People don’t tend to think of technology as a way to save money. They see the high cost of smartphones, computers, and all the other staples of 21st-century life as an unavoidable expense. It’s something that they need to have if they’re going to be a functioning part of society. That’s one way to look at it. The other is to reframe technology as a tool that, while there might be a comparatively high startup cost, helps save money in the long run. It allows you to avoid spending money in more ways than you might realize. Just take a look at some of the cost-cutting measures it provides below.
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Through Your Smartphone
Yes, if you’re buying a new iPhone each year, then your technology bill might be higher than you’d like. But you can cheap smartphone, all of which will the same access to the money saving apps that the latest models have; you’ll just have to give up the gimmicks. There’s an app for just about everything to do with cash. You can use apps like Quidco and get cash back on your purchases. Some apps will tell where the cheapest parking in your city is. You can make free telephone calls. And you can buy foreign currencies well below what you’d pay in store.
Preventing Fraud
When we’re talking about fraud, we’re not talking about saving a few pennies here and there: we’re talking about keeping all your money safe from the people who would steal it from you. Some people think that technology has made our sensitive data more vulnerable; in fact, it’s ensured that it’s safer than ever. Official organizations have embraced technology, allowing citizens to avoid having to trust third party organizations with their data. In India, people don’t have to trust unverified companies with their Adhar number; they can use the an Adhar card download site and keep their paper copy at home. In the US, Americans don’t have to carry around their social security card; they can do all the important tasks online. Anything that prevents fraudsters from being able to get your personal information is a leap forward, and technology is making significant strides in this regard.
Buying Online
Way back when, a person would walk into a store, see a price…and then in all likelihood pay it, even if were over the odds because they didn’t know any better. Thanks to the internet, people are saving more money than they know what to do with. With just a few clicks, they can see what the best price for an item is; if the store can’t compete with that price, then the consumer knows they can buy it online for cheaper. In any given year, people will be saving hundreds of dollars, all thanks to the democratic nature of the internet. The same goes for online media: families don’t need to have an expensive cable subscription anymore. They can just pay for what they want, by buying films through services like YouTube and Google Play.
So the next time you’re lamenting the cost of technology, remember that it’s saving you much more money than it costs you!
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