Living the Tech Lifestyle – How to Afford It

One of the prevailing feelings of our time, according to sociologists, is a phenomenon known as FOMO. FOMO stands for “fear of missing out”, and it’s something largely felt when a group of friends are doing something exciting in which you’re not involved. FOMO is usually used in relation to social media, and although it’s often used in reference to holidays and “once-in-a-lifetime experiences”, there are many other ways we can observe FOMO in everyday life.

One of these areas is technology. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: your co-worker arrives fresh on a Monday morning complete with an iPhone XS or a Galaxy S9, and you’re working overtime to stop your jaw from dropping. These sleek, powerful devices sit so well in your co-worker’s pocket, but you’re not sure how you could ever afford something like that. You can easily transpose this feeling from phones to tablets, laptops or any tech you’ve got your eye on. Well, we’re here to tell you there is a better way. Here are some ways you can save money and get one step closer to that dream of owning the best tech out there.

Don’t be afraid to consider loans

If you’re living paycheck to paycheck and you’re not sure where your next meal is coming from, this option might not be for you; taking out a loan if you’re already in significant financial difficulties can be a bad idea. If, though, you’re earning a comfortable wage but just not bringing in quite enough to drop the hundreds of pounds needed to afford a Pixel Slate, then you could consider a loan. The best type of loan depends entirely on your circumstances, but we’d recommend you start with a payday loan lender like this one (yes, really – payday loans may have a bad rap in the press, but they’re harmless with the right lender). Payday loans can be a great short-term cash injection for boosting your finances just enough to buy that drone for your kids (or yourself), so get applying today.

Budget effectively

We know, we know; that meal deal in your local supermarket is irresistible when you’re having a difficult day. Think about it, though. Do you really need to spend the money on an expensive sandwich-drink-snack combo when you could be saving a huge amount of money by buying inexpensive alternatives or (gasp) making your lunch yourself at home? It’s not just food, either; if you drive to work but walking is a viable alternative, you’ll save oodles of petrol money and get fitter into the bargain. Closely examine all of your budgeting decisions and figure out where you can make cuts if you really want that Galaxy Note 9. There are a number of great apps out there to help you, so start thinking smarter with money today.

Do your research

This won’t come as a shock to tech aficionados, but the most expensive options on the market aren’t always the best. Remember the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco? If not, here’s a quick recap: faulty batteries installed into batches upon batches of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 devices meant that they (sometimes literally) went up in flames when in use by customers. The ensuing fracas cost Samsung a huge amount in loyalty and capital. Put simply, you need to do your research when it comes to tech, because you could be buying something at twice the price you need to spend. You can also apply this logic to phone contracts. Depending on what apps you’re using, you may not need anywhere near as much data as you think you do, so consider downsizing your phone contract (especially if it’s SIM-only, as you can still change your handset).

Consider a second money-making activity

If your job is fairly low-stress, then it might be time to consider doing something else on the side to earn money. Those of you with skills such as music or writing should already be looking into avenues through which these activities could be profitable; playing in a functions band, for example, or blogging for a prominent company. No matter what your skill might be, there’s almost certainly a way for you to augment your income out there; creative crafts types could consider sites like Etsy for selling their wares, for example, while leading voices in their fields could supplement their income through online lectures. Alternately, services like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk allow users to perform fairly menial tasks for small amounts of money, so that’s a consideration. There’s always a way to rake in a bit of extra cash if you look hard enough.

Recycle old tech

This is something we just don’t see people doing enough. In order to afford the latest tech, it’s a good idea to live a reasonably spartan lifestyle when it comes to possessions. When you’re looking to upgrade your phone or laptop, do you really need the old one? There are several places which will allow you to recycle your devices for parts, and depending on how new and powerful your device is this can be quite a significant source of income. Alternately, you could look into selling your device on to a second-hand store if it’s still operational; the better the condition, the more money you’re likely to receive for it. You can knock down the cost of a new device by hundreds of pounds by being savvy with recycling your old tech.