Tech Essentials You Must Have When Moving to a New Place

Words by Chris Noel Hidalgo

If you were fresh out of college when you got your first office job during the pandemic, then you may have worked from your parents’ or relatives’ home. However, with the easing of pandemic restrictions, the permanent or part-time return to the physical office space is inevitable. With commuting being back to where it was pre-pandemic, it may be worth it to lease a home closer to work. Should it be your first time moving into a place of your own, then here are some of the tech things you should have to make the transition a little easier.

A rice cooker is an essential piece of kitchen equipment

One of the first things I bought when I moved into my own place many years ago was a rice cooker. Not a refrigerator. Not a microwave. Not an induction cooker. A humble rice cooker.

More than automatically preparing our beloved carbohydrate with just a push of a button, the rice cooker can also be used for your other kitchen endeavors. You can also use it to steam food, deep fry, bake cakes, whip up one-pot meals, and even make full-on stews such as nilaga and sinigang. Even with the advent of air fryers, a rice cooker is still arguably a more versatile piece of cookware.

Extension cords with USB ports for more convenient power access

Some appliances and gadgets such as refrigerators, televisions, laptops, or routers have plugs that take up too much space on a standard wall outlet. If you are living in a studio space or if your bedroom is quite small, then that is automatically one less socket that you can use for other things.

That gets old really quick when you have multiple gadgets that you need to use or charge simultaneously. Worse, multiple plug types are found locally, including two- and three-prong US-standard ones and round EU-standard ones. A universal extension cord easily fixes this problem while giving you a little more distance from the wall, perfect for when you don’t have a direct wall outlet by your bed or table. You can also get extension wires with USB sockets built-in so you would not have to worry about scrounging for charging adapters anymore.

Make sure you have backup internet routers

Even if you have a stable DSL or fiber connection, it pays to always have backup internet, whether in the form of a pocket Wi-Fi or a prepaid broadband router across all networks if possible. For one, you never know when your wired connection will suddenly go out or be painfully slow. Another reason is that wired internet relies on electricity. If your home or building does not have a generator when the power runs out, then say goodbye to your internet.

Having a pocket Wi-Fi modem means that you can continue working from home for as long as your devices have battery power even when there is a blackout. The same can likewise be achieved with prepaid broadband routers; you will just need a power bank and a 5V to 12V USB power cable.

Get fresh clothes safer and more conveniently with your own washing machine

Before the pandemic, I used to frequent do-it-yourself laundromats as well as neighborhood laundry shops on a weekly basis. During the early lockdown periods, I resorted to handwashing to minimize contact with other people, but my hands quickly became wounded from the harsh detergent and bleach combination. I got myself a washing machine shortly after and it has been one of my best purchases yet.

Sure, having others do your laundry for you is more convenient. However, not only is doing your own laundry safer virus-wise, it is also more convenient especially when you need a set of new clothes or bed sheets for the next day. You can also easily wash your bags that have been exposed to the daily commute. If you are worried about the bill increasing with washing machines, then do not worry. My electricity and water bills have not grown eye-openingly larger despite having two wash cycles every week.

Movies on a television’s larger screen are still better than on your mobile devices

One of the last appliances I bought was a television because I thought, “I already have a phone and a laptop. I can just watch movies and television series on those!” I finally got one in a flash sale and my bingeing time has never been better. Even just a 32-inch screen is a much more comfortable and immersive experience versus a phone’s measly 6-inch or a laptop’s 14-inch display. Pair it up with a decent soundbar and you’d be hard-pressed not to click on “next episode”—even if it means losing a few hours of sleep during a weekday.