Recycle your old mobile phones
When buying a printer, consider the cost of ink The real profits – and savings – with printers lies in the ink. Compare how much replacement different models’ inkjet cartridges cost. Consider a laser printer - toner cartridges are more expensive than inkjet but last longer.
The real profits – and savings – with printers lies in the ink. Compare how much replacement different models’ inkjet cartridges cost. Consider a laser printer - toner cartridges are more expensive than inkjet but last longer.
Eliminate 'ghost' power consumption Unplug any power strips or electrical components from wall outlets when not in use. Reports suggest consumers who do this notice smaller bills. Make a habit of turning off lights when you leave the room and take special care to unplug the TV - especially if it is on standby.
Recycle inkjet cartridges and mobile phones Not just good for the environment - some stores reward you for mailing back empty cartridges. Many manufacturers enclose a pre-paid envelope with new inkjet cartridges. A small saving but one that adds up. Otherwise you can pick up envelopes from some charity shops and help their cause instead. Meanwhile you can get hard cash for your old mobiles from a number of websites.
Backup data It's good practice to make a monthly backup of your computer data. It's a bit like an insurance policy – you hope you never need it but it could prove more expensive not to have one. Hard drives tend to fail sooner or later and the hidden cost of lost data and time wasted sorting it out can prove very costly.
Use online backup If you have a limited amount of data to back up, use a free online service and save at least £40 on an external hard drive. See http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-free-online-backup-sites.htm for suggestions. Buddy Backup at www.buddybackup.com is another option - which I personally use. You and a friend – or friends – each download their free software and store data on each other's hard drives. It's encrypted and thus totally secure and updates new data automatically.
Be careful when handling your computer Static electricity can easily damage or ruin fragile components. Use anti-static mats when handling hardware and remember to ground yourself.
Laptop users can prolong battery life by plugging the laptop into the mains whenever possible and removing the battery you will save wear and tear.
Stop paying for technical support? It may sometimes be possible to get help from a more tech-savvy friend rather than paying for expensive support packages or call-out charges. They don't even need to be present if they are using remote access. See www.LogMeIn.com for free access to this service.
Go online for bargains Sites like Freecycle at www.uk.freecycle.org allow you to get other people's unwanted goods – electronic and otherwise - for free.
Consider Ubuntu Linux Instead of buying Windows operating system upgrades you can use a free alternative – Linux. Ubuntu at www.ubuntu.com is a popular Linux distro and all its software comes free as well. (Warning – leaving Windows and getting used to Linux is not totally pain-free and requires a little know-how.)
Written by Andrew Stucken, this article was first published on August 31, 2010. Andrew's opinions are his own and for general information only. Always seek independent, professional, financial advice.