Save Money and Avoid Costly Mistakes in Technology: Eight Common Errors Debunked

If you are not really familiar with the technology, you can quickly spend a lot of money unnecessarily. Eight common mistakes are common and can ultimately cost hundreds of dollars.

E-mail advertising, telephone calls from the Internet provider and convincing salespeople in a trusted specialist shop: Almost everyone has been taken in by an unnecessary additional service at some point. Nowadays, many people have a pretty good knowledge of computers, household appliances and electronic know-how. But the majority of them still have a question mark on their faces when it comes to technology. Is the old Internet tariff really the right choice and shouldn’t I buy an antivirus program for money?

Anyone who finds out about this is quickly bombarded with obtrusive advertising and ultimately no longer knows what is actually important and what is actually unnecessary. The advice portal financial tip has recently with one YouTube-Video tries to debunk some of the most well-known technical errors. By following the advice given there, you can save up to 1,000 euros a year. We have listed the costly eight everyday mistakes here again.

1. Internet tariff: is more always better?

Slow internet can quickly become annoying. Anyone who is therefore thinking about a tariff change or is possibly even contacted by their provider because of a better offer can quickly fall into a well-known trap. Because like them financial tip-Experts clearly present a comparative calculation, more speed is not always better when it comes to the Internet. Although a tariff with more Mbit/s does not appear to be much more expensive at first, the contracts often only have a term of 24 months. Extrapolated over two years, the additional costs are then very noticeable. When choosing a new Internet tariff, it is therefore important not to overthink it. For example, usually only families or flat shares need around 200 Mbit/s. Frequent surfers with a large need for data should be satisfied with 100 Mbit/s, normal users even just 50 Mbit/s.

2. Adequate computer security costs money

There are numerous providers on the market who advertise particularly effective virus protection programs. Their motto is: If you want security, you have to invest money. In fact, this is mostly a myth. As the digital expert from financial tip explained, the offered antivirus programs are actually not worth their money. The included programs “Windows Defender” and “Gatekeeper” are perfectly adequate to effectively protect your PC or Mac against malware. Instead of spending money on unnecessary features, you should instead surf carefully, avoid dubious links and leave overly promising spam e-mails unanswered.

3. Printer cartridges must always be purchased as originals

Printer ink feels like liquid gold. Particularly annoying for the owners of inkjet printers is the claim that only the original cartridges can be used in the device – otherwise there is no longer a guarantee from the manufacturer. In fact, however, this is not the truth. Although a warning message often appears when a refill cartridge is inserted, this is more of a clever advertising ploy to boost sales of the original cartridges. The quality of the ink from refill cartridges does not differ much from the manufacturer’s product. The price, on the other hand, is very good.

4. A smartphone should definitely be insured

Many smartphone owners believe they need insurance to protect their phone against loss or damage. On average, such insurance costs about ten percent of the purchase price per year, but it is not really worth it. Because if you consider the deductible and the depreciation of the cell phone over the years, in the end not much money will come out of it in the event of damage.

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5. When traveling abroad you need a roaming option

Since the summer of 2017, anyone who is on holiday in another EU country can continue to use their data volume free of charge. Nevertheless, when crossing the border, you almost always receive an SMS message advertising particularly good roaming options. Don’t fall for this and simply continue to use your data plan as usual. However, this only applies within the EU.

6. Household appliances should always be used for as long as possible

When purchasing household appliances, two points are particularly important: costs and sustainability. In fact, it is not possible to say in general whether it is better to use the old refrigerator or washing machine for as long as possible, or whether it is better to buy a new appliance. Before making a new investment, you should therefore definitely check the consumption of your previous device. However, keep in mind the potential for further increases in energy prices.

7. The mobile phone battery should only be charged up to 70 percent

This myth persists: fully charging mobile phone batteries costs electricity unnecessarily. That is why there are also numerous gadgets on the market, such as charge limiters or smart sockets, which usually cost between 30 and 50 euros. According to that financial tipHowever, such a purchase is not worthwhile for technical experts. Nowadays, smartphones know best how much power they need. Instead, it is better to invest in a reasonable power supply from the original manufacturer or a well-known clone. This is the only way to ensure that the battery is charged properly.