You really don’t need a ton of tools to maintain your electronics, but it’s really nice to buy a few specialized tools that will do a much better job of keeping them safe than standard tools.
The four things I recommend that parents get for maintaining home electronics are:
- Norton 360. We have had this on all of our laptops for years, and it has provided all the protection we needed.
- Verizon Wireless. Remember when it was called Cellular One? Well, that’s how long we’ve had our Verizon account.
- This car charger from Amazon. This one is from Anker, a reputable company, is only about $10. But the best thing about it to me is how fast it charges!
- This portable charger you can use anywhere. It’s called a lipstick charger, which gives you an idea of the size and weight of it. It doesn’t look like lipstick. 😀
Laptop Security
I can’t imagine running a computer without it. Now.
Honestly, this is one of those things I probably never would have thought about needing. It’s definitely a Derek thing.
So he’s the one who has researched and read reviews and researched some more!
And we’ve been using Norton 360 successfully for years.
I don’t recommend going cheap here.
We tried that. Once.
Another company looked great and was less than Norton.
We bought it and never could even get it installed on our computer.
Pro Tip: It doesn’t save you money if you have to end up buying the more expensive one anyway. 🙁
Cell Carrier
When our house was hit by a tornado a year ago, Verizon gave us unlimited data while we were putting our house back together.
Right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have free data gb from Verizon to help with all of the homeschooling and work-from-home situations going on.
Whenever we’ve had an issue, their customer service has been great. And I hate dealing with customer service, so that’s saying a lot.
Each time we’ve ordered new phones, we’ve used their online purchasing. It’s straightforward, and you can chat or call if you have questions. We have done both with success.
Cell Phone Chargers
Iphones cost $1000+, so we are really picky about how we charge them.
I knew I needed to buy from a brand that I was familiar with. I read a ton of reviews on Amazon on several different companies’ chargers.
All that research paid off. 🙂
With the car charger, the faster speed of charging is something I didn’t expect when we bought it. We had a different car charger before, but when we got this one, I was amazed.
It even charges faster than it does at our house, plugged into a surge protector.
It also charges two devices at once, which is a nice plus.
I’m tempted to just charge my phone in the car all the time. 😀
The portable charger is nice because it’s small and light. It doesn’t charge as fast but you don’t need to be near a plug to use it. I keep one with me for emergencies.
Also, if our power goes out, it’s nice to know I have it as a backup.
If you’re looking for extra chargers for your phone, be sure to use a reputable brand. Don’t let your investment be blown by a cheap charger.