32. Buy from
the brand shop, if you can find one in your locality: I have a friend who
loves Samsung. He only buys directly from a Samsung shop (not dealer oh!)
around him. The advantage is that he maximizes the warranty. When Note 3 came
out, he simply swapped his used Galaxy S4 for it, only paying a little more.
33. You don’t
have to buy the accessories or add-ons simply because they are cheap or look
cool: Buying computer gadgets and cars Brand New will expose you to some
smart marketers of accessories who will want to make fast bucks off you. This
happens particularly in Computer Village, or anywhere else. It also happens
online, say when you pay for a hosting package. As a rule, ask someone who already
uses it or an expert before going to buy at all. Asking the seller right there in his shop if you need
something he is selling is tantamount to asking a girl inside a chocolate and
cake shop if she is hungry and needs anything? Though some will be
honest to tell you whether or not you really need the accessories, don’t
expose yourself to temptation.
34. Less is
more: the wisdom with gadgets is the paradox you just read. When you have
less gadgets, you have less repairs, less maintenance, and less worry that it
can get lost or stolen. Not buying ‘too expensive’ will also save you some money and
worries. Always find the one gadget that can do EXACTLY what you want, not less, and not necessarily more.
35. Check
that your car/computer/electronic can be serviced in Nigeria, and spare parts
are available before you buy: don’t just buy a thing because it is fanciful
and unique, be sure that if it needs repairs you can get it easily and cheaply.
PHONE CALLS AND INTERNET SUBSCRIPTION, COMPUTERS
36. Buy your
prepaid recharge cards in bulk: you will save a little if you buy your
recharge vouchers in bulk. The drawback is that you might be tempted to used
them more frequently.
37. Don’t
attach your phone number to your bank account. If you are an impulsive
spender and caller, attaching your bank account to your phone number means you
will spend more on calls simply because it is easier to recharge your phone
now. Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Diamond Bank and Fidelity bank offer that service.
38. Consider
subscribing for post paid: if you are a business person who calls
frequently, it might be cheaper for you to subscribe for a post paid plan with
your telcom company. And try to also negotiate a better deal with them. I
remember the days of Nitel, it was cheaper to use a post paid landline phone
simply because you don’t get to carry it about, and call frequently with it.
39. Use Glo
instead of MTN for prepaid calls and if you have GLO-to-GLO free sms/credit,
use it: just like #21 above, not literally, it might be the other way
round. But the whole idea is to maximize the networks. Most people (more than
80%) use more than one network, so utilize
their bonuses wisely and in a way that saves you money.
40. Use free
chatting social media apps like whatsapp, Facebook, Google+, BBM instead of
texting or calling if you can.
41. Use Skype
or Google + to call, especially for video calling: and especially if you are
calling abroad. Most of the social media apps enable free calls, but you need
to have data anyway. So if you are using a free wifi, or cheap internet data
subscription bypass MTN, Glo, and the others and use social media to connect. Even for calls within Nigeria, I discovered that
Skype charge a subscription rate of $1.99 (N340) monthly or per minute billing
of 4 cents/min or $2.40 (N408) per hour.
42. Stop
online subscriptions that you can do without before they are due: I
recently had to stop two automatic subscriptions in my paypal account. They didn’t
even warn me before attempting to remove the amounts. I had forgotten that when
I subscribed for the trial versions, they already told me that on
expiration of my free trial period, they will remove the money due. So if you are the type that forget things easily, as you are subscribing for anything online, write down in
your diary or set a phone reminder about the subscription, date and amount so that
you won’t be caught unawares.
43. Buy
things out of season: this one is similar to #27- Don’t buy in-vogue. An
umbrella will be cheaper if bought during dry season compared to rainy season,
a party will be cheaper to hold in dry season as you can effectively do without
canopies. The simple economic principle
is that demand will be lower out-of-season. This also goes for shopping for
Christmas, etc. Buy long before the demand increases. That may require you
saving ahead though.
44. Use free
wifi: in hotels, cafes, hospitals and other public places but have a strong
antivirus/security installed.
45. Take
advantage of online stores coupons when shopping on their site: there are
stores that offer discounts/percentages off prices when you use their coupons e.g ebay,
amazon, etc. Many also give loyalty gifts. If you use the site often request
for one or use websites such as www.retailmenot.com, www.groupon.com, and www.coupons.com
among many others to get such coupons for free. You can also check out www.swagbucks.com
46. If you
want to buy original antivirus, divide the cost among friends: Most computer
softwares can be used by up to three people. If you don’t use an office pre-installed
package, then consider sharing the cost with your friends to save cost.
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