If you are as forgetful as me in the mornings, a smart home could be an awesome stress-reducer. I wish I could have one button to push that makes everything go off when I leave. Then I wouldn’t have to drop everything at the door and run back in to flip any switches. I always feel so defeated when I come home and find a light on, knowing that I wasted all that energy not being in the house.

Home automation is the cure and it even saves energy when you are in the house! To put it into perspective, the picture below takes a look at all the things you could turn off with one button when you are heading out in a rush.

If you don’t want (or can’t afford) to have a fully-automated home, there are simple solutions to get the same benefits. Dimmer switches are a great first step in home automation.

Do you really need to be using all the wattage in your light bulbs? With dimmer switches, you don’t have to have the bulbs blaring at 90 watts. It also sets the mood to the lighting turned down a notch. When researching home automation, I found the dimmer switches to be the cheapest and easiest product for home automation. Most of them can be installed without a professional. If you are thinking about moving in the automation direction, try installing a dimmer switch for the most frequently occupied room in the house.

Home automation can save energy, time and stress. What home automation project would make you worry less?

Emma Marshall is a community resource guide at the ServiceMagic.com headquarters in Golden, Colorado. Emma speaks with dozens of homeowners about their projects on a daily basis.