The speed at which technology changes and develops can be alarming, particularly from a money saving perspective. Barely a week goes by without some new “must have” gadget hitting the shelves. Smartphones are a case in point, and the latest folding phone from Samsung was recently unveiled with an eye-watering price tag of $2,000.
Yet much as we might see the latest technology as just another financial drain, it can sometimes lead us to some incredible savings, as the following apps demonstrate.
Banking and investment apps
Online banking has brought a greater degree of convenience to managing our finances, and has proved so popular that the high street branches are becoming practically obsolete. However, managing our money online also brings tangible financial benefits.
For everyday banking, fees tend to be significantly lower thanks to less administration, while for investments such as ISAs, the internet has opened up a far wider world of possibilities and options that simply would not have been available before.
The wonders of communication
These days we seem to have friends and family dispersed all over the globe. It was only a few years ago that email seemed such an amazing way to keep in touch – but to talk directly, we still faced exorbitant international call charges. Apps like Skype, Slack and WhatsApp have changed all that forever. All you need is an internet connection and you can chatter away for hours on end from opposite sides of the globe at zero cost.
Even better, this increased choice has forced the telephone companies to up their game, and many have reacted to the competition by offering special overseas tariffs at far more reasonable rates.
Free books and music
The traditionalists among us might mourn the fact that there are far fewer book and record shops on the high street these days. It’s true that downloading music or reading material is not as much fun as browsing the shelves. However, the fact that you can now get them electronically for absolutely nothing definitely sweetens the pill!
Check out Amazon for free downloads of everything from the classics to new releases from up and coming authors. Download an app like Stanza for even more choice. Meanwhile, you can get free music from apps like Spotify, Google Play Music and even YouTube.
A home movie night
Generation Z will probably stare at us in disbelief when we tell them what used to be involved in having a home movie night. As with the books and music, there was always a sense of adventure about visiting the local video rental store and seeing what you could find. But consider the amount we used to spend on renting a single movie for the night and compare that with monthly subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime or similar.
If you’ve not explored one of these streaming apps, it is definitely worth a try. And most of them offer you a month for free to give it a try, so there’s really nothing to lose.
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