Tried and Tested Ways to Save Money via Tech

Saving money? In this economy? Impossible!

Or at least that’s what I heard when I told my friends and family I wanted to save money.

When it comes to saving money, most individuals are discouraged, just like I was. If you walk through this path filled with financial thorns, you might come across some experts. These finance gurus charge a lot of money, but their tips are only good for people with a lot of money.

Moreover, most of the tips and guides offered by these gurus are neither practical nor applicable to middle-class families in the U.S.

So, what’s the solution?

Well, just like every other average American household, I started with the same issue. Drenched in student loans, soaked in disappointment, and buried under a pile of bills. However, by reading the right books and building the right mindset, I was able to save money without switching careers or getting a second job.

Now, I’ll be sharing my tried and tested ways to help you save money.

Track Your Spending 

Before you start saving, you need to set a baseline. This will help you know if you are earning enough to save money. For instance, most people know about their income, but they do not track their basic spending, and bills are an inevitable part of it. 

A good way to learn about your spending habits is by tracking your income, savings, and spending. If you are a beginner who has never done it before, do not worry because technology is there to help you. 

Most finance-tracking apps are available to download for free. These apps are ideal for tracking and categorizing overall spending. You can also use these apps to allocate a budget in advance, so you can see how much money you can save if you put in maximum effort and control your luxury spending. 

Reduce Utility Bills

For an average household in the U.S., utility bills can consume the largest chunk of the salary. On the other hand, there is no way to avoid utility bills as well. If you are also struggling with utility bills or you want to find a way to reduce the utility bills, you will need a bit of research skills.

For instance, internet bills also come within the utility bills category. In comparison, this bill might not be as significant because an average household spends somewhere between $40-120. While most utility bills can vary depending on your usage, internet bills are generally consistent. A good way to reduce your internet charges is by simply renegotiating your plan and reassessing your options. 

As a Spectrum internet user, I realized that I was using a high-tier plan for a single-user household. However, I reassessed my options by checking Spectrum Internet plans and switched to a basic plan, which helped me save a lot of money. 

Get a Meal App

Takeout and economical? Never heard of it. 

I know this might sound unrealistic, but there are apps that can help you save a lot of money on takeout, grocery, and shopping. Apps like Imperfect Foods, Too Good to Go, Misfits Market, Hungry Harvest, and Flashfood offer major discounts on fresh food items like fruits, vegetables, and meat. 

Some of these apps offer pick-up options from major food chains that are trying to sell food by the end of the day, so anyone can book and pick up food anytime.

For people who are trying to save money or individuals who are on a budget, these apps are ideal. In fact, through these apps, you will get access to fresh food from international food chains like Subway, Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut, and more. It can be an ideal option for people who love takeout but don’t want to spend a lot of money. 

Download Discount Apps

Who doesn’t love discounts and sales? Most of the discount offers are linked with events such as Christmas, Halloween, Boxing Day, Cyber Monday, etc., but what about the rest of the days?

Well, if you want to save money on your purchases, you should get a discount deal app. Apps like Fetch, Flip, Groupon, Dosh, ShopSavvy, and Iboota are excellent for discounts. 

These apps not only offer online discounts and inform you about sales on major e-commerce stores but also help save money on hotels, air tickets, travel, food, and more. The best part of these apps is that they do not restrict the user to just one website, outlet, or category. 

Instead, you can enjoy cashback, discounts, sales, and early bird discounts on different categories and brands. 

Technology has come a long way. Most of the time, using technology means you need to buy an app or invest money in a device. However, the above-mentioned ways will help you save money through the use of tech. Even if you are someone who doesn’t yet understand the nitty-gritty of finance and budgeting, the above-mentioned tips can be very helpful in taking the first step.