How to Simplify Your Life with Technology

I wrote an article several years ago titled Using Technology to Simplify Your Life. This article was something I wrote for fun with little thought ahead of time. Using Technology to Simplify Your Life was based on the premise that, while we often blame technology for the frantic pace of lives, we can in fact reverse the situation and use technology to simplify our lives. The original article considered 12 ways to simplify life using technology and has generated sustained interest in several different venues.

The technology landscape has evolved over the three years since I wrote Using Technology to Simplify Your Life. Some of the original ideas are now dated or less relevant while new options have emerged. This article reconsiders ways in which technology can be used to make life easier and simpler in consideration of recent technological developments.

My original list of suggestions for simplifying your life using technology included:

1. Convert your paper filing cabinet to a digital filing cabinet to save space and simplify record retrieval
2. Use direct deposit and online bill pay to simplify banking
3. Upgrade your dial-up Internet access to broadband to save time and allow reasonable access to emerging services
4. Use online reference materials rather than maintaining rapidly obsolete printed reference materials
5. Shop online to save gas, travel time, wear on your car, and the hassle of dealing with traffic
6. Upgrade from a film camera to a digital camera
7. Turn off the landline phone and use mobile phones
8. Use a VoIP service (Skype, Vonage, etc.) as an alternative to a traditional landline phone
9. Download music you want and use a portable MP3 player rather than buying rapidly outdated records/cassettes/CDs
10. Replace your laptop with a PDA since they are less expensive, lighter and easier to use when traveling
11. Upgrade your mobile phone to a newer model that combines phone, PDA, and MP3 player all in one
12. Upgrade your website to a blog or CMS platform to simplify publishing and save time

What has changed in the past three years? Honestly, just about everything on the the original list! Most of the original ideas are still valid - but the available technology has evolved and deserves to be reconsidered. Some of the ideas were radical three years ago but are quickly becoming mainstream in the time since. On the other hand, PDAs are nearly obsolete as mobile phones become more powerful and portable music players become portable entertainment devices complete with WiFi.

How can the judicious use of technology help to simplify life rather than making us feel ever more out of control? The following list offers my thoughts and suggestions based on several years of consideration and research. The information in this list also represents my own experiences with using technology to simplify my life. I also welcome additional suggestions in the comments section since I am certain this list is not exhaustive!

Digital Document Archive - Many people still file bills, receipts, and other paper records in a filing cabinet or file box. Obviously this system works; however, paper filing cabinets also have drawbacks that may not make them the best alternative.

Paper filing cabinets take up space (which costs money to buy/rent, heat, and cool) and can be difficult to keep up to date. Most of us have spent too much time filing documents only to discover that it is still difficult to locate later when it is needed. Further, filing cabinets and boxes become cluttered and full over time and need to be cleaned out and reorganized. Digital documents are easy to sort and organize into folders or directories on your computer. Thousands of documents can easily be stored on inexpensive storage media.

Another critical problem with paper filing cabinets has to do with the issue of on site storage vs. off site storage. What happens to all of your important records when you experience a fire, flood or other natural disaster? My family experienced a house fire several years ago and it took months to secure copies of some important documents that were destroyed in the fire! Copies of digital documents can easily be stored at a remote location by copying files to a flash drive or other storage media. Digital documents can also be archived at a number of online storage sites on the Internet.

Creating digital copies of documents is most easily achieved using a flatbed scanner. I have also used digital cameras and mobile phone cameras to create digital copies as well though the scanner does produce a better image. Files should be saved in PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader) format for size and universal access reasons.

Replacing the paper filing system with a digital document archive simplifies home and office record management. Documents are easily stored, retrieved, and backed up to off site storage for safety and security. Copies of documents can easily be printed should you need a copy at a later date.

Internet Banking - Online banking can take a lot of the hassle out of managing your finances. Most banks offer some version of online banking but the quality of services varies greatly. Fees also vary between banks and range from free to several dollars per month. (I have been using online banking for several years and have never paid for the service.) If your bank does not currently offer Internet banking it may be worth changing banks.

Internet banking allows you to view and manage your accounts online. Never again will you have to wait until your bank statement arrives in the mail to balance your checkbook. Online access to your accounts allows you to verify transactions at your convenience. Frequently monitoring account activity is also important in preventing fraud and unauthorized activity on your accounts. Opting out of receiving paper statements and viewing account information online also reduces the chances of identity thieves stealing bank or credit card information from your unsecured mailbox.

Internet banking also allows you to use bill pay services. Bill pay can really simplify your finances - particularly if you are on a regular budget. Online bill pay programs through your bank allow you to pay bills electronically (to participating companies) or to mail a bank-generated check directly to a person or company. Online bill pay only requires typing in the payee information once. Subsequent payments are fast and simple. Most bill pay programs also allow users to set up recurring payments where a payment will automatically be made on a set schedule. This can be a real time saver if your budget is under control since you won't need to think about paying the rent or car payment. This also works well when coupled with direct deposit.

Many personal finance programs (both desktop and web applications) integrate with Internet banking (Mint, Microsoft Money, Intuit Quicken, etc.). I use Mint to keep track of my personal finances. Mint automatically tracks transactions on multiple accounts (checking, savings, money market, investment, credit card, etc.) and transactions can then be assigned to categories to facilitate tracking. Mint includes a number of reports and graphs to keep track of your budget and know where your money is going. This is quite handy if you have accounts with several banks or institutions as it simplifies tracking finances.

Direct deposit coupled with online account management and bill pay can greatly simplify personal finances. Much of the process can be automated and then does not need to be thought about during the month. The use of a personal finance program simplifies tracking by allowing you to view all of your financial information in one place complete with reports, graphs and budget information.

Internet Access - Broadband access continues to grow in popularity but many people still use dial-up Internet. As of August 2008 nearly 92 percent of USA households were using broadband Internet access. Households connecting at 56 Kbps or less made up only about eight percent of Internet users [1].

What does broadband Internet access have to do with simplifying life? Isn't broadband just one more bill that is even more expensive than dial-up access? High-speed Internet access typically does cost more than dial-up access; however, high-speed access allows options that are simply not available with slower dial-up connections.

High-speed Internet access makes Internet usage much more enjoyable. Many sites are difficult (sometimes impossible) to load with a slow Internet connection. Uploading files to remote storage servers (digital document storage) is difficult or impossible without high-speed access. High-speed access also allows users to take advantage of Internet calling (VoIP), participate more readily in social media (including sharing videos and photos), download music and videos, and shop online without worrying that their Internet connection will be interrupted in the middle of an e-commerce transaction.

High-speed Internet access may also save users money in other areas so the increased cost can readily be offset by additional saving in these other areas. High-speed access can also save a considerable amount of time by not having to wait a minute or more for every web page to load.

Online Reference Material - The Internet is like the world's greatest library. The body of information already available online is staggering - and the amount of information continues to grow daily. Even classic books and publications are being scanned or digitized and made available online, thus providing a vital link to the past as well as the present.

A few short years ago families were obliged to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars for encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference material or to visit a public library any time they needed access to reference material. These printed books are not only costly but are now out of date before they are even printed. The Internet provides instant access to more information than any of us could ever hope to need or use in a lifetime. Much of this reference and research material is freely available to anyone with an Internet connection.

Replacing the extensive reference library that many of us used to maintain with a good collection of links to quality reference sites on the Internet saves time (search enabled sites), money, and space in the house. Furthermore, quality Internet sites are kept up to date with the latest information as opposed to being outdated before even being printed. Of course, paper copies of articles or stories can be printed from the Internet when necessary.

Shopping Online - Shopping online can save time, gas, money, and the hassle of shopping center traffic. E-commerce continues to grow at an impressive rate even in the face of the worst recession in decades. According to the US Census Bureau, retail e-commerce sales for the first quarter of 2009 amounted to $31.7 billion [2]. This number represents an increase of 0.7 percent over the fourth quarter of 2008.

Obviously many people are taking advantage of the conveniences of online shopping. I suspect e-commerce will continue to grow as more people become accustomed to the convenience of being able to find any product they want, order from the comfort of their home, and have their purchase delivered right to their door. Unless you particularly enjoy shopping (I do not) e-commerce is a great way to save yourself money, time, and aggravation. I consider online shopping to be simpler than conventional retail shopping.

Digital Cameras - I was browsing through the camera selection while in a major retail store recently and was surprised to see several film cameras for sale. I did not even realize film cameras were still being manufactured and sold. Digital cameras, considered a novelty only a few years ago, have become universally accepted.

Digital cameras offer many advantage over film cameras. (I realize there are some professional photographers who still use film cameras for particular types of photos; however, the average person would likely not need that option.) Digital cameras are quite affordable, offer unlimited photo storage capacity with the use of inexpensive memory cards, and allow users to fix photos prior to printing (if desired). Digital photos are also much easier to store, sort, search for, and share with friends and family.

Digital photos can be printed when necessary. Prints can be made at home on an affordable photo printer or ordered online from a number of photo labs, including WalMart and Snapfish.

Digital cameras allow you to take unlimited photos and then delete or edit photos at home. Prints can be ordered online and delivered right to your mailbox. Converting to a digital camera eliminates trips to the store for film, dropping off film for processing, picking up prints after processing, and throwing away bad prints that were developed and cost you money. Digital cameras are a technological advance that can help make life a little simpler.

Personal Phones - Mobile phones are quite convenient, though they can also become an annoyance if they never stop ringing at all times of day and night. Mobile phone calling plans were quite expensive even just a few years ago. However, calling plans have become considerably more affordable and some carriers even offer unlimited calling plans.

Many people still maintain a landline telephone in addition to having a mobile phone. Many people I know are disconnecting their landline phones and only using their mobile phones. Of course, in some areas the mobile coverage is spotty and this may not be an option. For those who live in areas with decent mobile phone coverage turning off the landline phone and just using a mobile phone can be convenient, save money, and simplify life.

Why keep a landline phone on at home if you already have a mobile phone? This results in two phone bills and the aggravation of phone messages being left on your home phone when you are not home. This also leaves friends and family uncertain which phone number to reach you at and may result in them just working through all of your phone numbers leaving messages at each number.

Mobile phone technology has also evolved rapidly and many people now use their mobile phone to send and receive text messages, surf the Internet, listen to music and view videos. The PDA market has largely been merged with the mobile phone market and some mobile phones are actually handheld computers with capabilities that rival that of inexpensive notebook computers.

Using a mobile phone as your primary phone can save money and make life simpler by consolidating electronic devices and contact points into a single phone number.

Download Music and Video - Video and audio can be legally downloaded from many Internet sites for a very small fee. Music downloads are competitively priced and allow users to download only the songs they want rather than buying an album just to get one song.

Downloaded music and video is becoming quite popular and can be easily stored on a computer and backed up for security. Music and video can also be transferred to portable entertainment devices like iPods, multimedia-enabled mobile phones, and PDAs.

Downloading music and video avoids trips to the store to purchase CDs or DVDs while eliminating shelves full of obsolete media (VHS, cassette tapes, and vinyl records come readily to mind but DVDs and CDs will soon join this list as new technologies emerge). Convenient online purchasing, space conserving digital archives, and some protection against obsolete technology all make downloading music and video a sure way to help simplify life.

Online Newspapers and Magazines - Newspapers and magazines, once considered a crucial means of keeping abreast of current news and information, are quickly being replaced by the Internet. Print publications are finding it hard to remain profitable as circulation declines because growing numbers of people are accessing information online. Many newspapers and magazines now offer subscription services to customers who wish to have full access to the periodical online. This is a convenient and environmentally friendly way to subscribe to your favorite newspapers or magazines.

Newer, portable reading devices like the Amazon Kindle also allow users to subscribe to newspapers and magazines, as well as blogs and syndicated websites, and have the content delivered to the reader wirelessly. Portable reading devices like the Kindle also allow users to download or transfer e-books and other documents onto the reader for mobile reading.

Online or downloaded viewing of newspapers, magazines, and e-books is a convenient and eco-friendly way to consume content and news. The convenience of not needing to visit a store to purchase these items, not needing to wait for delivery, and being able to view content when it is convenient all make this an option than can contribute to a simplified lifestyle.

Conclusion

Technology can easily overwhelm us with seemingly endless demands on our time and attention. By the same measure, the careful and judicious use of technology can help to simplify life.

I don't think anyone really wants to completely eschew modern conveniences like electricity or washing machines. Modern technology provides many tools. The choice of which tools to embrace and which tools to reject rests completely with the consumer. Some tools simplify life while some tools complicate life. Many tools are useful so long as they are used appropriately. For instance, mobile phones are a great thing so long as we are willing to turn them off when other things demand our attention.

Technology is not the root cause of complexity in our lives. Technology only provides tools. We choose which tools to use and how to use the tools. This article reflects some ways I have found to use these modern tools to simplify life. What about you? What are your experiences with technology and which tools make your life easier or more complicated?

SOURCES

1. http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0809/
2. http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/data/html/09Q1.html