Start Here — Your Automation Journey

New here? Welcome. Pick your path and start automating the stuff that eats up your time.

Welcome — You're in the Right Place

If you've ever thought "there has to be a better way to do this," you're exactly who we built this site for. Whether you want to start with one smart bulb or automate your family's entire morning routine, we have a path for you.

Automation doesn't have to be complicated. The right starting point depends on what's eating up your time right now. Pick the path that fits you best, or start with a quick win below to see results today.

Choose Your Path

🏠 I want to make my home smarter

Start with devices that make daily life more convenient — lights that turn on when you walk into a room, a thermostat that knows your schedule, or a doorbell camera you can check from the couch. Our Smart Home guide walks you through choosing an ecosystem, picking your first devices, and setting up automations that run without you thinking about them.

💻 I want to automate tasks on my phone and computer

Tired of copying data between apps, manually organizing files, or sending the same emails over and over? Our Software Automation guide shows you how tools like Zapier, Apple Shortcuts, and Make can handle the repetitive digital work so you don't have to.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 I want to organize my family's life

Meal planning, shared calendars, chore tracking, budgeting — family life has dozens of moving parts. Our Productivity guide helps you find the right apps and systems to keep everything running smoothly, with automation connecting the dots so nothing falls through the cracks.

Quick Wins — Try These Today

Not sure where to start? These four automations each take about 15 minutes to set up and deliver instant results:

  1. Put a lamp on a smart plug schedule. Plug a living room lamp into a smart plug ($12–$15), set it to turn on at sunset and off at bedtime. You'll never walk into a dark house again.
  2. Automate Do Not Disturb on your phone. Use Apple Shortcuts or Android's built-in settings to automatically enable Do Not Disturb from 10 PM to 7 AM. Instant improvement in sleep quality.
  3. Set up a shared family calendar. Create a shared Google Calendar for family events. Everyone sees the same schedule, and changes sync instantly. No more "I didn't know about that."
  4. Create a weather alert automation. Use IFTTT (free) to send you a notification if rain is forecasted tomorrow. It takes two minutes and means you'll never forget an umbrella again.

How This Site Works

We publish several types of content to help you at every stage of your automation journey:

  • In-depth guides: Comprehensive walkthroughs covering a topic from start to finish, with screenshots and specific settings.
  • Quick tips: Bite-sized automation ideas you can implement in 15 minutes or less.
  • Product reviews: Honest, hands-on assessments of smart home devices and software tools, tested in a real home.
  • Comparisons: Side-by-side breakdowns (like Zapier vs. Make, or Alexa vs. Google Home) to help you choose the right tool.

Every guide is written in plain language for non-technical readers. If we use a technical term, we explain it.

Join the Community

Automation is more fun (and easier) when you're not figuring it out alone. Here's how to stay connected:

  • Newsletter: Get one actionable automation tip every Tuesday — 15 minutes or less to set up. No spam.
  • Reddit: r/TheAutomatedFamily — Ask questions, share what you've built, and learn from other families.
  • Facebook: @TheAutomatedFamily — Quick tips and community discussion.

Have a question or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you.