5 Things that Make Life Easier?

I love shortcuts and things that make my life easier. For this reason, I try many things that appear to be the best idea since sliced bread. Sometimes, slicing my own bread is a better idea. Below you will find my thoughts on things that imply they will make your life easier but they really only make it more complicated.

Cell Phones

Who can live without their cell phone? It appears they make life easier but when was the last time you had to stand on your head and stick your feet out of the bedroom window just to have a conversation? Between dropped calls, bad signal, lost phones, lousy service plans and the cost of keeping up with the latest technology and did we forget overage charges? Where is the real convenience in a cell phone? Cell phones don't uncomplicated life but they do make it so you can't claim to not be home when your boss calls.

Bagless Vacuums

Bagless vacuums seemed like the greatest thing in housecleaning when they came along and in theory if you don't live with men who don't believe in emptying the canister they might work nicely. But since when is emptying the vacuum after every use more convenient? Of course if you don't empty a bagless vacuum every time then it gets backed up and you end up with clogged hoses and have you ever tried to get something that is jammed up in the middle of a four foot hose that does not detach from the vacuum? After spending countless hours trying to keep my bagless vacuum from clogging and backing up, I went back to the old fashioned type that still requires a bag I only need to change every month or so.

Smooth Edge Handheld Can Openers

Ranging at $10.00 and way above, this is one item that ended up in the trash in my house. These are difficult to figure out, getting them to attach to the can exactly right is time consuming and more than a little annoying. If the can has a dent or a ding in it, it will not work. Smooth edges on the can, no cut fingers sound like a great idea but taking ten minutes to get the can open is not making my life any easier. I'll go back to the $1.99 hand held can opener.

Remote Controls

While every man must have one or...five, I have yet to figure out how searching for at least one remote control on a daily basis is convenient. Of course, now that most require more than one remote control to just turn on the television and at least one is always missing, this seems like more work just so I can sit on the couch and turn the channel. By the time you have tossed the cushions on the couch, looked under all the furniture and emptied the kids toy box to find the ever elusive remote, I could have watch two shows and gotten up to change the channel with less effort than searching for the remote control. Convenient? Well, I guess that depends on your definition.

Self Checkout

The winner of inconvenient conveniences in my world is the self checkout line in many stores. Between getting the UPC scanner to read, the error codes and of course people who don't know how to work these contraptions the self checkout is a nightmare in the "making your life easier" ideas. The lines are longer, even though most people in line have fewer items, coupons require finding a clerk, who is seldom nearby, the bagging area is ultra sensitive so whatever you do, don't jar an item as you are bagging another. Suddenly a twenty minute shopping trip for a couple of small item become an hour trip because self checkout is easier to use and the stores no longer have human beings in the express lines.

As much as I love making my life easier, not everything that claims to make things go smoothly really do what they claim. Many create more havoc than help. Before investing in a convenience item, do some research and find out if they make your life easier or if they really make it more difficult.