Ways to spend money on tech and how to save

With inflation at its highest in decades, you’re looking to save money wherever you can. Gas, grocery and housing prices are rising. It’s impossible not to spend money on these essentials, but when it comes to technology, there are plenty of ways to spend money unnecessarily.

Let’s start with a free trial. It seems like a great way to stream a movie or get a service for free for a while until you forget to delete it. A Chase Bank survey found that 71% of respondents waste more than $50 a month on unwanted subscription fees. If you sign up for a free trial, set a calendar reminder to cancel before the trial ends.

Renting a router from your Internet provider is also an unnecessary expense. If you rent your router for $10 a month, buying it for around $100 can pay for itself in less than a year.

And are extended warranties worth the money? Adding a year or two of protection may not be worth the cost, especially if tech support isn’t included. Instead, some credit card companies offer device damage and theft protection at no extra cost if the purchase is made with the card.

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There are free programs that do the same job as expensive software programs. LibreOffice, Focus Writer or Google Docs are good alternatives to Microsoft Word. Canva and Gimp are great for photo edits and graphics rather than paying for Photoshop.