Technology continues to change at a faster pace every year. The next thing you know, we will be in flying cars! But for now, when it comes to technology, you have to be smart. You know when that fancy Blu-Ray player came out it was over $1,000. Now you can have one for around $100. The key is being smart so you can save money on technology.

But it isn’t just about waiting for prices to drop. You can also look at alternative solutions to save money on technology. And that is what this post is all about. Smart ways to do things differently so you can save money. Let’s get started.

5 Easy Ways To Save Money On Technology

#1. Alternative To Microsoft Office

Back in my day, if you wanted to type up a paper for school, you needed to have Microsoft Office. That would set you back over $300. Luckily, Microsoft offered a student discount and you could get it for $150.

Now Microsoft is moving away from the one-time purchase plan and having you pay a monthly subscription. What a sneaky way to make a lot more money. But you don’t have to settle for this.

Instead, you can use Google. For free you can create documents for term papers or even spreadsheets. Even better, you save them in your free Google Drive. And it still gets better. You can access that drive anywhere you have an internet connection. No longer do you have to save your files to a thumb drive and then remember to carry that thumb drive with you.

You can even convert the documents and spreadsheets into Office compatible files as well. Save your money, use the free version Google offers.

#2. Save Money On Virus Protection

We all know the importance of having virus protection for our computers. And we can agree that it is costly to buy coverage and then have to ante up every year again. What if there was another way? Well, there is!

You can download and use AVG AntiVirus for free. It is top rated and great at what it does. Plus it doesn’t slow down your system. I’ve been using it for over a year now and have had zero issues. In fact, I like it a lot more than the Norton product I was using.

The only issue I have with it is this: they also have a paid version. While using the free version (which is what I use), they have pop ups in the lower right corner of the screen. They don’t take over your entire screen, but you do notice them. They try to get you to upgrade to the paid version. The ads show up once a day and while I find them mildly annoying, they are not overwhelming and for a great free product, I can live with them.

If however the idea of ads turns you off, I have another option for you. If you are a Comcast customer, you can get McAfee for free. Just log into your Comcast account and download it. I am not sure if you can get multiple free copies to use on all of your computers, but you can at least save money if they limit it to one.

#3. A Better Computer At A Cheap Price

Is your desktop running slow? Thinking you might need to upgrade but don’t want to pay a few hundred bucks? You don’t have to. You can simply switch to a Linux operating system which is completely free. You can even find online guides for how to install it yourself if you are a techie.

Now there is a downside to this option. It is a new and different operating system, so you will have to learn it. It is similar to Windows but different at the same time.

If the idea of switching operating systems scares you, you have another option. You could look at a Chromebook. While it won’t allow you to do everything a full fledged computer does, if all you do is surf the web and other basic tasks, it is more than capable.

#4. Look At Discount Cell Providers

How much do you pay for cell phone coverage? I pay $35 a month. How do I do this? I use a discount cell phone provider. There are many out there but I prefer Cricket. They use AT&T lines and since I was with AT&T, I see no difference in my coverage. I get unlimited calls and texts and 2.5 GB of data every month.

Why pay $100 when you can get coverage for much less? Do your homework to find the discount provider that makes the most sense for you as they all have different offerings.

One last point about this, you can either use one of their phones or bring your own. I brought my iPhone with me. All I had to do was pay $0.99 for a new SIM card that works on the Cricket network.

#5. Change Your TV Habits

Cable TV is expensive. Luckily there are many options out there. You can go the standard route and just sign up for Netflix and Hulu. But that is just the tip of the iceberg.

• Amazon Video: If you have an Amazon Prime account, you get Prime movies and tv shows for free
• Plex: This free service lets you stream your videos and movies anywhere. Just rip them onto your computer and connect with Plex and you are set to go.
• Sling TV: For much less than cable, you can get a good number of channels and enjoy current shows.
• Playstation Vue: Same idea as Sling above but people are liking this option more. More channel packages and better pricing.

Final Thoughts

So there are 5 easy ways to save money on technology. You can start using a couple of these ideas right away and begin seeing some savings. Don’t be a fool and pay more for a service or product when there is a comparable one for less. Many times the comparable one is even better than the higher prices one!

I’m sure there are other ideas some of you may have. If so, please share in the comment section below!