How to Save Money with Technology
Living is expensive. When you look at the cost of gas, housing and entertainment (to say to the least), it is almost impossible for the average worker to afford what they need and have a little extra for what they want. Now, throw a family and a few kids into the mix and you have a recipe for stress and wondering how you are going to pay the bills. Have no fear though. There are many ways to save money with very little effort. In fact, you will save thousands of dollars a year just by using the technology that we have available today. These simple tricks will allow you to get what you need and what you want AND have some extra left over!
1. Apps
Some people are afraid of technology, while others think it is too expensive, so they do not use it. Believe it or not, there are many ways to actually save money while using a Smartphone, iPod Touch or Tablet too! For instance, when you search for coupons in the app store, you will find hundreds of paid and free apps. Do not waste your time or money on any that. Most of them have a free version that will give you the same benefits as the paid version, without the cost. Apps like Cellfire will allow you to link any of your grocery store cards with your account and save coupons to that card too. The next time you go to the grocery store, you will not need to dig through your purse or wallet while holding up the line looking for your coupons, because they are all stored on your card and taken off your bill automatically. Cellfire is not the only app that provides this type of savings either. There are thousands of coupon apps with more added almost every day. With the money that you save just from these features, your Smartphone can pay for itself in just one trip to the store.
2. Scanners
Product scanners are the next big thing. You know you have done it - you have been guilty of finding a decent price for an item, thought you would just come back to it and you would shop around to other stores to try to get the best price. With the product scanner on your device, you can simply scan any barcode and the app will use the GPS service to pinpoint any other stores in your area that carry the product, along with the price that they are offering. This provides you, the consumer, with a new way to make sure you are getting the best deal around. Just imagine how much time, effort and money this app can save you during holiday or birthday shopping. You will even find that you will save money on things you buy all the time, like diapers and groceries. With this app, it is easy to use and you do not necessarily need to have a Smartphone, since it is also available for the iPod touch and a variety of tablet computers as well. This is a free app, of course. Some will tell you their scanner is the best and make you pay for it, but in reality, you can go through the Amazon app and use the scanner there, or use the AT&T product scanner app, which works the same way and is also free.
About the Author:
Jaimie Pressler write about technology, saving money & websites.
