Free Apps That Can Save Your Money

It is estimated that 96% of the world’s population (7.1 billion) or 6.8 billion are mobile users, according to the February 2013 report of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This represents a 13.3% increase over the 6.0 billion of 2011 and higher by 25.9% than the 5.4 billion subscribers in 2010. There was also an increase on time spent by the average US mobile user from 2 hrs and 38 minutes daily in March of 2013 to 2 hrs and 42 minutes daily as of March of 2014 as reported by Flurry news.

In addition to the huge number of mobile users, there is also the sheer number of mobile applications available on various App stores. From the  iTunes App store alone, downloaded Apps reached50 billion for the Month of May in 2013. And out of the 2 hrs and 42 minutes time spent on mobile devices, 86%of them were spent on downloaded Apps, a clear evidence of how Apps have dominated the mobile world.

In general, mobile Apps are supposed to make life easier. There are business Apps that literally put your business in your pocket. There are also apps that revolutionize learning and Apps for pure pleasure and leisure such as Apps to download music,movies and games, Apps to connect with friends  and more. What adds to the universal acceptance of Apps is the availability of free Apps, some of which make saving money easy.

Let’s look at these money saving free Apps:

* Pic2shop, MySuperList & Idealo

These are barcode readers or scanners that allow you to compare prices of what you need and get them at the cheapest price from a specific retailer. These Apps usually have an extensive database of products from a multitude of local and online retailers.

Pic2Shop is the pioneer barcode scanner and is one of the few Apps that can read barcodes even without autofocus on all Android and iPhone models. Meanwhile, MySuperlist has added features that allow you to enjoy cash backs and set price alerts.

* Spendometer

This is one of the best free mobile Apps for saving money. It’s a brilliant budgeting App that makes daily cash management easy and simple. You can create a budget, input your spending and generate a spending report on it. The Spendometer can also generate the data on how much cash is on hand and how much has already been spent on a weekly or monthly basis. All you need to do is input all your spending and Spendometer will do the rest.

* Skype

Skype save you on phone bills. It is a free App that allows you to send a message or make a call, even a video call for free. You can even send photos of any size to friends, family and associates without paying an exorbitant fee For Multi-Media Messaging Services. And you can do all these wherever you are or whenever you want to as long as there is an Internet connection.

* Livingsocial

Livingsocial offers huge discounts on vacations, gyms, spas, restaurants, live performances and events and more in your area as well as in the whole of Australia. Daily discount deals are available and you can buy directly using your mobile device. You can enjoy an active social life at very little cost with Livingsocial.

Conclusion

We have mentioned a few apps only, there are many apps but they're are all not free of charge. If you know any other apps that will save your money let us know by commenting on this post.

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Can You Really Get Something For Nothing? Free Gifts With Broadband

Free gifts are always tempting, especially when you're already thinking about buying something and you're getting something else for nothing. Broadband internet providers often offer broadband with free gifts, and in this article we're looking at whether or not you're really getting something for nothing. Wondering whether those free gift contracts are worth it? Read on to find out.

Where You Get the Goodies
There are plenty of online offers for free gifts, and you can check out any broadband comparison web site, such as uswitch.com, to check out what's on offer. You'll obviously need to sign a broadband contract to get your gift, so you'll need to be in a position both to get a new contract (i.e. you're not currently under contract elsewhere) and to legally sign a contract, so you'll need to be a UK resident and over the age of eighteen.

Routers and Tech Stuff
By far the most common free gift offer that you're going to find is for a free router. You'll probably want a router, since this will mean that you can access your internet connection wirelessly rather than needing to be tied down to a cable all the time. Most providers will give you a router for nothing, though you will need to be a bit careful about this one.

Whilst this isn't a scam at all, you will need to make sure that you're really getting a free gift. Not all providers are actually giving you a router, most are simply lending it to you, and you'll be required to return it in good condition at the end of your contract or if you cancel service. Ensure that the router is yours before attempting to make any changes or modifications to it.

If you're bundling your services, which means that you're combining say a land line phone or a cable television service in with your broadband service the same rules will apply. Particularly for cable television services you will probably be offered some form of set top box or DVR, which may or may not actually belong to you. Are you getting something for free? Yes, as long as you own it, but most likely you're just saving on rental costs and will need to return equipment when your contract expires.
 
Free Service
The next most common free “gift” is some kind of discount on services. You might get a few months free of charge, or a couple of months at half price. As long as these offers are coming directly from the broadband provider themselves, you're absolutely getting something for nothing, and you should snap these offers up. They're relatively common and constantly changing though, so make sure to check those comparison sites for the most up to date deals.

Offers of Computers and Other Devices
Right now, we're only talking about offers made directly by broadband providers, we'll come to third party offers in a moment. These deals are less common than they used to be, some providers still offer electronics such as iPods, iPads and even laptop computers to people who sign up for service. These computer deals especially are most common with mobile broadband plans, though some ADSL and cable providers also occasionally offer them.

Are you getting something for nothing? The answer is probably not, though you might be. You'll want to check out the monthly cost of the plan that you're looking at and compare it to the same plan with the same provider but without the free gift. You'll probably find that you're paying a little extra each month, especially if you're getting a computer.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't take the offer, and if you need a new laptop this might be the way to do it. Just make sure that you're getting a device that you really want, rather than paying extra for something that you don't need. Unlike third party offers, deals like this through major broadband providers generally offer good quality products, so you shouldn't need to worry about that issue.

Third Party Offers
Now we come to an area that's a little more problematic. Some broadband providers allow other companies, usually web sites, sell contracts for them. These third parties will get a commission from each contract that they get signed. Some third parties will offer lower monthly payments than the broadband providers themselves as an incentive for you to sign with them rather than with the provider, and sacrifice a little of their commission. Others will offer free gifts.

You should be extremely careful about accepting these free gifts. They are generally offered as something generic, such as a “seven inch tablet.” You'll be given no brand name or model number, so you won't be able to research the product. When your gift arrives you'll probably find that it's a low quality or outdated model, which is why it's being given away for free.

The basic rule for accepting free gift offers from third parties is that if you don't know exactly what you're getting, down to the model number, then you should turn down the deal, since there's no guarantee that you're going to get a useful device. Even if you do know exactly what you're getting you should take the time to look online for customer reviews to make sure that other people have had a good experience with this particular offer before committing to signing a contract.

Can you get something for nothing? On today's market where there's so much competition and providers are vying for new customers, yes you can, but obviously some deals are just going to be better than others. It is possible to get a great free gift, but you'll have to know who it's coming from and know that it's something that you're actually going to use. Free service offers in particular are always a good idea, but you might get lucky and get a great new iPod or that wireless router that you really want.

Phil Turner advised his friend to check out any deals he found for broadband with free gifts. Even being careful though he found a few great deals on uSwitch.com.

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