5 Ways Your Smartphone Can Save You Money
Took more than a century for the phone to first get mobile and then smart. Some might remember the novelty that mobile phones were when they first came into the market. The idea of a “smart” phone was old, but prototypes showed up at trade shows only in the 90s. The 90s also saw the internet boom and the first attempts at ecommerce. In the last four decades, smartphones and ecommerce have both evolved to become a norm rather than exception.
Alexander Graham Bell would never have dreamt of apps that crunch the web to get the best of online savings and then let you buy it right out of your phone with a coupon code at checkout. Millions of smartphone users across the world are saving money with these apps and features. Here are five cool ways your smartphone can save you money. If you are not already using them, well, why not?
#1 Price comparison
Apps like Junglee or Smartprix let you compare prices and specs from across sellers without having to visit their sites individually. During the festive season, with deals everywhere, these apps can help you find the lowest price for what you need to buy. There are also apps that aggregate coupons and offers and notify you as per your preferences. Before you make that festive purchase, make sure you fire up your price comparison app to get the best deal.
#2 Shopping
Online sellers spare no effort (or cost) to make your shopping experience just as smooth, if not smoother when you shop from your phone. You can not only get meals home-delivered (fine dining, budget or home chef), and make table bookings before heading out, but you also get to save money on the additional incentives put out for app users. Groceries and home supplies can save you money when bought on your phone, again, not just on the offers and discounts but on the time and commute saved as well. Shop through cashback apps and top it off with a coupon code and your final savings will surprise you.
#3 Cabs
Cab services went smart over a decade back, and most services have their own apps to make bookings a cakewalk. With the advent of services like Uber and Ola, however, the whole game changed. These apps bypass the conventional hailing model to create a marketplace of drivers waiting to offer rides. The unending slew of similar on-demand service apps that followed gave rise to cut-throat competition, even lower prices and excellent customer service all benefitting the end customer.
#4 Budgeting
The key to saving money with or without a smartphone is to work out of a budget. Smartphones take the grunt out of this with apps like MoneyView or Mint. These apps let you create and manage different accounts, set up a budget, keep track of where your money is going, and be notified of bills and EMIs as they are due. These Apps keep the drudgery out of tracking and handling Personal Finance.
#5 Time
Time in today’s world is even more valuable than money. The smartness of smartphones lies in their ability to save you this non-renewable resource. Smartphones let you access services, products and information wherever you are, instantly. You can also use apps like AutomateIt or IFTTT to create new functionalities for your phone. You can corral off time segments that you want to be not disturbed. You can set up location-based reminders and notifications. You can schedule text messages and social media updates to work for you even when you need to rest.
The Smartphone is really a powerful computer in your pocket. It can do more than take selfies, manage social media updates and play games. Money is a powerful motivator, and once you see how much you can save by using the power of your smartphone, you will never look at your phone the same way again.
For those of you who are already saving money with your smartphones, do share your tips and experiences in the comments.
Subhorup Dasgupta is a Hyderabad-based writer and artist. He writes about responsible living at his blog, Subho’s Jejune Diet.