Life on Auto-Pilot

[SumDay]

It dawned on me that much of our routine life just happens - because we've orchestrated it to do so. As we get older, we've become a little more prone to let stuff slip, so have the following in place to help us out:

1. All bills are on auto pay - utilities, credit cards, insurance, etc. I know many don't like this, but I've done this for well over a decade and never had a problem.

2. I found I was forgetting to vacuum the floor of the finished basement. Roomba to the rescue - it runs daily.

3. We noticed some of our even more elderly neighbors driving away, leaving their garage doors open. We bought a Chamberlain Garage Door kit, installed the app on our phones and attached a little box to our router. We can now check to make sure it's open, or let someone in even if we're not home via this app. AND, we have it set to automatically close in 10 minutes anyway, which can easily be overridden. It's saved our bacon more than once.

4. Amazon delivers "stuff" monthly, via Subscribe & Save : body wash, vitamins, makeup, toiletries, dog stuff, tea bags. When we downsized, we discovered we were toiletry hoarders - now we just get it as needed. Some stuff we need monthly, and you can adjust anywhere from that frequency to every 6 months.

5. We have a Ring doorbell, which doesn't do much automatically, but it's nice to see (via the phone app) who's there when someone rings late at night. And we can converse with them, and if it's a neighbor we could give them the entry code for the front door to let them in. (can't think of why we'd have to, but hey, it could happen.)

6. Our local grocery store delivers, and when I sign in I'm presented with a list of "staples" - stuff you need weekly. I just check the boxes of the things I need, then search for everything else. Grocery shopping was never my favorite pastime, so I really love this one.

I guess we're trying to make it easier for us to age in place, and I'm anxious to see what else they'll come out with to help us do that. Anyone else experiencing this or have more tricks?

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

IDK if this qualifies, but i have notes everywhere for what i need to do, things to buy. Set a timer for medicine time, send out the estimated tax checks, Dr appointments.

 

[spncity]

You have a very cool list there.

I manage the finances for an elderly family member. Not many bills, but setting up autopay has been a big help. I do put a note on my computer calendar that says "Pharmacy pmt due" or "Health insurance pmt" plus bank alerts that notify me of the auto-payments.

Getting a Roomba is on my someday list.

I have certain things that I put in the same place when I walk in the house.

We have a calendar on the fridge so that if I forget to mention one of my appointments to DH he will know what's going on.

Had our front flower beds planted with perennials - mostly hostas of different heights and varieties. It all just comes up in the spring and looks great.

One silly little thing - in two places in the house I was tired of constantly emptying those tiny trash cans that fill up with kleenex. So I got medium size trash cans for those spots.

I changed some things stored in the kitchen cupboards so that they are close to where they are used. Just because it's the cupboard for the glassware does "not" mean the butter can't sit there also!

Got a remote that operates outlets (for lamps). I can control the lighting in the room without messing with each lamp.

My life is easier thanks to a password keeper.

I have gotten rid of lot of old paper files. Now I need to go through old computer documents and delete a lot of things.

 

[FIREmenow]

I use one-button timers everywhere so I don't have to remember to turn things off, e.g. space heaters, etc.

The ones I use have 30min, 3hr, and 6hr switch settings - then just hit the button.

 

[spncity]

I use one-button timers everywhere so I don't have to remember to turn things off, e.g. space heaters, etc.

The ones I use have 30min, 3hr, and 6hr switch settings - then just hit the button.

What do these timers look like?

https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Touch...1&sr=8-1&keywords=one-button+timer+for+outlet

 

[FIREmenow]

Similar. These are the ones I use: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Socket-Energy-F7C009q/dp/B003P2UMS0

My only gripe with them is that there is no way to STOP the timer once started without unplugging it and plugging it back in (stupid design). So on some of them, I put one of these in-line with it: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Energy-Saving-F7C016q/dp/B005MYN3OO

Kinda kludgy, but it works OK for me.

 

[haha]

I like this thread and others like it. These things really do streamline the routines of life.

Ha

 

[audreyh1]

My Apple Watch really helps. I have reminders set up on my iPhone and my wrist gets pinged when it's time to do something. Some reminders are daily, weekly, some are linked to calendar events, or one off tasks with a deadline.

Quicken tracks all my scheduled bills, transfers etc.

Billl paying is as automated as possible.

 

[traineeinvestor]

I have a wife to "remind" me what I need to be doing and a cat to remind me when to get up the morning.

But yes, I am automating as many things as possible.

 

[Ronstar]

I try to automate everything.

Computer pays all bills except one. Garmin watch connected to cell phone for texts/emails/ reminders. Ny truck speaks texts to me. I run my DSLR camera remotely via wi-fi.
Lawn sprinklers are going now. DW records all of her TV shows. All files and most photos are digital.

All of this stuff is great. Gives me time to sit around and do nothing.

 

[Cobra9777]

We have so far avoided some of the home automation gadgets like smart doorbells and garage door monitors. We have also avoided the "subscribe and save" thing at Amazon, but we do get 2 to 3 deliveries every week, including lots of non-food stuff we previously bought at the grocery store. We still prefer to buy fresh meat and produce at the grocery store and farmers market.

I have most bills on auto-pay using a cash-back CC. But I still do manual bank bill-pay for the CC themselves and a local utility company that has no auto-pay capability.

We have a Roomba. But we stopped running it every night because it just got stuck somewhere 90% of the time. We now run it manually during the day a couple times a week, usually in conjunction with other cleaning activities.

We have a Polaris pool cleaner which runs every day for a couple hours. This eliminates the need to vacuum and greatly reduces the need to brush. My pool maintenance is probably around 15-20 minutes per week.

 

[Tailgate]

We use as much technology as we can understand...

One helpful tech trick for my 87 year old DM who lives in independent living is Alexa. Mom is very forgetful.

I'm able to link a google calendar to Alexa and I put all of her Dr appointments and other timely items onto the calendar (from my phone or computer). I take the monthly activity calendar at the community where she lives and I put social outings and activities that I think she would be interested in on the calendar too.

Alexa is located in her bathroom and the first thing she does every morning (well, maybe the second thing) is to ask Alexa 'What's on my calendar today?'
Alexa recites her list... btw, on the calendar every Monday, i put a item that is a simple list of her appointments that week... so she can get a sense of the upcoming week.

Works great for her.

 

[kcowan]

We are not Tech-heavy. We have lots of time now. But we do have an electronic timer to remind ourselves when the water is boiling (for the corn cobs, eg) and we have reminders set for CC payments, and othe calendar events.

Even though many events are controlled by buttons, so far we have remembered to push them when needed! We debated getting rid of our housekeepers when we retired and decided that it was a small contribution to their livelihoods that we could afford and we both hate homework!

 

[ChiliPepr]

Similar. These are the ones I use: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Socket-Energy-F7C009q/dp/B003P2UMS0

My only gripe with them is that there is no way to STOP the timer once started without unplugging it and plugging it back in (stupid design). So on some of them, I put one of these in-line with it: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Energy-Saving-F7C016q/dp/B005MYN3OO

Kinda kludgy, but it works OK for me.

If you want to replace the switch there are a number of wall switches like this.

 

[davismills]

Since DW and I both use MS Outlook, we take advantage of the calendar feature.

If I have an appointment, I place it in Outlook and then click "invite attendees" and place her email address in as an attendee. She accepts and the appointment is placed in her calendar as well. This method seems to keep us both somewhat coordinated.

 

[walkinwood]

Autopilot is great for routine chores, but not so much for the rest of your life.

We found, in hindsight, that we had been in a rut when in NJ - same restaurants, same outings with the same friends (Friends who we absolutely love). I think it is hard to notice because it is so comfortable.

That changed when we moved to Denver since we didn't know anyone here and didn't know much about the place. We felt invigorated as we explored new neighborhoods, things to do, people to meet. And have worked hard to keep from getting into a rut again. DW once commented that she felt we were dating again.

 

[ERD50]

Similar. These are the ones I use: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Socket-Energy-F7C009q/dp/B003P2UMS0

My only gripe with them is that there is no way to STOP the timer once started without unplugging it and plugging it back in (stupid design). So on some of them, I put one of these in-line with it: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Energy-Saving-F7C016q/dp/B005MYN3OO

Kinda kludgy, but it works OK for me.

Thanks. I'm looking for something similar, but because the search terms are so common, I have not found it, but I think it must be out there. What I'm looking for:

A simple, cheap, timer, small enough to clip right on the cord of the product, like those in-line cord dimmers and switches - similar to this:

It could be low power, like < 60W, just for switching off low power lights and holiday decorations. If they were cheap enough, I'd put them on the cords of these devices, rather than having a timer and running cords to the timer.

So keep it simple/cheap, it would act the way I've seen some built in product timers work. There is not a 'clock' as such, just a counter/timer, when you turn it on, it just sets a timer to turn on again 24 hours later. After turn on, you could hit a button X times for X hours before it turns off (or set a jumper wire). I've seen this built in some holiday lights, with a fixed 6 or 8 hour delay.

I get some pretty advanced electronics on ebay for $3. A timer like this should be available for ~ $20 for a 10 pack.

Does anyone know a source?

-ERD50

 

[scrabbler1]

Just having most of my monthly bills paid automatically is plenty for me. It began gradually with my mortgage payment back in the early 1990s, then moved on to my phone, electric, and cable bills by 2000, all via ACH. It wasn't until a few years ago that my maintenance payment went auto-pay via online banking. My HI and CC bills are not on autopay but I do pay them on line, along with some other occasional and more irregular payments.


Having the autopay was a big help 2 years ago when I was in the hospital for 2 weeks. I had a few of the monthly ones via ACH automatically taken care of, while the rest were a few weeks from being due even after I returned home.


I have my income on auto"receive" so new money enters my bank account just as easily as the old money went out (including when I was in the hospital). That's more fun, seeing money come in without my having to do anything, even go to the bank, or worse, go to WORK!

 

[Dawg52]

My dog automates my life. Wakes me up in the morning to feed him. An hour or so later reminds me it's time for our morning walk. Late afternoon wakes me from my nap to feed him again. An hour later, a reminder for a walk at sunset. Around 10pm he comes over and gets my off the sofa for one more potty session before bedtime. The rest of the time is just filler.

 

[Scuba]

My dog automates my life. Wakes me up in the morning to feed him. An hour or so later reminds me it's time for our morning walk. Late afternoon wakes me from my nap to feed him again. An hour later, a reminder for a walk at sunset. Around 10pm he comes over and gets my off the sofa for one more potty session before bedtime. The rest of the time is just filler.

[emoji23] Yes, dogs are good at that, aren't they?

 

[meierlde]

I am waiting until Alexa can make phone calls, combine this with a monitoring service, and install a few dots around the house, and teach alexa to do Alexa Mayday Mayday to call the service and you have an alert system that does not require a pendant or watch. Since the dot/Echo can do voice commands from a distance one for each room that is used should be enough.

Note that it appears the it would be illegal for alexa to call 911 directly

 

[misshathaway]

and a cat to remind me when to get up the morning.

I have a cat feeder that rotates in a new dish of dry food once a day before I wake up. It keeps her happy until about the end of my first cup of coffee. Plus it goes for 5 days in case something were to happen and I could not get home.

I can't leave any food out all day b/c it attracts mice.

 

[exnavynuke]

My dog automates my life. Wakes me up in the morning to feed him. An hour or so later reminds me it's time for our morning walk. Late afternoon wakes me from my nap to feed him again. An hour later, a reminder for a walk at sunset. Around 10pm he comes over and gets my off the sofa for one more potty session before bedtime. The rest of the time is just filler.

My dog is exceptionally patient. If I wake up early because I have to work, she'll get out of bed when she hears me putting my keys in my pocket. If I don't have to work, she'll come get me when she's ready (could be 7am, could be 11am). As I'm really, really, not a morning person, it's one of the things I love about her

 

[exnavynuke]

I am waiting until Alexa can make phone calls, combine this with a monitoring service, and install a few dots around the house, and teach alexa to do Alexa Mayday Mayday to call the service and you have an alert system that does not require a pendant or watch. Since the dot/Echo can do voice commands from a distance one for each room that is used should be enough.

Note that it appears the it would be illegal for alexa to call 911 directly

"Okay Google, call Dad" is what I say to my phone if I want to call my dad..

 

[yakers]

I have a cat feeder that rotates in a new dish of dry food once a day before I wake up. It keeps her happy until about the end of my first cup of coffee. Plus it goes for 5 days in case something were to happen and I could not get home.



I can't leave any food out all day b/c it attracts mice.

Mice, don't you have a cat[emoji82]