5 Ways to Use Technology to Save You Money

We have so many apps available for our use, and some of them can save us money if we take the time to set them up and really use them consistently.  Here are my top five:

1.      Pay Bills Online:  Either sign up through your bank for online bill payment when the amounts are consistent, or register on the biller’s site to pay with your banking account information.  This saves time, is a greener no-paper option, and does not cost postage.  Manilla.com is a free website that can organize your bills.   An added benefit is that paying bills on time has a HUGE impact on your credit score.  30% of your credit score is based on keeping bills current, so setting your bills to pay automatically is a definite must.

2.      Get off road and meet or collaborate online as an alternative to face-to-face time.  Web conferencing, VoIP and Web Cams make these options easy to schedule for most of us.  Plan the meeting with a distributed agenda, ensure everyone has input, and summarize the action steps and who is responsible for each.  On-line meetings are usually faster and can be more productive when planned well and the action steps are clearly communicated.

3.      Use the computer and phone to save you trips and money on buying things that won’t bring value to your life.  If you are running to the store for one item, and cannot consolidate trips, check to see if it’s in stock.  How many times have you driven to the store to find that they are out of what you need, or the sale had too much demand?  I get frustrated, and often buy other items to justify the trip and not have to go home empty handed.  Get magazines and DVDs through the library (many can be downloaded at no cost.) 

4.      I’m surprised we still have fax machines in our world.  It is so easy to scan a document and send it via email as an attachment.  Many home and office printers have the scan feature you can use, and if you will use it a lot, a portable scanner can be purchased ONLY if the money saved is worth the purchase price.  Sending the email with a “read receipt” option can also be used if the document is very important and you want to track progress.

5.      Technology will NOT save you money if you spend more on apps and accessories than they help you.  I have a few of those items gathering dust right now.  I am now motivated to sell on Gazelle.com or share on freecycle.com to get the clutter out of my way. 

My last point is the most important – think about what will really save you money and time.  Take the money you do save and put it towards debt.  What technology helps you save money?

I'd like to thank Henckel Miranda for requesting this blog.  You can learn more about Henkel on his blog "Dough" at http://garipla.wordpress.com/