It seems like every year I make a resolution to do better financially. For the past couple of years, it has not quite worked out the way that I have planned. This is for a variety of reasons. You know the expression, “It’s always something”. And that is the truth. Life has a way of throwing curve balls after you think that you have finally mastered batting.
One of the things that I struggle with is saving money. There is always something coming up that eats into whatever I may have been saving! While this may continue to happen, because that’s just a way of life I am still going to start saving what I can. With technology being what it is today sending money just about anywhere, transferring money, and saving money is much easier than it used to be. With just the click of a few buttons, or even a swipe in a mobile app, you can get it done.
Capital One teamed up with Digital Lifestyle Expert, Katie Linendoll, to help us save and do more with our money. Some of Katie’s top tips are:
Automate Your Bill Payments
You work hard for your money. Don’t lose it to late fees! By scheduling automatic payments with features such Capital One’s Online Bill Pay, you’ll have better peace of mind that your bills are being paid on time, every time.
Make Payday Come Faster
Mobile Check Deposit (like the feature offered from Capital One) not only ensures that money goes straight in your account, but it saves you valuable time, too.
Leverage Cutting-edge Technology
Voice-activated technologies hold a lot of promise to make our lives easier. For example, with the Capital One Skill for Amazon Alexa, you can use any Amazon Alexa-enabled device like the Amazon Echo to access your Capital One accounts and check your balance, make a payment, or manage your account – all using just your voice.
They also asked me to provide some tips on how I save through digital tools. See some of my tips below.
Sell Your Old Tech
I have mentioned this before. This is a great way to raise money fairly quickly. If you actually take care of your gadgets and computer equipment you can sell them. There are several sites out there to get this done. When I buy new tech I always save the box and all manuals. I also take very good care of of the gadget, so that when it’s times to sell it, I will get top dollar. I have a few things that I need to list for sale right now.
Use a Bank that Lets You Remotely Access Your Account and Make Deposits
This is a big deal for me. When I had to switch banks I did my research and made sure that I would be able to deposit checks remotely. You would be surprised that there are still a few banks out there that don’t let you do it! Actually driving to the bank to deposit checks should be a thing of the past. This saves gas, and makes it much easier for you to quickly deposit money into your checking or savings account. Mobile Check Deposit saves your time and gas by allowing you to deposit checks right from home using only your smartphone camera.
Sign Up for PayPal and get a Debit Card
If you are a small business owner and you are not allowing your clients to pay you via PayPal you are missing out on making money, and getting paid more quickly. Yes, in some cases there are fees which people complain about, but if you are receiving smaller payments that does not really become an issue. Not all transactions incur fees. And PayPal allows your customers to easily pay you via credit card on the web even if they do not have a PayPal account themselves. You can also sign up for PayPal Here and carry your own credit card reader that plugs into your smartphone for processing credit card payments while in the field. The PayPal Here app can quickly send them an email receipt. This is great if taking a payment by phone.
If you sign up for a free PayPal debit card, you also receive cashback on purchases. You can use the debit card anywhere that Mastercard is accepted. Or, you may choose to let your Paypal Funds stack up and use that for investing later.
Use Mobile Cashback Apps
There are now several apps available that can help you save money while out shopping. Some apps are simply to have a quick glance to see if the items that you are looking to buy are on sale, so that you know where to go before you even get in the car. Other apps provide actual cashback on purchases that come in the form of a PayPal payment, check, or a gift card. A few apps to check out are Flipp, Ibotta, and Ebates.
Get Rid of Cable TV
This is something that I have been considering for a long time. I know that my husband would never go for it though! But cable bills are VERY expensive. If you find yourself mostly watching Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu, maybe you don’t need cable TV at all! Depending on your plan, dropping cable could save you up to $200 per month! That is huge. That could be invested.
Once you have saved a nice amount of money, check out 360 Money Market from Capital One. You can earn 1.00% annual percentage yield on balances of $10,000 or more. All deposits are FDIC-insured up to the allowable limit. And there are no fees, so you keep more of your money. You also have 24/7 access to your money from wherever you are using the Capital One mobile app.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Capital One. The opinions and text are all mine.
Disclosure: Thank you Capital One for sponsoring this post! This is a paid endorsement. All opinions are my own and were not directed by Capital One. To learn more about Capital One, visit www.capitalone.com.
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