It is easier than ever to keep a full and active social life on a slim budget. You can view the latest media, chat with friends, and meet new people in a variety of ways by keeping up-to-date with the latest in technology and money saving opportunities. With these tips, you can stay connected and save money while reducing your eco footprint.
Use Local Coffee Shops for Wi-Fi
This might seem like a somewhat shady way to save money, but parking yourself at a local coffee shop helps everyone. When you visit a place that relies on the traffic of customers to look like a vibrant destination, your presence alone will be appreciated by the owners, management, and anyone relying on tips for their income. You can support a community business, eat local products, and surf the web all at the same time.
Public Transportation and Bicycles
By taking a car everywhere, you can get stuck in an isolated bubble that involves a steering wheel, stereo, and not much else. By opting to take public transportation you can meet colourful characters and cut down on carbon emissions at the same time.
In the Midwest, gas prices are up to about $3.47 per gallon. Instead of wasting a good chunk of your paycheck on fuel, you can fuel your own energy levels up by walking or riding a bike around town. Many other people are starting to realize the benefits of taking an active approach to commuting and you can meet them on trails, in parks, or while chaining your bike up.
Get a Family Phone Plan
It seems like you can’t go to the local wireless shop without purchasing a smart phone that does 3,000 different things. These devices are great for checking in on social media, reading email, and texting all of your friends in a matter of seconds. The biggest drawback to these devices is that you have to purchase expensive data plans to go along with all of the cool features. Purchasing a family plan will help everyone in your family from your parents to teenagers working minimum wage jobs.
Skip the Cable
Let’s get down to brass tacks here, digital television providers and cable companies are expensive. They like to up-sell bundle packages, premium movie and sports channels, and DVR storage systems that can clog up your monthly bill. In order to catch your favourite television series’ and avoid paying a monthly bill, there are a couple of different methods. If you want to stay in the know, most cable networks post the most recent episodes directly to their website or Hulu. Several streaming services like Netflix and Blockbuster offer a broad catalog of movies starting at $7.99 a month. You can even catch sporting events through live websites like Justin.tv and Telle TV.
Saving money doesn’t have to mean compromising your fun. Just look for great and inexpensive ways to keep yourself entertained on a shoestring budget.
Great everyday tips. The coffee shop may not be the best idea if you want access the internet everyday (or even every other day) unless you can go in some of the days and resist the pressure to buy something. Otherwise, you are spending at least $3-4 every time (much more than internet itself). I love biking to work and saving money on transportation.
It could get expensive but the power of networking with others in person and online simultaneously has to have some value. And i’m sure a lot of patrons nurse one cup of joe over a few hours.
Good points! Whatever your choices, you determine what you do. Look at your habits and take a longer term view. Remember you make the choice!
Good tips. By the way, I don’t see how visiting a local coffee shop could be shady. Maybe I’m missing something:) Anyway, there was one in a prior community in which I lived that was very unique and offered some of their own blends of coffee and many organic products. I felt better about visiting that place than others.
Walking is great, better for health. Most people probably don’t walk enough anyway.
I don’t think local coffee shops is shady, but it could get pricey. I always visit the local place if I don’t bring my own fair trade organic coffee from home.
We also walk to work. Love it. Exercise and you actually get some interaction with others along the way.
No to cable and satellite TV! Not only does it save us money, it also takes the children away from sitting too long in front of the TV. We do have cartoon time though, after dinner and assignments, but I would prefer seeing them play with the neighbor’s kids. They are also allowed to watch DVD on Saturday afternoons.
Being green in a modern world especially is much easier than many people think. It just takes conscious thought.
Dead on Jesse. It’s all about habits.
Great tips that everyone can take advantage of. My personal favorite is having a latte and using free wifi! Enjoy your weekend!