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5 Ways To Save Money With Your Smartphone

Here’s how to take advantage of that pocket-sized device to get the most out of your budget.

Published

10 years ago

July 30, 2015

We all want to save a little money, but sometimes we don’t know the best way to do that. Thankfully, the best money-saving tool is not a financial advisor, but the little gadget in our purses and pockets. Here are three ways to save some cash using your smartphone:

Using price-comparison apps

Comparing prices is something we often overlook. Consumers tends to lean towards what’s right in front of them rather than having a look at what rivaling retailers are offering. Using an app like Redlaser (which allows users to scan barcodes and search for cheaper prices elsewhere) is a great way to find the best deal for your wallet.

Redlaser app

Using VoIP

Maybe you’ve got unlimited data. Maybe you’re on Wi-Fi a lot. So long as you have a good means of keeping your phone connected you can start making VOIP calls to save your minutes. The simplest way to go about this is to just use Skype (for iPhone,Android, and BlackBerry). Alternatively, WhatsApp’s voice calling function is getting pretty stable with each update and another option to save some bucks.

Using transport services

You may think using a transport or taxi service such as Uber ends up costing you more, but just factor in the petrol and parking prices, especially in a city like Cape Town or Johannesburg, Grabbing a quick Uber at a low-fare to the movies, out on the town or to a work meeting is sometimes the best, safest, cheapest and most efficient way to go about your day.

Uber app 1

Use the Calculator

The calculator on your smartphone might not seem too significant, but it can save you a bundle at the grocery store. We all know that products are packaged in different quantities for our convenience, but we don’t always think about the cost. Buying pre-packaged produce can be the biggest reason you waste money at the grocery store. It looks easy and convenient, but most of the time your wallet suffers the consequences. Whip out the calculator on your smartphone, and see if the price of pre-packaged fruits and vegetables are really worth the convenience.

Calculator ios

Using Google Chrome mobile browser

Data is expensive, and if you’re someone who browsers the internet a lot on your mobile phone, Google has implemented a feature that can greatly reduce the amount of data that the Chrome browser demands. Using Google’s servers, Chrome condenses images and other files to optimize page sites on your mobile device. They also give you a visual look at how much data you’ve saved over the past month using a simple line graph. According to Google, your data usage can be reduced by up to 50%!

To enable the “Reduce data usage” setting, head to:

Chrome menu > Settings > (Advanced) Reduce data usage

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