Indians like to call it paisa vasool -- money's worth. And there's plenty of wallet-friendly -- even downright free -- stuff out on the Web, if you only knew where to look.
Rebecca Williams, Marketing Executive at the money saving website vouchercloud, shares her personal favourites, among simple, everyday ways to save money.
Technology is generally considered to be an element of our lives on which we (quite happily) lavish large sums of money. However, technology is also a powerful tool that can be harnessed to save us cash and provide assistance in adhering to a budget. Startups and innovations are changing this by digitising everyday services and creating open source alternatives that benefit our wallets.
Music & Movie Streaming ServicesThe days of shelling out a hefty sum on entertainment are long gone. Forget spending your hard earned money on DVD’s, TV box sets and CD’s. The internet now plays hosts to a number of music and movie streaming sites that are revolutionising the entertainment industry – and saving users a lot of money.
Sites for music include Saavn, Gaana and Dhingana, and top sites for movies and TV shows include Spuul and Bigflix.
Open Source Programmes: The internet is a creation by the people and for the people. Like Wikipedia, people are invested in contributing to open source programs with the intention of making software available to everyone. Open Office is an open source program that provides features that are more than sufficient most people, and yes – it is free.
Coupon Sites: Paying the retail price for just about anything is no longer a given, with the rise of online discounting and coupon sites. Sites such as vouchercloud and others offer discounts and exclusive deals on big brands, ensuring that you will never pay full price online again. You can also receive discounts on local restaurants and activities, saving you money in your everyday life as well.
Exercise Apps: Forget about expensive gym memberships and overpriced exercise equipment and gear, there is a wealth of free exercise apps that you can download onto your phone or mobile device. From free daily workouts targeting all areas of your body, to yoga sessions and even calorie counters, technology helps you get fit and stay fit – for free!
Bank Savings Tools: Some international banks have developed a novel way for customers to save money on their electronic transactions. This savings tool rounds every purchase made up to the nearest figure and saves the difference into a separate savings account on your behalf. The small amount added on top of the purchase is unnoticeable, yet it all adds up as it is applied on every transaction – from little things, big things grow!
With a wealth of information at our fingertips, there are endless methods for money saving at our instant disposal. By utilising existing technologies and looking out for the emergence of new innovations, we can harness the unbridled power that technology offers and work it to our ultimate financial advantage.
Nov. 15 2013