There’s really not enough money to go around these days, what with the economic crashes and the rise in prices of, well… everything. Yes, this would be the perfect opportunity to complain about the price of gas, but this is a technology blog, so I’m going to complain about the price of food instead — wait… what? Yep, you read me right: Food. The prices are climbing toward the ridiculous for the essentials, and frankly, I’m more than a little put out about it!
Thankfully, the always vigilant folk over at Wise Bread have taken the time to scour the technology world (see, I brought it back…) for online tools that are made to help you save a bit of your hard earned cash without having to tighten up your belt.
Wise Bread breaks the tools they showcase into three categories: Menu-Planning, Coupon Resources, and Price Comparison. Menu planning takes a bit of time and dedication, but it beats the hockey sticks out of the customary North American (or , at least, my) pastime of pouring money into an active garburator. As the author, Sarah Winfrey, says — and I’m paraphrasing here — you’ll spend less, waste less, and leave the impulse buys in the past.
The menu-planning tool I liked the best was Kitchen Monki. You can get some good recipes from the site, or add your own, and there is a shopping list which can be scaled to suit your plan’s needs. The shopping list can be printed or sent to your phone, which is also handy, and the site has an active community and blog. The other two tools in this category were MealsMatter, which focuses on eating healthy, and Relish! — which costs 7 bucks a month. I’m not a fan of Relish! for the reason that I am interested in saving money, not spending it, but mostly I liked Kitchen Monki because of the site’s friendly layout and monkey mascot.
Some of the other featured resources were coupon sites CouponMom and Redplum, and price comparison site Pricible, all of which are worth a look if you are in the US.
These online tools and services are a great way to keep your cash where it should be: saving itself until it grows big enough to buy you a fancy new tech toy. Or on your kid’s college fund, but you know — whatever. Kids can get jobs…
What are your favourite money saving tools/apps/services, for food or otherwise?
Save Money On Groceries With These Online Tools [Wise Bread]
What Are Your Go-To Tech Sites?
Way back in the wilds of 2009, Evan wrote a post naming his top five tech sites for every geek. But 2009 is ancient history in the world of the web — that was way back before I even started writing for 40Tech! My kid was only barely a one year old, and Twitter was still a novelty that allowed people to talk about their lunch. Ancient times, I tell you!
This vast expanse of time and change got me to wondering: what are your top tech sites in this new — and obviously technologically superior — decade? Where do you go these days for all of your tech-related news, reviews, and tips? I’m looking for a top 10 here, ordered or not, so hit the comments, Twitter, Facebook or email, and get the word out!
Here’s my list to get us started:
Lifehacker – These guys cover everything, even things I had no idea I could be interested in. Their feature posts are helpful and informative, and their short posts have lead me to some other very cool blogs.
Mashable – I’m a nut about the social web, both due to my work and my geeky curiosity and need to consume new techy info. I’m also fascinated by the way Mashable has managed to infiltrate and influence mainstream news, including local, national, and even worldwide television stories.
ReadWriteWeb – Some of the topics on this site can be a bit heady or politically charged, but the quality of the work and the range of interesting topics keep me coming back. I’ve found a lot of really great information here, some of which I’ve linked to from 40Tech.
Make Magazine – This site continuously blows me away with the stuff people cobble together. Some crazy DIY and experimental tech (and other things) here!
Twitter – Specifically, my Twitter account (@bobby_travis). This may seem like an odd choice, but I get a lot of my tech news and info from here. Some of it is from the sites in this list — but I get it from Twitter before I ever hit the site — and much of it is from other sites that are linked in the posts of those I follow and retweet or otherwise share.
40Tech – Yeah, I know, I’m biased because I write here, but this site remains one of my most frequent reads — and not due to vanity. The fact is, I was a reader, like you, before I started contributing to the site. The information I get from Evan and our commenters, not to mention guest posters, is, and always has been of the best quality.
MakeUseOf – I like MakeUseOf because of the huge amount of how-to posts, general tips, and guides that I’ve found there. It’s a great place to find everything from how to build your own PC, to how to jailbreak your iPhone, and find out how to shop better online. Something for everybody, really.
Joystiq – This is probably where I get most of my gaming info. I could have said Facebook, I suppose, because that’s where I often start before I get to the site, but that is only because I liked their page and have been interested enough that I haven’t muted them.
Web.AppStorm – In a world focused on/obsessed with cloud computing, getting all the goods on the new and fancy web apps is a necessity. WebAppStorm is one of the best places to learn all that you could ever want to know and more, and there are several other AppStorm sites attached to it. It’s not bad to look at either. Downright pretty, even!
Digitizd – Formerly known as The 2.0 Life, Digitizd is the baby and brainchild of David Pierce (Assistant Editor of PC Mag Digital Networks and 40Tech reader). The site broadcasts thoughts, tips, news, and neatness related to the digital world and living in it, and is an all around good read.
There are several other sites that I read regularly which are also tech-related, such as a multitude of other gaming sites, social media and business sites, and more, but these are the ones that I probably end up at the most.
Now it’s your turn!
Hopefully, this conversation will bring out a few gems people have never heard of, as well as a sense of what our world in general finds to be the cream of the geeky crop. And please don’t feel pressured to rank 40Tech up high on your list. We are very much aware of and comfortable with our smallish stature among the tech-site juggernauts. We still know we’re awesome — because you all keep telling us so! Thanks for that, by the way… You’re awesome too! :D