Are you using the internet as a money-saving tool? Did you even know the Internet can be used as a money-saving tool? If not you should! There are a million and one awesome ways that having the Internet can do all kinds of things to keep more of your monthly salary in your pocket or in your savings account. In this guide, we’re going to take a look at some of the most effective and useful methods – let’ start saving some cash!
Cut back on the phone bill
If you have people you love that live miles away from your location, your phone bill can soon add up, and chatting to friends and family on your landline can get expensive very quickly. However, there’s really no need to spend a fortune anymore. Skype, Viber, PopTox and many more services out there will give you a free account and free calls to anywhere in the world. All you need to do is persuade your friends and family to get the applications, too.
Save on paying your bills
Pretty much every single service provider in the country will give you cheaper bills if you pay online. Not only will you save yourself paying 50¢ for a stamp and all the money you save on gas traveling to and from the post office, it’s not an insignificant sum of money to save every year. So, before you next pay a bill, look at your banks, credit card companies, retailers, and online government payment portals. Alternatively, you can use services like MyCheckFree, PayTrust and Mint Bills.
Save on expensive providers
While we were on the subject of service providers, are you sure you are getting the best deal possible for your gas and electric, insurance and other utilities? Using online comparison services can cut anything up to 30% of your bills, as these kinds of companies tend to offer new customers their very best deals. Try ChooseEnergy, Power2Switch or ComparePower and you will find some big discounts on your current utility bills.
Save on shopping
You can also use online comparison services to make sure that you get the very best price possible when it comes to anything you buy in terms of shopping. Try PriceGrabber, NexTag and Shopzilla to get you started – or even just click the ‘Shopping’ tab the next time you do a search online.
Save on fuel
How many times do you have to fill up your car with gas every week? And how much is it costing you? Most households just go to the nearest gas station in their town or city for convenience, but with a little savvy you can go online and find the cheapest fuel sellers in your local area. No, you might think that saving a few cents per gallon isn’t worth the bother. But here’s the thing – if you add the savings up over a whole year – and possibly two cars – that’s hundreds or thousands of gallons you can save money on. Use GasGuru to get the best deals in your locale.
Save on your Internet, TV and Phone
If you are prepared to cut the cord on your cable TV package and look around online, you will find some pretty sweet deals when it comes to TV packages, which could also include your Internet and phone line. Choose your most cost-efficient provider for all three services, contact the ISP, and say goodbye to paying over the odds. Again, you could save anything up to 20-20% by switching and combining services, so it’s well worth looking at.
Save on food shopping
How much do you spend on food shopping? According to apiece of research from a few years back, the average family spends over $4000 on groceries every year. And while you might think it is essential to spend all this, if you go online to discount and coupon sites, you could save up to 30% off that figure. Daily coupons are published daily on sites like Coupon Mom, Yowza and SnipSnap. You could save over $1000 a year if you put your mind to it and are prepared to ditch brand loyalty – that could help you at Christmas, or even get you a much-needed vacation.
Save on vacations
While we’re on the subject of vacations, are you tired of paying too much for hotels and flights? If so, you are in very good company – so why not get ahead of the rest by using the Internet to find the best deals on flights, hotels and resorts all over the world? Websites such as Travelocity and Hotles.com exist to find you the best possible breakaways at the best possible prices.
Save on repairs and renovations
How many times have you wanted to fix something but either left it or ended up paying a handyman a small fortune to do it for you? If you are anything like the average household, it probably happens a lot. But here’s the thing – whatever you are trying to do, there is probably a good, easy-to-follow resource on video sites like YouTube. Of course, it’s best to leave the difficult and dangerous DIY stuff, especially that which is related to gas or electricity. But for minor fixes there are tens of thousands of videos and blog posts with step by step guides on almost every subject.
Save on learning
It costs you thousands of dollars to do a course in college – but why shell out when there are thousands of course online that you can take for free – or at least, for a fraction of the price? Check out services like EDX, which offers free online courses from some of the world’s best and most respected universities. MIT OpenCourseWare is another good one, run by the best technology university on the planet.
As you can see, getting online and making the most of your experiences can save you a serious amount of money in a vast array of different ways. All it takes is an internet connection, a little time, and some patience to find the best deals and you could end up leading a happier, wealthier, and more fulfilling life.