In order to be able to stay home with my children, my husband and I have made a lot of lifestyle choices that keep our monthly bills very low. But one bill we dont skimp on is our Internet connection. Although we pay around $60 per month for our Internet connection, we find that this bill more than pays for itself. Here are a few things that we do with Internet to save us money.
Craigslist. We buy and sell on Craigslist. When my husband was laid off from work this summer, we paid our bills by selling various things that we knew we could live without. We realized quickly that selling things on Ebay isn't as lucrative as it used to be, because Ebay takes a big percentage of what you sell your item for. By selling locally on Craigslist, we were able to keep ALL of our money and save on shipping costs, too.
Education. I find a lot of children's curriculum for free just by using search engines. I find free worksheets, free handwriting paper to print out, and free education games for children. I will talk more about this in a later post.
NETFLIX. Because of the awesome power of Netflix Instant View, we are able to walks hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of cartoons, movies, and educational shows, for less than $10 per month, using only our Internet connection. This is commercial free viewing, so my kids are watching programming that doesn't give them the "gimmes".
Work. I do part time work from home through the Internet, designing websites and e-mail newsletters for small business clients. I communicate through email or through Skype. I also find a LOT of cheap or free graphics resources that make my designs more beautiful!
Skype. My husband and I use a Skype phone number as our primary home phone. We do keep a cell phone for emergencies, but with our subscription to Skype, we pay less than $75 for the entire year for unlimited long distance phone calling.
School. I am attending classes on-line through our local community college. I have attained more than half of my associates degree without leaving my house except to buy books and for the occasional proctored exam (and at a much lower cost than the bigger online schools, by the way).
Opportunities. I read many money-saving and mothering blogs which keep me "in the know" for great deals on gifts, photos, things to do, clearance sales, and more than I can possibly recount.
What is your favorite money-saving aspect of the Internet?
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