It’s a new year, but economically it still feels like the old one. Everywhere you look, things are being downsized: companies, paychecks, parties, trade shows and so on.
Writing about personal technology at times like these is sort of a weird job. It entails reviewing products that are often expensive and definitely elective. At first glance, it would seem as though spending on electronics would be one very easy place to cut back.
But technology giveth, and technology taketh away. You might think of high-tech gadgetry as something that drains your bank account — but it can save you money, too. A lot of it.
Herewith, a few suggestions for letting tech save you money. The savings estimates are typical, but of course your mileage may vary, depending on what services you’re paying for now.
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Cut the TV cord. Plenty of 20-somethings and college-somethings are doing this already: they’re canceling their cable or satellite TV service. (You can always get your service reinstated once your finances recover.) Instead, they watch TV over the Internet. Sites like SurfTheChannel.com have links to lots of shows, including “Gossip Girl.”
The sacrifice: You have to watch TV on your computer screen (unless you hook up your PC to your TV, which is not simple). Some shows still aren’t available except from illegal downloads. And, of course, you need high-speed Internet. The savings: $500 to $1,200 a year.
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Cancel your movie channels. Can’t go as far as cutting all your cable service? A premium package like HBO/Showtime or Canal+ is probably adding about $20 a month to your cable bill. If you are in it for the dramatic series and boxing matches or whatever, great. But if you are in it for the movies, you can do much better between on-demand services like iTunes and the multilanguage offerings at your local…