So, we know that food prices are rising, cost of gas is on the increase, etc… and I’ve been asked, what tech is out there that can help!
Well, there’s quite a few things.
But I’ll share two today. One related to food. The other one for gas.
There’s an app I’ve had on my phone for a while. Used it a few times. It’s call, Too Good To Go.
Basically – those food related businesses who have food left over, put it on the app – that there’s food available, and rather than it being the ‘normal’ price, it’s heavily discounted! You just reserve the one you want, and it’s as easy as that!
You can get magic bags (so basically, the business won’t know what they have – but will have something!) or you can get specific items that the business knows are available towards end of the day (as they know they’ll not get all the customers they want and won’t sell out).
I love this app. For two reasons. One – We need to reduce food waste. Every year, one-third of food if thrown away. We can reduce this waste. And Too Good To Go does just that. Helps to reduce the amount of food that is thrown away.
There’s a few other apps similar to this, that help fight food waste. And others that offer discounts etc… but this one is great – feedback is good and it’s one that I’ve kept a close eye on.
Up Next – Heating!
Gas prices are rising. And to be honest, not alot we can currently do about it. However – what we can do is what control the amount of heating we have on.
Now, if you haven’t already – get a smart thermostat.
Why?
- Smart thermostats let you control your heating from your phone/mobile device. In that way, you can set when the heating should come on and when it should be off – that way allowing you to only have heating on when you are at home.
- They will learn your behaviours – some can work with weather conditions – so they know when it’s cold, you may want it to be a degree or two higher than normal.
- Link this – with a smart meter, you can see how much gas and electricity you are actually using – and then made adaptions as required. For example, switch of lights, unplug devices, be more clever when you charge items…
Data. I’ve spoken about it before – use the data you have to help you. Data such as, how much you are paying per kwh and then see if you can get it cheaper elsewhere. Data such as, how much you’re actually using and how does it compare to others in your area – for example, do others have lower bills and then, find out why? – some may have loft insulation, some cavity wall insulation, etc.. might be worth investing in some of those.
At the end of the day, you can only control what you can control… gas prices, unfortunately you can’t control. However, your thermostat is something you can control – and something (being smart) can help you!