I used to watch those movies growing up — the ones where the main kid character would always, without fail, have one of those massive fuck off four-poster beds with the curtains drawn to either side. Then, just to rub salt in the wound, they’d also pick up a little remote by their bedside, and with the click of a button, open their blinds, turn their lights on, then yawn a dramatic yawn and fling themselves out of bed.
While fun to watch, it honestly gave me a complex because from that point forward, my eight-year old ass lusted after a novelty secret button that would do just that. Fast-forward 15 years and I can have it, well, kinda. Turning your apartment into a bougie smart home isn’t just for the rich and famous — even your shitty lil’ sharehouse can become a smart home these days.
“How?” I hear you ask, young grasshopper. All you have to do is get yourself an Amazon Alexa. This baddie starts from just $59 (exclusive of other smart home accessories) and you can literally use it to upgrade your home in seconds. Fkn sick, right?
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen), $59
From turning your lights and standby appliances off via voice command (or remotely) — which actually might save ya some dosh on your next electricity bill — to being able to check if your straightener is turned off without having to double back once you’ve left the house, it’s the way of the future, peeps.
I also read that you can connect it up to a smart camera to check if your deliveries have come, which is a win (!!!!) for my fellow girlies who love a Depop haul.
So, what do you need to get started and kit out your digs on the cheap? I’ve got ya the cost breakdown.
You’ll need:
- An Amazon Alexa device, such as the Echo Dot, which starts from $59 (less if you nab it on sale) and hikes up to around $350 for the newer, spunkier models
- Smart light bulbs, which start from $14.99 (if you want to turn your lights off on demand)
- A couple of smart power plugs which start from $29.99 for a double-pack
- Smart cameras that start from $99 (only if you’d like to spy on your front porch at all times)
That’s a total of just over $200 to live like a queeeeen, bitch. Interested? Head here to start your smart home journey (and heal that inner child who wanted to turn their light off from bed), stat.
