates.

#3
Shop for Your Groceries Online
I know… it goes against your hunting-gathering instincts.
And there’s a delivery fee.
But not having to go to the supermarket,
then not struggling with that damaged cart,
and not having to wait on a long line at the checkout…
Isn’t that worth a few bucks?

#4
Avoid Greeting Card Aisles
You shouldn’t feel anymore like you have to troll for greeting cards at the local CVS or Walgreens.
You know what I mean… searching up and down that forest of disorganized generic thoughts. Finding that perfect card, only to realize there’s no matching envelope, and having to start all over again.

It’s no longer a badge of honor to say to your loved one… “I spent an hour looking for the perfect card!”
(My mom used to like to say that.)

There’s got to be a better way!
Well, of course there is…
Go to Touchnote, Paper Culture, or even Hallmark online.

These websites contain virtually all the greeting cards you could ever want.
Plus they’ll mail them for you!
Whoah…. Now that’s really a paradigm shift.

#5
Don’t Wait On Line to Pay for Parking. Go Online!
Remember how you felt right after you missed that train, because you first had to wait online to pay for parking?
Let’s erase that recurring stomachache from your life.
Use an app and pay on your smartphone.
I use PayByPhone.
Brilliant…

#6
E-ZPass or Bust
All right, who here doesn’t have E-ZPass yet?
Please stand up and walk upstairs.
Now go to bed…. There’s no dinner for you.

And the rest of you should go get a good night’s sleep too!
Before you start your snooze, you should probably check in on your E-ZPass account just to make sure it’s current.
You don’t want E-ZPass to list the car you owned a decade ago.

Bonus Summertime Tech Tip
Repurpose ideas from your old blog posts to quickly generate a new list of tech tips to share.
(You hadn’t noticed?)

Now, you’ve got time to prepare to go camping with your family!

See ya…!