11 Gadgets That Save You Money

5) LED Lightbulbs

(More Efficient Than CFL’s and Way More Efficient than traditional Incandescent Bulbs)

For over a century, incandescent lights were the standard for the world’s lighting needs. Fluorescent lights came on the scene in the 1920’s, and were a cost effective alternative to standard bulbs, but they were more costly to produce and required ballasts to regulate the current. This high upfront cost and added complexity meant they never caught on for home use. And as it turned out, fluorescent lamps can be a hazard to the environment.

Enter the LED lightbulb. It has the longest life and is the most energy efficient. It also does not contain mercury, like compact fluorescent bulbs. The only disadvantage is that LED bulbs produce directional light, versus radiant light like CFL’s and standard bulbs, but diffusers on newer models tend to alleviate much of that problem. Just be careful when buying as some companies will try and sell outdated LED bulbs that aren’t as versatile as the newer models, just to get rid of older stock.