How to Create a Smart Home for Less Than $50

This post on how to create an affordable smart home for less than $50 is sponsored by TP-Link, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
When I’d hear the words ‘smart home’, I’d immediately think of some fancy, high tech control center installed in a home that most likely costs the amount of a monthly mortgage.  That all changed when I realized easy to install, affordable smart home options that I can control from my phone actually exist! That’s when my journey to create a smart home began. If you didn’t know this already, I’m kind of a tech nerd!If you haven’t heard of TP-Link and their affordable smart home products, allow me to introduce you to one of the most handy products you’ll ever see! From smart wi-fi light switches, to smart bulbs and plugs, the options to create a smart home are endless.  Oh and did I mention this is the easiest thing you’ll ever come across and you can create a smart home for less than $50?  It’s as easy to use as plugging in the product and connecting it to your phone app over wi-fi.  It’s pretty much ready to go right out of the box!
Smart Home Products Under $50:

Wi-fi Smart Plug w/ Energy Monitoring: Have you ever left the house, but forget to turn off the iron? If so, you need this smart plug!  With this plug, you can control any device plug into it, from any location as long as you’re connected to the internet.  One of my favorite uses is to turn on lights prior to my arrival so I’m not entering into a dark home at night.  It’s really convenient!

Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch: This smart switch is pretty neat since you can create a schedule to turn lights off and on at any time, but really my favorite thing about this is that I can be lazy in bed and turn the light off or on from my phone without getting up.  Yes I just said that out loud!

Smart LED Bulb w/ Color Changing Hue: You heard that right, there are even smart light bulbs! This one is one of my favorites because of the circadian mode setting which lets you adjust light intensity and temperature to mimic natural light patterns.  It’s extremely helpful for when I’m trying to take product photography indoors, or just want to dim the lights.
All of these affordable smart home products can be purchased here. Ready to shop for holiday gifts? Click here for 20% off your TP-Link purchase through 12/31/16!