On Spot Techs

By Eric Geier (Our Founder & Owner)

Originally published by Cox Media Group on 2/11/19

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There’s a wealth of information and services online, some of which can help you save some cash. Here are a few of my favorites:

GoodRX.com: This is one of my personal favorites, allowing me to save a lot of money on the prescription drugs my family and I need. You can easily search for the drug and see the discounted prices at various local pharmacies. Though you can’t use the discounts along with your insurance, the cash prices available via the site can be cheaper than what you pay via your insurance. And in my experience, the prices are usually cheaper than the pharmacy programs.

To get the discounted prices offered via GoodRX, you either print the coupon, bring up the website on your smartphone in the store, send to your smartphone, or even digitally apply to some pharmacy accounts dike CVS).

Amazon.com: I’m sure you’ve heard of Amazon and the Prime membership that gives you two-day free shipping on just about anything you can think of. Certainly not everything on Amazon is cheaper than prices at the local brick-and-mortar stores, but there are many cases where it is, all without having to leave your home. Perhaps before your next shopping trip, bring up Amazon and check out the prices.

Even if you don’t ever order from Amazon, you can use it as a tool to save money at the local stores. Most retailors price-match with Amazon, so if the same item in the store is more expensive than on Amazon, show the cashier the Amazon listing on your smartphone and they may be able to give you that price. You can utilize the Amazon app or other third-party apps to scan the barcodes of items in the store to automatically bring up the Amazon listing.

BookVIP.com: This website offers highly discounted hotel stays and travel packages. Most of the travel deals on this website require you attend a timeshare sales presentation and pitch. I’ve heard of many people taking advantage of offers like this through other various sources, and most sound like a great way to travel cheaply if you’re good at saying no to the time-share pitches. I do suggest though checking other online third-party reviews (like on Google or Facebook) for the resort or hotel before purchasing the deal on this website.

Groupon.com: This is a website that various companies (from restaurants and hotels to carpet cleaners and handymen) offer their products and/or services at a deep discount, many times around 50% off the regular price. It’s a great website to check out, but I do suggest doing some research on the company and item before purchasing just to make sure you’re getting a good deal in the end.

GasBuddy.com: It always feels good to save money on gas, and this website helps you do just that. You can see the current prices at local gas stations. Put in your zip code to see view a list of the stations or see a map of them. You’ll see their address, price, estimated distance from your location, and how long ago they updated their price.

AskTRIM.com: This website can automatically contact certain service providers (such as your cell or TV provider) to attempt to lower your bills. They take a 25 percent cut of your annualized savings, so you may not realize your savings right away. The website also has spending analysis, debt repayment, and savings goal features. They provide various other savings information and tips.

LibreOfifice.org: This is a website for a software program, called LibreOffice. It’s a totally free (open source) alternative to Microsoft Office.

So, for example if you’ve bought a new computer and don’t have another Microsoft office license or if your office software isn’t supported anymore, consider this software. It provides programs similar to and compatible with the formats of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. If you need something similar to Microsoft Outlook for your email, consider another free program called Thunderbird.

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