It seems everyone these days has a lot of gadgets to juggle around. Cell phones, laptops, iPods, handheld gaming systems and the like. Some people see it as a problem - the electronic leash, and others enjoy all the gadgets and technology available. How can you reduce your gadgets, save some money and still enjoy technology?
- Look for multi-purpose gadgets. A cell phone that has a built in MP3 player or a tiny laptop that plays games, MP3s and all the other laptop functions.
- Get a charging system like the iGo which can charge all of your gadgets with one charger.
- Reduce your dependence on all of it. Do you really need a cell phone, Blackberry and laptop everywhere you go? Unless your job absolutely requires it, you can probably pare things down a little bit without much of an impact.
- Instead of using your MP3 player, gaming system, Blackberry or cell phone all the time when you are on the train, bus or plane, unplug and look at the world around you.
- Put a moratorium on gadgets on the weekends. At least once a month, turn them all off and do something different for the weekend. You'll save a few days of charging up batteries and you might see something you wouldn't normally. You might even feel more relaxed by the time Monday morning rolls around again.
Some other ideas? Don't leave chargers plugged in when they aren't charging anything. Put all your chargers on a power strip you can turn off when nothing is charging. Check your laptop and other devices for the energy-saving settings, and use them. And finally, if you're shopping for a new laptop or charger or anything, check for energy-star rated products. It's not just for appliances anymore.
Photo Credit: thinkjose on flickr
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