Spend to Save: PowerCost Monitor

I’ve seen several gadgets lately that I would put under the category “spend to save,” which could also be thought of as “things that will pay for themselves in a year or less.”  For instance, if you have a ton of computers, tvs, and lights plugged in but just can’t get motivated to put a system in place for unplugging them (believe me, I understand—it’s a total pain in the a%$ to pull my desk out to unplug all of my stuff, and the plugs for my tv and DVR actually live underneath my entertainment center).  For this reason, maybe it would be motivating to get the PowerCost monitor ($140, www.chooserenewable.com ) , which basically indicates how much energy something is using as well as what that energy is costing you.  In theory, if you caught just one energy sucker, like your big tv or backup hard drive, and put a system in place for turning that off on a regular basis, this gadget could pay for itself AND start earning you money.  Plus, you could start hiring yourself out as an “energy consultant” and doing this for your friends and family.