In a world where access to the internet is a necessity for both businesses and households, it can be surprising how much of the web’s potential is ignored. Some of the best things the internet offers us are discounts on just about any resource we invest in it; specifically, the internet allows us to spend less money on what we need and for us to shave time on tackling our chores and responsibilities. Below is a small sample of ways in which you can spend less time and money on the daily grind.
Scheduling and Productivity
People are always looking for the next great way to get organized and efficient and the internet continuously produces new and better options. Gone are the days of the Palm Pilot and the chunky day planner. Now, with internet-connected, pocket-sized computers, productivity is a breeze. For example, if you are a student, there are apps that allow you to save your class notes to the cloud and access them anywhere you have an internet connection. For a busy parent, you can get digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, or Google that allow you to simply tell them what to put on a shopping list or a to-do list that you can access on your phone when you’re out and about. From document scanners to sleep optimizers, you’re missing out if you aren’t giving apps a chance to do the work for you.
Learn a Skill from Tutorial Videos
If you ever run into a problem you do not know how to solve properly, like fixing your vacuum cleaner or understanding how to perform minor plumbing repair, there are dozens of video streaming sites that can walk you through every step of the problem. These videos, some of which may even be posted on the websites of the professional services you would hire, can teach you how to assess the situation, what is required to fix the problem and educate you as if a trained professional were standing right there by your side. On top of that, you can look to the internet to learn fun skills like playing the guitar or magic tricks.
Shop Online
E-commerce stores like HDE and auction sites like eBay that mostly operate online, and online versions of your favorite physical retail stores, afford you plenty of opportunities to save money. Many stores offer web-exclusive discounts or promotions for creating an account with them. Auction sites tend to give you a shot at purchasing goods and rare items for a fraction of what you might have to pay in real life and without the hassle of driving store to store to find a vendor that even has that item. Don’t forget that you can also take advantage of these websites to sell old collectibles or your own creative merchandise to make money.
While the internet offers many ways for you to entertain yourself, it also affords you many ways to be thrifty and optimize nearly every task in your life. If you aren’t using the internet to streamline your day-to-day, learn something new, or simply save/make money, you might be surprised by the difference it can make for you if you give it a try.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.