7 Really Easy Ways to Save Money on Your Technology at Home

We live in a world where technology dominates a large part of our lives. And, if you’re like most, there’s nothing better than being able to come back home after a stressful day and use the technology you have at home to make your life easier. However, there is one downside of all of this technology – the cost.

And, living in a world where every penny counts, it’s understandable that you might be apprehensive about spending money on your technology, especially if some of it is essentially being used as a pass time. Luckily for you, there are lots of ways to make having the luxury of technology cheaper, and here’s some tips on how to do exactly that!

Use game passes to your advantage

If you’re someone that loves gaming, you’ll know all too well how expensive new games can be. It can be anything from £40 and upwards, and that’s usually just for the base game! However, there are really smart ways around this. Depending on what console you use for gaming, you’ll be able to get some sort of game pass. For example, for Playstation users, you can subscribe to a PSN account for much cheaper per month than buying a brand new game. And, you’ll have access to a myriad of new games while you’re subscribed.

The same goes for Xbox users or even PC gamers. There’s the Xbox game pass or EA subs you can activate for around £15 a month that will give you access to loads of games under their umbrella. While it’s still costing you some money each month, you can enjoy more games for less money!

Not only that, when you’re subbed to these kinds of services, you’ll notice that your system will detect and download updates for your games, meaning you no longer have to wait around for downloads or installations.

Consider switching internet providers

There’s a good chance that when you took out your broadband deal that you had a great price. However, broadband companies won’t honour this price when it comes to renewing your contract. And, if you’ve just let the rollover happen, there’s a good chance you’re paying much higher fees for your internet.

The first thing you should do is conduct a speed test to see if you’re actually getting the speeds you were promised in your broadband deal. If you aren’t, now’s the time to take action. Before you do anything else, do some research on price comparison websites for broadband deals. Then, speak to your broadband provider about renewing your contract and mention other deals you’ve found. This will encourage them to lower their price for you!

And, if they don’t, you can consider switching internet providers. Make sure to talk about the internet speed you’re after before committing to any new contract deal. Either way, making sure you’re getting the best price for the service you’re getting will save you lots of money year on year.

Use second-hand devices where possible

One of the best things about how saturated the technology world is, is that there are lots of second hand devices that you can get your hands on. For example, if you’re in desperate need of a new phone, you can buy a refurbished one for a fraction of the cost of a new one! Not only that, it saves you from entering a contract for a new phone that you have to make sure you can afford. Instead, you can simply use a rolling contract – companies like Giffgaff have great deals on sims.

It’s not just phones you can purchase second hand either. If you’re looking to play a game on a console you don’t yet own, don’t rush out and buy a new console! You can buy second hand consoles from reputable companies like CEX and have a brand new console to enjoy without the hefty price tag! The same goes for games too, particularly if you’re buying an older console!

Essentially, if you’re looking to invest in a new piece of technology for your home, whether it’s for enjoyment or practicality, take the time to see if you can get it second hand before spending loads on a new one!

Sell on your unwanted tech

So far there’s a lot on how to save money on the tech you own, but you can actually make money on the tech you own too! Perhaps you’re looking to save some money to put towards a new bit of tech on the horizon? CEX, as mentioned above, is also a great way of selling your unwanted tech. It’s important to note that you won’t get a full sale price when you sell to companies like these. However, it’s a great option if you just want to get rid of old tech or games.

So if you’re like most of us and have a few old phones in the cupboard and some games you’ve never played on, why not sell them to CEX? Or, you could sell them on Facebook Marketplace or eBay if you wanted to try and get a little more money from your items.

Look at your phone bill

If there’s one thing many people are guilty of in today’s world, it’s spending too much on their phone bill. It’s easy to agree to extra features and then end up regretting it because you’re paying too much for your phone contract. However, it doesn’t mean you have to pay that high price for the duration of your contract. Most providers will allow you to reduce or remove certain features on your phone bill!

For example, O2 will let you reduce how much data, minutes and texts you have each month. This means you could reduce your phone bill massively! The best bit? It can all be done online without talking to a representative. Take into consideration how much data you actually need! For example, if you’re pretty much always in WiFi range, do you really need a huge data package? And, if you use FaceTime or WhatsApp calling more often than regular calling, do you really need unlimited minutes? Small considerations like these could dramatically change how much you’re paying for your phone bill!

Make the most of free trials!

There are so many free trials these days, so why not make the most of them? Services like Netflix and Spotify offer a month’s trial completely free of charge. If you use these kinds of trials in a clever way, you can enjoy lots of free entertainment without having to spend a single penny. For example, you could trial Netflix for a month and then try out Disney+ for a month.

It’s not just entertainment deals you should be looking out for either. Services like Canva offer free pro trials that are a month long, meaning you could create high-quality media if you need it for work or a personal blog. The same goes for cloud storage – there are loads of services that will give you the space for free for a whole month! The only thing you have to do is remember when your free trials are ending so that you can cancel the subscriptions before they renew!

Another way to save money on subscription based services is by taking advantage of big sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They will often offer technology or subscriptions at an extremely discounted rate!

Optimise the performance of your devices

Finally, one of the best ways to save money on the technology in your home is to look after those devices! Things like your phone, laptops and consoles will naturally slow down over time. This is usually because of dust collection, storage space, or lack of software updates. Taking the time to do regular maintenance will help keep the performance of your devices at their best and save you from having to replace them before their time.

This will mean you’ll need to keep on top of any redundant apps or files on devices. If the storage on a device is getting fuller, it’s naturally going to run slower. You should also regularly check for any software upgrades, which is usually in the settings app on any device. In fact, a lot of devices these days will tell you when there’s a new update available! Don’t hold off – it doesn’t take long!

Not only that, you could consider upgrading hardware in your devices too. For example, adding more RAM to your computer will help upgrade the performance without having to shell out for a new one altogether.

And lastly, you can look after your devices and consoles by making sure you’ve got protective cases or screen protectors for them. They don’t cost much, but they can lengthen the life of your tech!

As you can see, there are lots of ways to save yourself some money on the technology you enjoy in your home. What you choose to do with all of the money you save is completely up to you!