Tech tips to save you time and money
6 budget-friendly solutions to everyday hang-ups and inconveniences
When it comes to innovative technology, you want tangible benefits—not impractical bells and whistles. There’s no reason to download every flashy new app on the market and purchase all the latest electronics with reckless abandon. These six tips can enhance your quality of life and help you save considerable time and money!
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is my go-to resource for affordable deals on airfare. This travel search site cross-checks airline websites with Expedia, Travelocity and many other databases to help you find hefty bargains. Planning a trip abroad? While Google Flights and travel agencies offer decent prices for national destinations, Skyscanner outshines the field on international expeditions. Compare for yourself! Over the last couple years, I’ve used this site to book cheap flights to London, Prague and Beirut.
Free trials and vouchers
From Netflix and Hulu to meal delivery services like Blue Apron and HelloFresh, tons of companies offer free trials or promo codes to first-time users. It’s an effective way for businesses to get their foot in the door and hope customers get hooked or forget to cancel before the trial expires. Like a flying trapeze artist, I jump from trial to trial for cheap eats and free access to dozens of popular shows and movies.
If you don’t intend to stick with your service after the free trial, remember to cancel in time! This strategy backfires if you lose track of when your free trial or promo period ends and you’re forced to pay full price for an extra month. A potential bonus to look for—I recently started the Hulu cancellation process and was offered a 2-week extension on my free trial.
Wall projector
Bring the cinema to your living room with a wall projector! At my old apartment in Indiana, my roommates and I set up a wall projector to spruce up our home theater without breaking the bank. High-quality projectors can be found for less than $100 on Amazon—all you need is a bare wall. Tack on a $30-50 projection screen to enhance resolution and a $20-40 speaker system for that rich and booming movie sound.
Unlimited data plans
Fed up with spotty or sluggish Wi-Fi? Join the club. My ever-increasing internet bill doesn’t always result in a smooth connection, particularly during the 7-11 pm Internet Rush Hour. As I’ve learned from personal experience, feeble or inconsistent Wi-Fi can butcher your Game of Thrones viewing party and foil your attempts to stream the game.
One solution to this plight is an unlimited data plan from your cell phone carrier. Personal plans from T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon and AT&T range from $50-80 per month, and include options for mobile hotspots and HD streaming. Wi-Fi is the past. Fast, dependable data is the present and the future.
1Password
Few things are more frustrating than forgetting your password. From email and social media accounts to iCloud and online banking, keeping track of your various logins can be a serious chore. Using the same password for all your accounts is a hacker’s dream, while paper or digital sticky notes are easy to lose and possibly even less secure.
The 1Password advantage is contained in its name—you only need to memorize one password. This organizational app houses all your logins behind a master passcode for superior convenience and protection. Try a free trial and sign up for a $3/month plan if you need an answer to forgotten passwords and security concerns.
Doorman
Ever had a package snatched from your doorstep while you were away at work? Doorman is for you! From meal deliveries to clothes and shoes, my packages spend too much time “up for grabs” outside my front door. Use the Doorman app to schedule package deliveries to fit your schedule any day of the week from 6 pm to midnight. No more theft, missed delivery notices or heaving bulky packages across town.
Doorman is currently available in Chicago, San Francisco and New York, with more cities to be added soon. Sign up for a free trial and consider using the app for $5 per package or a monthly fee depending on your delivery needs.