May 5, 2022
Higher prices are everywhere right now, whether you’re browsing online, shopping at the grocery store, or the fueling up at the gas station. From supply chain hang-ups, higher shipping and transport costs, ballooning energy demand, labor shortages, and mounds of unspent savings during the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation is an international phenomenon hitting just about everyone. And in March 2022, it reached its highest point in about 40 years—8.5%.
To help you keep up with the global economy, Alpine Communication’s reliable high-speed fiber internet puts the online worldwide marketplace of goods, services, entertainment—and, well, just about everything—right at your fingertips! But with inflation seemingly sticking around for the foreseeable future, you may be feeling the squeeze.
So what—if anything—can you do to combat inflation? Are there strategies you can employ to push your hard-earned dollar further? And can making better use of the internet help fight inflation, too?
The answer to these questions is YES, and below we present some of the best ways you can utilize Alpine Communication’s fast internet to shop smartly and do more efficiently online in an era of higher prices.
1. Enjoy Online Entertainment at Home
Taking advantage of the ever-increasing online entertainment options available with your fiber internet connection at home can greatly improve your overall budget. For example, instead of taking your family out to the movies, consider hosting a family movie night at home. Many films today can be streamed at home just as soon as they are released in theatres. And of course, there are already thousands of great movies and TV shows and specials you can enjoy.
So rather than hauling the family off to the cinema in your car, warm up a bag of popcorn, grab a drink of your choice, and settle in at home for a great film to stream. You’ll save money on gas, the higher cost of individual tickets for each person, and the often egregiously marked-up price of cinema popcorn, soda, candy, and other snacks.
2. Use Online Resources to Plan Meals in Advance—and Make a List
One way many families end up wasting money in the grocery store is by buying food items that seem interesting while browsing at the store but end up sitting in a pantry unused. These “impulse buys” can really add up—and waste your money (and pantry space), too. By planning a meal in advance—including creating a list of the necessary ingredients for each course and side dish, etc.—you can plot out several dinners and lunches and only buy what you need and will actually use.
And there’s a cornucopia of online resources to help you plan out meal plans and create your shopping lists! From websites like Allrecipes.com and Epicurious.com, to Pinterest’s countless recipes, to YouTube videos that teach you how to prepare delicious dishes, the web can make meal planning simpler, healthier, and more cost-effective. So just by thinking ahead, carefully clipping online coupons, and using the internet’s vast food-related content to plot out meals and their required ingredients, you can greatly reduce waste and improve savings.
3. Telehealth Appointments Are Convenient and Cost-Effective
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families learned the value of telehealth appointments, where doctors and other health professionals provided vital health care services to individuals via online video conferences. Telehealth appointments can be considerably less expensive than in-person visits to the doctor—close to half as much, according to some surveys.
Many insurance companies cover telehealth visits, as well. Of course, when in doubt, use your best judgment, as certain health issues could be acute and require in-person visits as soon as possible. But search around for telehealth options and enjoy the savings and conveniences of health care delivered online at your home.
4. Save on Open-Box Items and Utilize Online Coupon Codes
If you’ve shopped online, you’ll almost certainly have noticed recommended deals on open-box or refurbished items. Sometimes these are damaged products that have been repaired by the manufacturer and then re-sold at a discount (and then often with a more generous warranty). But often enough, retailers discount these items simply because their outer packaging is somewhat damaged.
Thus, you should definitely consider open-box and refurbished products for sale. And the savings can be huge—even over 60% off. Be sure to read the details provided about the open-box or refurbished item carefully before buying—but just using this one tip can save you hundreds of dollars a year on a variety of products.
And don’t forget about online coupon sites, as well. RetailMeNot.com offers coupons through its website and app at thousands of online retailers, as do similar sites like CouponCabin.com. Look carefully at the coupon codes’ expiration dates, as coupons come and go and are regularly recycled. While you might have to visit these sites more than once to get the deal you want, you can often save quite a lot with a bit of patience and diligent online research!
5. Online Education and Classes Cuts Costs
If you’re a student, or are considering college, technical school, vocational training, or just taking extra classes to enrich your skills and marketability, we know that money can be especially tight. The good news is that online education has expanded rapidly over the past several years, and for many individuals, higher education is within reach via the internet.
Many colleges and technical schools offer complete degrees that you can get entirely online from your home. Others provide popular courses that are well suited to an online format. In addition to the reduced costs of these internet-based programs and courses, enrolling in online classes instead of needing to drive to campus each day can really save you money on gas and let you put more money into the costs of your textbooks! So do your research and consider whether online education is the right fit for you.
When all or even most of these tips and strategies are employed, the savings really do start to add up. So yes, just by utilizing Alpine Communication’s high-speed internet at home and being a savvier online consumer, you really can fight back against inflation!
For more advice and helpful information about navigating the global ecommerce marketplace, follow Alpine Communication’s social pages!
