Contributed post
Living comfortably in the 21st century is a pretty pricey enterprise. The cost of living is sky high with nowhere to go but up (unless you live in London, in which case the prospect of negative equity rears its ugly head). International relations are tense across the world which has a knock-on effect on the cost of internationally sourced produce. We’ve still yet to see how Brexit will affect the average grocery shop, despite the over simplified assurances of certain Tory MPs. In this increasingly precarious economic climate, it’s little wonder that so many of us are turning to blogs like this to see how they can save or make a little extra income on the side of their monthly wage.
Since technology is changing the world inexorably every day, it’s also little wonder that people would look to technology to help save and make money. After all, it’s already revolutionised the way we show, the way we bank, the way we spend money and even the way in which certain countries vote. That’s right! Smartmatic technology was used in last November’s election in Estonia. The Smartmatic system allowed voters to track their votes and make sure that they were collated properly. If technology can change the way in which an entire country votes, it can certainly help you to improve your personal finances…
Money making apps
The beauty of money making apps is their ability to help you earn passive income by doing the things that you already enjoy doing anyway, from working out at the gym, to shopping. Most of them involve filling out surveys and other easy tasks. By using a number of different apps regularly you’ll make small deposits which quickly add up to make a big difference to your household finances.
Track your spending
It’s easy for your spending to run away with you, especially since contactless payments and the advent of solutions like Apple Pay make spending money quicker and easier than ever. Some prefer to use cash to help them to track and quantify their spending while others feel that if they have loose change in their wallet it makes them more likely to make small impulse purchases that really add up over the months. Your bank, however, may offer a mobile app to help you track your spending. Keeping a constant eye on your bank balance and logging your outgoings can help to stop small spending from running away with your household finances.
Keep on top of your energy usage
Boxing clever with your household energy use is another way in which you can make small savings that add up throughout the year. Installing a smart meter is a great way of tracking your energy use while switching wasteful filament bulbs for cheaper CFL lights and switching devices off at the mains rather than leaving them on standby overnight can really add up.
Always be switching
Where would we be if we didn’t have useful price comparison sites to help us to avoid wasting money on the same services? It’s likely that you’ve already used a price comparison site to advise you on the best supplier for your home utilities like gas, electricity and telecommunications but to make the most of them, they should be used each and every year to make sure that you’re always getting the best deals!