Technology is a wonderful thing that has changed our lives and the world forever. Some would say that it is making our lives better and others would argue that it’s making our lives worse. With everything considered, I think it may be a little of both. If you’re old enough to remember life without the Internet, Smart Phones, Cable, DVD’s, DVR’s, etc, you know how much things have changed in just the past 20 years. Because we are on the forefront of a lot of groundbreaking technology, cutting edge technology usually come with higher prices—at least temporarily. That’s why it is so important if we can help our household cut expenses in the category of technology.
Where should you shop for your technology? Good question. You can find great deals at the warehouse clubs, like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s. Best Buy, Amazon, and WalMart are also good choices and have an extensive selection. The great thing about so many places offering technology choices is that lots of comparison shopping can be done. Do you think you’re getting a good deal on something? It’s very easy to plug it into Amazon and see who has the lowest price. Many large retailers are even on there. Not only can you compare prices, but you can see lots of reviews from those who have actually purchased it. No more clicking BUY NOW and getting a lemon delivered to your door.
SMART PHONES
Do you know anyone without a smart phone? They are everywhere and they are here to stay (until something better comes along). Having the ability to make a phone call, text, and access the Internet from almost anywhere (depending on the tower and WIFI availability) has done wonderful things for our society, such as saving people’s lives. A lot more people used to die from heart attacks and drowning before we were able to call 911 from a phone in our pocket. However, we also have the downside of the person swerving all over the road because they are not able to drive AND talk or text on the phone or are even surfing the Internet. That aside, let’s get down to MONEY.
There are all sorts of plans out there and providers that you can choose from. The obvious way you can earn money for your family is to NOT have one at all. Without a cell phone, no phone bill. Since I just stated how important a smart phone could be for safety reasons, I’m leaning toward a phone being a necessity, rather than a luxury. This is especially true for women and children commuting, walking home from school and driving alone. What you may want to decide for your children is at what age you allow them to have one. Not just for the added expense but also for internet safety issues, time suckage, and distraction.
The wireless industry is so competitive and the rates can change daily. The lowest plan available (sometimes even referred to as the safety plan) is probably going to be the cheapest plan. This is perfect if you are truly going to use the phone for safety reasons or only use it a small amount per month. This may be a good idea for your tween getting their first phone. They have it for emergencies, but it doesn’t consume their life if they don’t have access to the Internet. If you are lucky enough to have your phone paid for by your business, you are ahead of the game in saving money. To keep up to date on the current rates, check out the following websites:
If you are loyal to a certain provider or you have limited options due to coverage, you can look at the best service plans directly from the provider. It’s all so confusing and convoluted, so talk to a representative that can review your specific account and circumstances. There are family plans and other promos where you can bundle a group of people together to get discounted overall charges. Pricing can vary quite a bit by provider in pricing and plans. For some, you can get unlimited data for even cheaper than a limited amount of certain GB. You need to contact your specific provider to get a better idea. If you mostly have access to WIFI, you probably don’t need unlimited data. To keep your data usage down, make sure that you limit your background data use. You can find this in your settings. This will protect your data. For us personally, we had limited data for years until the plans changed recently where it was cheaper for us to have unlimited data than the plan that we’d previously been on. Another change we made was to set up automatic payments directly from our checking account to give us an additional discount. It was more convenient and it ended up saving us money. Before, we had it set up for automatic payment to our credit card. The change saved us $20/month alone.
A large portion of your cell phone bill may be the payment of the actual phone. Just like cars, you shouldn’t get another car immediately when you pay it off, but instead, keep it longer to benefit from not having a payment. Every month that you’re no longer paying for the hardware of the phone (typically spread out over 2 years or 24 months), you could be setting that money aside for the purchase of the next phone. Set it aside so when you are ready to purchase the next one, you don’t have to spread it out over 24 months. Through my husband’s work, they paid for the purchase of the phone so we were lucky to not have that charge.
If you are paying for phone insurance, ditch the insurance immediately unless it’s paid for by your place of employment. If you’re worried about your phone getting damaged, invest in one of the super protective cases. They may cost more up front, but are much cheaper than the insurance and will also increase the longevity of your phone and may even come with guarantees from the company. I used Otterbox cases for years.
When looking at your bill, make sure you look at every line item to see if you’re being charged for items that you don’t need and are not using anyway. Emergency roadside assistance, “enhanced” voicemail, and 411 charges can sometimes be found. Be diligent and review what you’re being billed for and ask if you can remove it from your bill. If, after looking at the above items, you determine that you still need to spend less monthly on cellular expenses, you may need to explore changing carriers. The threat of losing you as a customer and your business can be an incredible incentive to match special deals or even reduce your bill. Some may only be temporary, but put a reminder on your calendar before the deal expires and reach out again to see if there are more ways to cut costs. What I’ve realized about the wirrelss industry (and many others) is that if there are more savings available out there for you, they are not going to reach out to you to tell you about them. Instead, they stay silent keeping you on plans that are more lucrative for them. Because of that, you should touch base with all of you providers on an annual basis to see if you’re still getting the best deal. It’s amazing how much things can change within only a year’s time. You should also do this with cable, Internet, and your insurances (car, health, home), etc.
COMPUTER
Do you know anyone that doesn’t have a computer? Laptop? Tablet? Desktop? Phone? Most people in today’s world would call having a computer a necessity. For most things, they are a must-have. However, if you are truly struggling and can’t afford a computer let alone internet expenses and everything that comes with it. I’m happy to tell you that there are avenues to utilize a computer for FREE. The library is a great place to do any work needed on the computer, including resumes, printing documents, etc. There may be a small charge for some services.
If you decide that you absolutely need to purchase a home computer, you still can find great deals. Check out the warehouses and the computer specialty stores to see what the specials are. You can actually find some pretty good deals out there. You might even forego purchasing a monitor brand new and opt for buying one at a garage sale, consignment or thrift store. The same thing goes for a printer. People are updating their equipment all the time and you can find great deals on old equipment from people who are the new adopters and want to have the latest and greatest equipment. Some of their “old stuff” can still be pretty nice and up to date. Another place that you can search for refurbished items or used products is on Facebook Marketplace, Craig’s List, Mercari, or Facebook sale groups. You also may be lucky enough to find something amazing on www.freecycle.org if you are patient and diligent. It offers products absolutely for free.
If you do have your own computer and accessories, there are additional ways to earn money for your family. Once you have a printer (either new or used), you have to think about the ink for printing. That’s where your costs can add up. New cartridges can be very expensive. There are kits that you can purchase to re-ink your own cartridges. I have had one of these kits that I purchased at a wholesale warehouse club. It’s really easy to do and you can fill many cartridges with one kit. It’s a definite must do and can result in major savings. Another consideration is staying away from InkJet printers all together as the ink can quickly surpass the purchase price of the printer itself. The ink for LaserJet printers tends to last longer which helps keeps your prices down and will save you money in the long term. The cost of a LaserJet may be more upfront, but as mentioned, the biggest cost may be the ink.
SOFTWARE/APPS
Keeping in line with the subject of computers, let’s move on to look at software and apps that can really help you determine where you need to make cuts in your budget. There is an unlimited amount of helpful software and apps that can help make your life so much easier. Some are absolutely free, while others require a fee. The software Quicken is a wonderful tool that can help you track all of your income and expenses. Sometimes you don’t realize how much money you’re actually spending on certain items until it’s down in black and white. It’s the same thing as keeping a diary of all the food you eat when you’re watching your weight. All the little snacks (expenses) add up to a lot more calories (money spent) than you thought. Quicken helps you keep track and log everything. You can even do budgeting using the software. Overall, budgeting software is a must to have for your computer and/or smartphone. If you notice that you’re spending too much money on going out to eat, then cut back. Some other amazing budgeting options are www.thebudgetmom.com, the apps YNAB (you need a budget) and Every Dollar. They even have ones specifically for college students (YNAB) that is free. Some are free and some require a monthly fee. Find one that you feel is best for you and read the reviews.
Another piece of software that can save you hundreds of dollars is Turbo Tax. It’s a wonderful tax program to do your taxes at home. Unless your taxes are extremely difficult and unusual, these types of software programs are very easy to use and cost less than 1% of what it might cost to have a professional do them. The program walks you step by step through the process and is very detailed. You don’t have to have any extraordinary tax knowledge to be able to complete your taxes in a timely manner.
Here’s our story. We had an accountant do our taxes the first year we were married (a long time ago). We paid $395 and then got notification from the Internal Revenue Service telling us that there had been a miscalculation and we should’ve actually received a larger refund. Surprisingly enough, they did send us the check for the difference. After that year, it was clear to us that we would be doing our own taxes from then on. We learned that using a “professional” doesn’t always get you more money back.
There is so much to talk about relating to technology that I had to split it into two sections. Stay tuned for Stripping Away Technology Costs (part 2) for the topics of Internet, Cable/Satellite, and Telephone. See you next time!
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