Before You Travel, Set Up These Tech Tools to Protect Your Money and Home
Stay secure and stress-free while you travel with smart tech tools and services that help you manage your home, bills and security from anywhere.
Whether you’re a frequent flyer for business or pleasure, life on the road means packing up your essentials so you’re never without the things you need.
But it also means leaving behind a host of personal responsibilities. Sure, you can pick up toothpaste or deodorant when you land. But forgetting to pay the mortgage or closing the garage can be detrimental.
Fortunately, today's tech tools and services make staying connected and in control easier, no matter how far from home you are. From automating your finances to securing your property and managing smart home devices, these tools help you stay organized and stress-free while traveling.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Automate your finances and home utilities on-the-go
Your money works whether you’re home or not. Consider automating as much as possible while you’re away by putting bills on autopay.
Banking and bill management
Download your bank’s app so you can monitor balances, spot unusual activity and pay bills on the go. It’s also smart to install apps for key services like electricity, water, gas and your auto loan, so you can check due dates and confirm payments while you’re away.
If you’re a homeowner, make sure you have your mortgage lender’s app or online portal set up so you can verify that payments are processed on time. Renters should do the same with their property management company or landlord’s payment system, if one is available.
Even if you normally pay by check or money order, setting up electronic payments can make it easier to manage rent and utilities remotely — just be sure to check whether any convenience fees apply.
Budgeting
If you’re still mourning the loss of Mint, you may not have a dedicated budget app yet. Check out some of our favorites like Monarch Money, YNAB and Rocket Money.
Monarch Money offers a dashboard for tracking investments and budgeting collaboratively with partners. YNAB (You Need a Budget) focuses on proactive budgeting by helping you assign every dollar to a job.
Rocket Money, on the other hand, specializes in subscription management, identifying recurring charges and canceling unwanted services while offering budgeting tools.
If you like to be more hands-on, try building your budget using our household budgeting worksheet or try Canva (plenty of templates are available online).
Security
Use password management apps like 1Password. Rather than remember every login for every app and website you use, get unique and secure passwords for every login and save it in a password manager. Then, remember the one password for that app.
Sometimes, you might need to log into apps while traveling and may not remember those passwords off the top of your head. It helps to have a password manager during temporary memory loss. I’ve used 1Password for more than a decade and will always recommend them.
For added security on the go, Quicken LifeHub uses 256-bit encryption and multi-factor authentication to keep your information private while providing secure access to important documents like medical records, insurance policies and travel itineraries from anywhere.
This helps you avoid losing physical copies while staying prepared for emergencies.
Control your home remotely
When traveling, it's important to leave your place as secure as possible. Smart Home apps for cameras, locks and lights are great for safety and security while you’re home or traveling.
Opt for an app-based garage door opener. Car and Driver suggests Chamberlain as the best overall. It’s compatible with the MyQ Smart Home app, allowing you to access your garage regardless of where you are.
If you haven't already, grab some LED smart light bulbs. Tom's Guide has some suggestions for all budgets.
For those who don't have a security system in place, check out their reviews of security cameras. Picking security cameras comes down to compatibility, easy installation and upkeep.
If you don’t want to manage a home security system, you may want a different setup, like ADT, Vivint, SimpliSafe or something similar.
Some folks prefer the hands-off approach, while others want more control over their security setup. Either way, you should have a complete say over what happens at your home, whether you’re there or not.
Make sure your home apps are in a folder on your phone so you have easy access to them when you need them. If you live with others make sure they have the correct permissions and know their way around the app as well.
Get to know these tech tools long before you head out. They can come in handy when you’re home, but they are essential while traveling.
Related content
