5 Efficient Ways To Save Money Using The Internet

The Internet can be your best financial ally!

1. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SHARING ECONOMY

Sharing Economy is a type of economic model which allows individuals to borrow or rent assets owned by someone else. For individuals and society at large, it presents a variety of opportunities to invent new ways to earn and to solve social issues. All of these opportunities are made possible with the help of modern technology.

If you tired of the mediocre and costly hotel services that do not meet your expectations, consider finding a well-reviewed space from home sharing websites. Cut accommodation costs as well as energy and water consumption by availing the services of Airbnb, HomeExchange, and Couchsurfing.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Friendly Tip: For your safety, please conduct a careful examination of the place and its owners before renting it.

2. SAVE SOME CASH BY COUPONING

Previously viewed as a hobby exclusive to “aunties and uncles”, couponing is seen in fresh light due to the popularity of online couponing services such as groupon.sg and cuponation.com.sg. My love affair with these websites began when I was a frugal university student. Groupon Singapore helped me to get the cheapest deals on educational workshops in lined my course while, Cuponation helped me to expand my school wardrobe without breaking the bank.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

3. DOWNLOAD FREE SONGS

People who are deeply passionate about the music industry frequently download songs to support the artists, labels, and distributors. Fortunately for these people, the Internet hosts several premium websites that allow people to legally stream and download songs. The sites that I am referring to are mp3.com, Amazon.com, PureVolume.com, and Jamendo.com.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

The wide array of genres and music collections available online will help you find a song that chimes in with your taste. Go check them out!

4. USE FREE AND OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE

Stop paying hundreds or thousands of dollars on programs that can be obtained for free with the same level of performance, quality, and reliability.  Use free and open-source software such as the packages enumerated on these posts:

a. List of free and open-source software packages,
b. 30 Essential Pieces Of Free (and Open) Software for Windows, and
c. 5 Awesome Free and Open Source Reporting Software Packages.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

5. DOWNLOAD MONEY MANAGEMENT APPS

Eliminate unnecessary expenses and improve your spending habits with the aid of free money management apps such as Mint, MoneyWise, and Pocket Expense Personal Finance. Mint allows its users to track their spending, develop a monthly budget, receive bill reminders, and take control of their financial life. It is available for download on iOS and Android devices.

MoneyWise combines minimalist design with powerful functionality. It may seem minimal but it can do a lot! It allows you to generate charts or graphs, track budgets or spending, and create regular account backups. It is available for download on Android devices.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Lastly, Pocket Expense Personal Finance fuses all your financial accounts together so it can track all your bills and set your budgets. It is exclusively for iOS users.

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7 Ways To Secure Your Online Transactions

With the modern convenience to shop and transact online, comes the great responsibility to protect the users privacy!

Providing information for your online activities can put your identity and your wealth at risk. To avoid this, you must be informed, cautious, and vigilant at all times.

1. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

One of the easiest ways to protect your sensitive information is by being sensible about where you transact. Do not input your details in public where people can intentionally or unintentionally view your screen. This may sound obvious for most but, it is not for some! I have witnessed some people who gave out their credit card details while calling their creditors on the train.

It may be extremely convenient for you to close a transaction while on your way to work, but think about the people who might be catching a glimpse over your shoulder.

2. CONTROL YOUR AUTHENTICATION AND PRIVACY SETTINGS

Maximize the use of your privacy settings by using two-factor authentication. Often used in online banking, two-factor authentication involves “what you know” (e.g., 8-digit password) and “something you have” (e.g., verification code sent via SMS). This way, people will have a difficult time to break through your walls.

3. SPOT UNUSUAL TRANSACTIONS

Just because your bank is known worldwide because of its sophisticated security does not mean that they are 100% free from errors, frauds, and glitches. It is important to watch out for any unusual transactions both on virtual and physical statements. Call your bank immediately if you spot anything fishy.

4. KNOW THE OFFICIAL DOMAIN NAME

When you are receiving emails from banks or online shops, always check the attached links’ domain name. This can be a tad tricky as some scammers use a slightly different domain name to trap the vulnerable consumers.

Hence, you shall be familiar with the official domain names ass well as the URLs of your banks before processing your transactions. The moment that you find anything wrong, call them directly.

5. SECURE YOUR BROWSER

Search engines, especially those with big names, track your search history and build personalized profiles to provide results based on your search history. To escape from this “filter bubble”, you must switch to a search engine that does not track your every move.

Emphasizing on protecting the user’s privacy, DuckDuckGo is always my go-to safe search engine!

6. DO NOT CLICK THE RANDOM LINKS

Before clicking any links that will re-direct you away from the online bank or shop, verify its legitimacy first. Always think twice even if the message comes from a familiar place. The same goes routine must apply when you receive an email from any financial institutions.

7. UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE REGULARLY

Aside from backing up your data, it is vital to update your software regularly as latest security patches minimize the threats of bugs, viruses, and other malwares. Increase your shield by using free programs that scan your computer for bugs, viruses, and other malwares that come from external sources.

Image Credits: www.wikihow.com

Image Credits: www.wikihow.com

Shielding yourself when transacting online takes focus and dedication, but it is definitely doable. May the “7 ways” mentioned above give you a head-start to better cybersecurity!

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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