For some of us, there’s always that one moment of sheer panic during vacation. Did we turn the stove off? Is the garage door still open? Is that upstairs window closed?
Luckily, Nicole Dieker at the website Lifehacker came up with the smartest travel tip to put our minds at ease.
“Before leaving the house, take a photo of your stove and oven dials—or your thermostat, or your iron, or anything else you worry about accidentally leaving on,” Dieker wrote. “If your brain starts to play the “Did I really turn it off” game, you can simply tap your photo app and see for yourself.”
She added, “Plus—as a bonus—if something happens to my apartment while I was away, I have photo proof that it wasn’t because I accidentally left the oven on or the window open.”
Then you can get back to what’s important ― drinking piña coladas on the beach.
A few ideas of photos to snap before you head out the door:
1. The oven
2. The garage door
3. Windows in your house you typically leave open
4. The TV outlet and stereo system to make sure you unplugged them (in case of a storm and so you don’t suck up energy)
5. Coffee makers and microwaves (also major energy users!)
6. Hair straighteners, curlers, steamers or irons
7. Thermostats
8. Your front door (or doors around your house you typically use)
9. Proof your air conditioner is off (if you don’t have central AC)