Many people don’t like the changes that come with the introduction of new technology, or they believe that it’s only for youngsters. However, by rejecting technology, you may be losing money.

Here’s how you can use tech to save your cash:

SAVE THROUGH ONLINE BANKING
Banking digitally, either online or through an app, allows you to bank whenever you want to from wherever you are.
A spokesperson from Barclays Africa says: “This means you save time and avoid having to pay transport costs to travel to a branch.
“It costs customers less to bank online or through the app compared with the cost of a transaction made in a branch.
“You can also avoid paying penalties for late payments because you can ensure your transactions are done timeously.”
Some banks will also reward you for banking online.
“Customers can sign up for Absa Rewards, which rewards you for banking digitally through improving your rewards tier, thereby putting more cash back in your pocket.
“Customers can also make use of the walletdoc app to pay bills and earn Absa Rewards,” adds the spokesperson.

HOW VIDEO STREAMING CAN CUT COSTS
If we didn’t have access to the internet, we’d be at the mercy of whatever dominated the airways when it arrived on satellite TV – DStv in South Africa’s case.
However, the internet opens up the options, and we can watch series and movies through video on demand streaming services such as Netflix, Showmax and Amazon Prime. When tallying up the costs of streaming services versus DStv, factor in the costs of your internet provider.

SAVING THROUGH VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY
There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to return large furniture items that don’t fit in your home or don’t match other pieces of furniture after you’ve bought them and had them delivered.
Companies have cottoned onto this problem and, through the use of virtual and augmented reality (AR), have enabled shoppers to remodel their rooms without leaving their house.
Locally, you can make use of Foschini’s @home AR app, which allows you to place items in your home using AR before you buy them.

SAVING MONEY ON YOUR FOOD ORDER THROUGH APPS
Normally, a way to save money is to cut down on going out for meals or ordering takeaways.
But if you do have the urge to splurge on a takeaway treat, you could make savings here too.
Some takeaway apps charge a fee on top of the restaurant’s bill and make money off the consumer.
Others make money off advertising instead of charging the end user.
Dinesh Patel, the CEO and founder of OrderIn, says: “We strongly believe that our customers should pay the same price for their meal as what it costs in the restaurant, and that there should be no mark-up on the meals they order.
“The vast majority of restaurants on the OrderIn platform have in-store pricing, meaning that there has been no added inflation to the price of the meal.”
However, the app does charge customers a delivery fee – R15 at lunchtime and R30 for dinner. Compare apps and their prices, and choose one that suits your budget.

TECHNOLOGY APPS AND ROBO ADVICE PLATFORMS HELP YOU SAVE
When it comes to saving, few of us are disciplined enough to put money aside every month to create that vital savings pot that we so desperately need for a “rainy day”.
A few companies have come up with technological solutions to our savings apathy.
With Liberty’s Stash app, for example, you can save money on every sunny day, as well as every time you move – whether through formal exercise or just by walking up a flight of stairs.
Stash also rounds up the amount of every transaction on your bank or credit card and puts that into your savings pot.
There are no fees – you can take your money out whenever you need it and don’t pay any tax on the cash that is stashed because all the money is saved in a tax-free savings account.
Also consider investing through South African independent robo advice platform Itransact. By cutting out asset managers who deal with your investments, the platform saves you money in fees.
According to Lance Solms, the head of Itransact, total fees and charges for the services of the platform will not exceed 1.14% a year, including vat. Larger investments will attract even lower fees.

USE WI-FI TO SAVE ON CALLS
With Cell C, for example, there are no additional charges to use Wi-Fi Calling.
You use your current plan and are charged according to current rates when you make a call or send an SMS over a Wi-Fi network.
If you travel abroad, you can connect to an international Wi-Fi network and make calls and send SMSes at your local Cell C tariff plan rates.
Don’t forget to save money by comparing phone packages online – tariffs change often, so you could save a lot if you regularly look for cheaper packages.

Copy obtained from: http://www.fin24.com/Money/Education/how-to-save-money-using-technology-20170903-2