The Frugal Geek: How to Save Money On Your Tech Fetish

Nov. 03, 2007 Special to ABCNEWS.com — -- Technology was supposed to help us get more done, more cost-effectively, than ever before. But if you spent 249 bucks on the latest version of Microsoft's Windows and then spent hours trying to install it--or waited in line to spend $599 on the new iPhone only to see Apple slash the price by 200 bucks a few months later--you know that's not always the case.

Keeping your tech toys from gobbling your wallet can be a full-time job. If you're a smart, aggressive shopper, you've already bundled up your voice and video services, you've whittled down your monthly fees through careful comparison shopping, and you've jawboned a neighbor into letting you sharing his wi-fi connection. Good work.

Now it's time to move to the next level: putting technology to work to cut down on the costs of owning all that, well, technology. Here's a quick cheat sheet with practical ways you can use three major technology trends--open-source software, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and online shopping--to save yourself a lot of money, and a little time, too.

Click here to see how to save money on your tech at our partner site, Forbes.com.

The first step is tracking all that spending--a chore that software packages, including Intuit Quicken, Microsoft Money and free, online services such as Mint.com--do very handily. If you're a personal finance buff, spending a little money on powerful personal finance software is well worth the investment. And at $39.99, the downloadable version of Quicken Deluxe 2008 is quite affordable.

But if you're a financial space case--and a bit of a Web junkie--you can also opt for a free, online tracking tool, such as Mint.com. Not only does it put information from many online accounts in one spot, but it can remind you when your bills are coming due. It can even help you find a better rate on your credit card.

OK, using the Internet to skirt the phone company--and the bills it churns out--just feels good. If you spend a lot of money on the phone, an Internet-calling service from Vonage or your cable company can save you a lot of money. But you don't have to make a commitment to cash in.