Retirement Oz - How can technology help you save money during tough times?

How can technology help you save money during tough times?

Given the state of the world's economy, people are looking to reduce costs any way they can. While technology may seem like an expense (in terms of buying computers and peripherals or mobile phones), there are actually many ways in which using technology can help you save -- for example, using a webcam instead of a landline phone. How do you think technology can help you reduce costs during this recession?

Public Comments

Its saves money wastage -You know that you can write E mail messages to me
Online payments (paperless) of bills saves on stamps and like you mentioned, services such as skype might allow you to get rid of your land line. With more and more TV shows being available online, some people can just get rid of cable (I did 4 years ago). Telecommuting is also a money saver both for the employer and the employee.
People are downloading films and music off the internet so that is saving money :)
Helps me I was laid -off.I use the computer to send out resumes,so I don't have to go from place to place filling out Application's like in the old days.It is very tough indeed.It won't get better for quite a while.
Having internet access allows you to email family and friends and use live chat instead of mailing letters which wastes paper or instead of using a phone. You can go to coupon saving sites and get different coupons. www.save.ca is one site. And you can go to this site at the beginning of every week and pick different products to get coupons for. I save on diapers for my daughter by joining huggies site. They mail me coupons for money off the purchase of huggies wipes and diapers. www.flyermall.com is a site that you can go to to view the flyers for grocery stores and clothing stores, places like that. That way you can see what deals are on in that store and save more money instead of going to the store. I always make a list of what I NEED at the grocery store and a what I WANT list. I always get the NEEDS first and if I have enough money left over, I get the WANTS last. Also, if you have a cell phone instead of a home phone, you can always stay in contact with people instead of missing calls for important things like job interviews and such. I have a cell phone and home phone but am getting rid of the home phone. That will save me just over $35 a month. Money that I can put towards more things for my daughter.
Coupons are a great way to save money and you can find a lot online that can be printed out. It is good to search the sites of products you use often to see if they offer any money saving coupons or even free samples. You could also sign up for emails to be sent to you through coupon websites for product you use.
shoping online saves money vs driving around going from store to store wasting gas.
you cant. its impossible!!
Interviewing for Jobs online helps you save money by reducing travel expenses. If you are applying for a job, it is obvious that as much money needs to be saved as possible. That money can be used to hold you over until someone hires you for a job. There are a lot of websites and employers that allow workers to do preliminary interviews over the internet using video streaming or pre-recorded videos. That can save a person at least $5 on public transportation and possibly even more on gas if they are driving. You may also save over $20 on Taxicab fees if the interview is located in a large city.
E-mails are free. No postage necessary. Plus there are a variety of websites that offer free entertainment such as games, music etc.
Well, you can certainly save money on technology itself by using Free and Open Source software! This includes using Linux or BSD instead of Windows, Gimp and Inkscape instead of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, ABIWord or Open Office instead of Microsoft Office, and so on. It's all free to download and use for any purpose. While it is true that there is some learning involved, I base my own online freelance business exclusively on Free and Open Source software, so I make the same money other freelance designers do, but at $0.00 investment!
well they just invented these new things called "legs" which you can use to go anywhere you want but a slow pace. It helps you by not buying gas or a car!
IMing versus telephoning, and, like you mentioned, webcam versus landlines and cellphones. Also, paying bills online will help, and shopping for clothes and food online will to.
sit on you ass and play Wow 24/7 , while watching your interest grow
is more faster & save time
During tough times as the country is suffering from right now, a lot of things that include technology can go into effect by people wanting to save money. Communication and Entertainment methods will probably be broadened through the tougher times in a few different ways. Email will be used more then sending actual post, cutting costs of paper, ink, envelops, and stamps which could all get costly. Cutting down on these supplies could help a persons budget and can very well improve the amount of money that you are saving. People can even access email on phones, blackberries, and etc which would also cut costs of letters and other things that would fall under this category. Phone usage has changed a lot in the past few years, and one new way that a lot of people are picking up on now is through the computer. You can use different websites, programs, etc. To communicate to people. This could cut costs for mobile phones, home phones, and work phones all because microphones and webcam's are coming more into play in a lot of computers and laptops. People during these tough times can get rid of phones that costs a couple dollars to hundreds of dollars. Computers will replace some phone usage and overall in the long run save some money. With video services on the rise, and things like Hulu, Youtube, Megavideo, and etc. videos/ shows that commonly be watched on television are more computer used now. You can find a lot of your favorite shows on there networks' website or different websites that are allowed to show such shows. This could cut costs of buying thousand dollar television sets, and really save some money during this tough economy time. Also a lot of sporting events are now shown over the internet and can be watched through different programs. That could cut some costs to sports lovers buying package for hundreds of dollars, to almost none. Even a lot of television now can be watched on mobile phones, and even some for no cost at all. With all that we can do nowadays with them it'll definitely cut the cost of expensive televisions. With the world becoming more used though the computer, things like magazines, books, and newspapers are shown online more then sometimes being printed. Being able to look at your favorite newspaper or magazine online could cut the costs of buying magazines and newspapers now which produce and use a lot of paper. This could cut costs of hundreds of dollars spent on both. Even being able to read these with things like Ipods, phones, and other devices you can easily be more mobile with these things rather then buying the "actual" print copy of them. Video games are getting "expensive" nowadays, spending 50-150 dollars for some of these games are expensive without a doubt. Systems are very expensive as well costing from 200-500 dollars, these are very expensive. While the computer hosts millions of video games, even phones, and Ipods are adding video games to occupy people more often. Games online are becoming free, and can cut the costs of those expensive manufactured video gaming systems and video games. With the computers, phones, and other devices coming out these days technology is definitely more effective these days more then ever. In these tough times, Email could replace mailing, computers could replace phone costs, computers and video services could replace television, a mobile phone or computer could replace you from buying your favorite magazine or newspaper, and entertainment purposes will be cut because of a lot of things are being used through the computer. Overall technology could replace a lot of what we do from day to day, and could overall cut the prices in our pockets. With more online services becoming cheaper, it's a lot easier to access these things in different places and in different ways. A lot of the stuff that costs us hundreds could cost us nearly nothing. Overall thinking smart and using these different method could change a lot.
Easier to search for jobs... My husband was recently unemployed for a year, and without the internet, at least, we never would have found his current job. I've found less and less people posting in the actual print paper for job openings, plus you get a broader area to look at for jobs, without having to buy newspapers from all over the place. Sharing other tips about how to save from communities on the internet. Such as recipes, how to cut costs, etc. Plus, most TV stations are even airing episodes online the day after they air on the TV. And if you're really thrifty, you could cut out a cellphone bill + land line bill and just use Skype or some sort of similar program to talk to people. That's just with the internet alone, not including other technology that's available!
It can't
I have a friend that is now living in South Korea (I live in the U.S.), the internet is much cheaper and faster than having to send "snail mail". Online banking and bill pay allows me to balance my checkbook immediately and pay bills without having to go up town, purchase stamps, and hope they make it to the right places on time. Having a cell phone has completely eliminated the need for a land line phone. My plan suits my needs, goes everywhere with me and is cheaper than my land line ever was! Netflix is a Godsend. The monthly fee is cheaper than what I spent per month at the movie rental place and there are never any late fees. Online coupons and online sites that send coupons just for filling out a membership registration- saved a lot of money this way!
Pay bills online no buying stamps or money orders
Use torrents.
Well you can work from home instead of travelling to work, this saves you travel time, travel expenses and cut costs on electricity used in the main office, as well as possibly rental costs if you no longer have an office. Perhaps there'll be a networking service in the future, something like a virtual central business district which allows various companies to connect globally. It may be a matter of time before up to 7 in 10 people stop having physical cubicles and having online ones instead. Secondly, you can get free advertising now with the media online, and use online markets to buy and sell goods without paying extra, Most good deals can be found online in forums, since people save on advertising simply by leaving their ware on sale in forums, they are more than happy to give the best discounts around especially with so much competition and ease of finding a better deal. Also, many dealers sell directly to the buyer online, thus cutting off the middle man and allowing us to buy at near wholesale price, especially in bulk orders. Finally, because the Internet reaches out to a wide audience, you can harness the information you need, quickly, effectively, and best of all, at no cost.
Hello, Technology could help us in many ways when you think of it. We live on technology and there are many alternatives to save money. If we could find a way to save money differently it would really impact the recession in a good way. If we could somehow save money by using the computer. The computer is full of sources. For example, we could watch, read, and write on the internet. Right now as we speak the internet is growing in many different ways. We are starting to have TV and radio on the computer and we are using it as another source of entertainment; even through the tough times. If we focus on using small unimportant things alternatively. We would be suprised how much money we could save. And ecologically we are helping Earth at the same time somehow. We could also communicate over the internet in different ways so technically phone bills are not a problem paying and you don't have to mail letters. You could also spend less time commuting to places when using the internet for different things. Now you can even read newspapers online so that saves a little money. You could also watch movies or shows online for free so that saves about $80 a month. You can get coupons online so you can save money on products that you need for your household and for other reasons. Video games are also another form of entertainment, but on the internet you could play MILLIONS of free online games, which saves about $350 a month. Also, the internet is full of sources for learning and is a learning tool. Some websites have educational uses for free. You can also use your cell phone for instant discounts for thing you are going to buy. You can even read books online for free, so that saves an average person about $50 a month. So when you look at it; technology can help us save money and the world in many ways. As you have noticed, using only the computer instead of other things also saves electricity. You could also see how much money we can save by using technology like the computer. -KFCU
Paying bills online, not printing out multiple sheets of paper-rather emailing them, skype, watching tv online, not buying a newspaper-rather looking up news online
I have saved time and money with technology. I am able to plan my trips so I use less gas, I also look for coupons online for store I am planning to go to. I also use my TomTom when I am going to new places, and that saves me time and frustrations since I get lost really easily. I use my Palm treo all the time to check my email, look up restaurant on google maps, and text message instead of using my minutes. This saves me on my phone bill. I also use the internet to watch programs I enjoy that I could not watch on TV because of the increased number of hours I have had to work during my on-call weeks or my second job. It's a tough economic time, but with Technologyy we are doing pretty well
Instead of texting people, you can just IM them. No need for calling people when you can jsut chat on MSN. You don't need to go to the movies or buy DVDs anymore. We have YouTube for that. :)
I can do a research from your pc, that allows me to compare products, services, etc. I use solar cells to warm water, I'm looking for solar cells to get electricity. My car takes me everywhere faster and more comfortable using less gas due to technology. Thanks to technology I have a variated nutrition, my fridge is built to save energy.
Using telecommunication for long-distant commuting saves a lot of money. Online shopping also tends to be cheaper instead of travelling to the mall via transport. You can also trade/sell items online, which is much more convenient e.g. eBay. It's much more convenient, time-saving and cheaper than standing outside in a 'sunday market' with a load of stuff to sell. It is the digital age, and more people are likely to buy online for its convenience and cheap prices! Email is also a great cheap way of contacting friends and family. It's cheaper than sending cards or letters to far places or even abroad and it is usually slower and more expensive than email. Not to mention, you can send a lot of emails or even one email to a lot of people at one time - much cheaper than sending letters in that manner. Also, for organisations/businesses, they can experience economies of scale by using equipment to its full advantage. However, only large businesses can really feel the benefit from using technology e.g. mass production, as it reduces unit costs and also is far more cheaper than employing human beings (machines don't require tea breaks!) Also, a business can advertise its shares or products online which is also cheap and convenient and can also be accessed/looked into by anyone and everyone. Also, businesses can recruit workers online or provide job descriptions online if they are looking for workers with skills (which will be provided on the job despcription). This is also a cheaper process. Reliability, however, falls into another situation. We ARE only talking about costs here. :) The cost of fuel has risen, meaning that the use of transport is very costly and time consuming. Therefore, some people find working from home via the computer saves a lot of time and money. I have provided just a few examples that i could think of. Hope I've helped!
Instead of going out and living life you can stay inside and pretend to live life on the internet while every moment of your day passes you by
It could help save tax money by decreasing the number of teachers and actual school buildings. High school can be done via online classes. It would be much as it is in actual high school except there can be one teacher for thousands of students. This can be done at home. Parents would take over as teachers by making sure their own children are learning. Parents would be responsible for their children's education with the government supplying a computer and internet classes. This would standardize state's educational system with each child in the grade level getting the exact lesson from the same teacher via internet. The school system now has students that do not want to learn. I think this would change if the responsibility was put on the students and the parents instead of on the teacher and staff. Another issue would be 'cheating'. Nothing would change in that department. Students cheat now and will cheat later. Social life? They will have more time for social life with being able to do their classes and assignments on their own schedule. Personal note: I work in the public school system. I hate waste and if the public school remains the preferred choice of the masses, there should be reform. Our children are getting diplomas but the majority are lacking in education.
It hasn't helped me because the internet was a luxury to me. I can no longer keep up the cost of the bill to secure the connection. Keeping a roof over my head is more important than making cheap calls once in a while and having a natter with someone via webcam. Plus it's harmed my social skills.
It helped me earn money by selling things I don't use on eBay, and it helps me save money by giving me the option to check everywhere in the world to find the best deals on things I need, as opposed to driving around wasting gas and time (Time is money) searching stores that are only going to markup items 300% more than online stores will.
a camera on all the politicians and the big dossers who are running the world mad by stashing lots of money in their own banks, live on tv...so we know what is really going on?
present day technology is wonderful in the sense like by sitting at home we can have a look at the world and if properly we utilizes technology we can easily get on from this recession. This technology helps us to reduce costs during this recession in many fields like communications by emails ,web cams etc ,entertainments like music and favorite videos etc , transportations by saving gas ,fuel etc.
A funny question. It won't help you save money. You can use technology by paying for it. This is the first instance when you spend money. Most technologies work on electricity: another technology for which you spend money. So during tough times be a stone age person. No technology no spending money. Just basic requirements: Food, clothing, and shelter
You can pirate games!
I'm recently laid off and have replaced the 23 light bulbs (2 vanity fixtures have 8 bulbs each in them) in my home with Feit Electric's CLFs which are fabulous. I've tried other brands and these have quality written all over them. No, I never worked for them, I'm just very impressed. Already my electric bill has been lowered by half.
Videoconferencing for work (avoiding costly travel) and using the Internet to network with peers & colleagues across cities or countries.
I did alot of my shopping online this last xmas. Many sites offered free shipping when you bought a certain dollar amount. No sales tax charged (don't let the politicians change this) no gas driving place to place and I could compare prices easily. I recently bought a tux on line for my sons prom. It fits perfect and he can wear is again next year. Again no shopping around place to place wasting gas and time. All I had to pay $7.25 for shipping no sales tax. I paid the same for a new tux as if I would have rented one at a wedding boutique plus next year is already done. I am on reduced hours at work so I am working at home making xtra money as a call agent for an online company. I am 50 years old so you can teach an old do new tricks. I love technology!!!
My school has the light that aoutomatically turn off if noone is in the room for over 3 minutes
I telecommute now while working for a company that is based in Utah. That saves me travel and living expenses and I can deliver my work efforts by email and phone. I also hosted an online conference to review the detailed specifications I wrote before starting to do the project, again everyone could meet without going anywhere.
examining store circulars online can save you a ton of money, some of the deals are quite good. For example I got a 6 lb chicken for only $4. Also www.gasbuddy.com can help you find the lowest priced gas in your area. Especially useful now that gas prices are rising again. Our good friend Craigslist. For selling household items, offering services, or buying needed items at deep discounts, always a winner. Boards like Creditboards and Bankrate can provide a wealth of information about how to responsibly use, and make the most of, your credit rating. It can also point out which credit cards are offering 0% rates and rewards, ones without annual fees, and ones to avoid. Rate shopping is a great advantage of the Internet. Online coupons from manufacturers. Like a product? Hit their website. Write them an email (ok, get a second email for this type of thing) and get on lists for their product and "special customer" discounts. This one isn't exactly technology, but pharmacies seem to be getting generous with customers to grab for your prescriptions business. Both Rite-aid and CVS are offering $25 gift cards for transferred prescriptions. I've gotten over $100 in gift cards this way. www.slickdeals.com also has some excellent bargains. There are tons of deals out there and they're all at the click of a mouse!
Free communication software is of course a money saver. So are free movies, magazines, books & cable TV shows. Another great way to use your home PC to save money is by going online to find the best pricing for products or services. Always research before you take out your wallet. Places like eBay will often provide exactly what you need at great savings. One site we can all benefit from is Coupon Bug. They offer countless printable coupons for grocery items most of us already buy. A family of four can easily save $60 to $100 a month by using them. http://www.couponbugs.com/ regards, Philip T
you can pay bills online,save car gasoline by shopping online,and instead of going to the store to buy movies and music you can get that stuff online
People are downloading films and music off the internet
Technology, As in a bundle like Phone- Internet and Television all in one cost can save one a lot of money. Three bills in one under $100.00 I don't know if coupons can help, because of the cost of INK!
We can use email to alert our elected officials to the fact that they must tax us less and cut the size of government. Its time that liberals stepped up to the plate and became conservatives on the national level. Obama is a shill.
Turn it all off. we want die with out it.
Instead of driving to the bank I do it online. Instead of calling relatives in a different state I email them.
Computers, the internet on information technology had really contributed much in reducing our costs during this difficult times, emails, buying "need things", job search, readings news, movies, on line banking, paying bills, etc. Almost everything had been covered on the Hows' as answered. If we take a look inside our home, there are still other things worth mentioning on how technology could be utilized to achieve our aims on reducing costs. Electricity for example, there are energy savings devices on the market that could reduce energy bills by about 30%, light bulbs that consumes less but provide enough lighting and solar powered light bulbs on patios and gardens, and hundreds of other saving tips and technologies that we could use. And we could find them out inside the comforts of our home!.. a simple click on the "search" button and we're done.