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Tech A Moment To Think If You Need That Household Gadget

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We are constantly under deluge from a range of technology options. We live in the Digital Age, with constant revolutions of tech changes coming every year. It’s easy to see our lives becoming more and more binary in the literal sense – our entire existence brought down to mere 1s and 0s.

It’s easy to let your eyes turn into saucers of excitement, wanting to absorb all of the changes and update every aspect of our lives. Technology promises that things will be bigger, bolder and better – simplifying the things we dislike. We infer from that that we will have more time for the things we do like, and the excitement is palpable.

However, before you go and drop a month’s rent on the latest home tech must have – there are a few important questions to ask yourself.

  1. Is It Fulfilling A Function?

Take an ice cream maker. On the surface, that seems like a great idea. Finally, you can create your own ice cream from whatever flavours you want. You can use any ingredients you want, skipping on the massive amounts of sugar found in store-bought brands.

Except… how often do you eat ice cream? You might think you’ll eat it more if you can make your own, but it’s probably still not going to be that often. You’re looking at a lot of time to prepare your dish – are you really going to be doing that regularly enough to justify the investment?

  1. Do I Understand What It Does?

It might seem a silly question. Few of us understand many of the things in our home – we just need them to work. But look through any reviews online, and you will see a constant stream of a similar kind of complaint. “It doesn’t do what I thought it did” or “it’s not what I expected”.

You see reviews for robot vacuums annoyed they don’t go upstairs or coffee machines that you can’t make tea with. Frequently these are negative reviews when the product isn’t at fault – the purchaser is.

You don’t have to know the absolute nuts and bolts of how it actually works, but you do need to ensure you’re well aware of what you’re getting – and what you’re not getting. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a time-consuming returns process that may even include a restocking fee.

  1. Am I Aware of the Electricity It Requires?

The purchase price is not the only financial concern when buying a new item. You have to be aware of how much it’s going to cost to run, with the foremost concern being electricity. Check the energy rating and read reviews; any mention of “needs to be constantly charged” means you have to factor this into your decision.

  1. Did I Want Something Like This Before?

If you have dreamt of being able to turn your TV on with a wave of your hand, then sure – go for the novelty purchase. But if it’s a brand new innovation to you that you are suddenly captured by, there’s a chance you don’t need it at all and are just falling for the hype.

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