Digital Living Frugality

My Three Best and Worst Home Tech Buys

Over the years I’ve made a significant investment in home technology and gadgetry. While I’d like to think those purchases were mindfully made and fiscally conservative, the reality is some of them stand out above the rest, and some were downright regretful.

Below are my three best and worst gadget buying decisions based on a combination of cost and usefulness within my digital life.

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Digital Living Fitness Frugality

Three Steps to Fast Track Your Digital Fitness and Not Break the Bank

I’d hardly call myself a fitness fanatic.  In fact, if you saw some of the foods that make up my diet you might think I’m the exact opposite.  That being said, I do get my steps in on a daily basis, and with the help of technology, I’m able to funnel that right into my digital life, ensuring that my caloric intake rarely exceeds my caloric output and that my weight stays in check.

To capture my fitness vitals, I previously used an expensive Fitbit Ionic.  It played music, monitored heart rate, worked in water, and even made payments.  After using the device religiously for over a year, I realized only a few of its features were all that valuable to me: heart rate monitoring, step counting, a moderate level of water resistance, and more than a day’s battery life.

So, when my Fitbit finally went out of warranty and bit the dust, I decided it was time to turn to a more frugal fitness approach.

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Digital Living Frugality Television

Over the Air (OTA) Television Isn’t Over: 5 Step Guide to Getting The Most Out of Free TV

Streaming TV is proliferating, traditional cable TV providers now offer streaming-only TV options, and good old fashioned Over the Air (OTA) TV is dead.

No, wait – that’s not right. Over the Air (OTA) TV is thriving.

Despite a seemingly endless supply of streaming content now available via the web, one would think traditional (linear, live, over the air) television is dying a slow death, but in reality, the cord-cutting movement of the last 5 years has reversed that trend.

According to Nielsen, over 16 million homes now receive OTA programming, and that number continues to grow.

So how can you cut the cord, drop your streaming service(s) and get the most out of free television? Check out our quick five-step guide below.

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Digital Living Frugality

Ditch Digital Subscriptions to Save Yourself Some Cash

I’m not exactly sure where the subscription model started, but the cable companies of the 1980s seemed the most adept at solidifying the public’s willingness to pay a recurring fee for content as a service. Sure, utility companies had been doing it for years, but those could be considered necessities under the eye of the public sector.

Then, the Netflix addicted, Amazon Prime-fueled millennial generation made the subscription service a staple of American living. You can now subscribe to services that manage your clothing, meals, shaving needs, and much more.

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Digital Living Frugality

Seven Easy Hacks to Using Amazon Without Letting Amazon Use You

At some point in our lives, we throw in the towel and admit defeat.  More specifically, we throw our wallet to monolith that is Amazon and admit convenience is more important than cost, privacy, and pretty much everything else in life.

And then I realized, you don’t have to leave your wallet open to enjoy the benefits of Amazon.  In essence, you can pocket the $119 that you would normally spend each year on prime and yet still benefit from what Amazon has to offer.  Here’s how:

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Digital Living Frugality

Four Fun Focus Areas For Frugal Digitalism

Many millennials and digital natives have migrated their lifestyle online and in doing so have paid the price of convenience. Such convenience has come in the form of a monthly subscription fee to get access to craveable content. While a single subscription fee may have only a minor impact on one’s budget, when coupled with subscription fees across different digital services, the budget impact becomes more severe. This is further exacerbated by the rising subscription costs being charged by service providers and media conglomerates who have realized content is king and have gone on a spending spree in an effort to acquire digital content.

Thankfully, a convenient digital lifestyle doesn’t need to come with a high price tag. In many areas of your digital life, there’s no need to trade cash for convenience as you progressively shift your lifestyle online. In this article you’ll find ways to practice sustainable frugality in various areas of your digital life. This means getting what you need without borrowing login credentials from friends, illegally downloading the content you love, or managing multiple e-mail accounts in order to rotate through free trials offered by many digital services.

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