Living on Less: Becky Worley's Advice

June 19, 2009— -- Brad and Anita Wiggins of Santa Clara, Calif., were almost $1,700 a month overbudget.

Brad Wiggins, 53, an attorney, father of seven and grandfather of two, has taken a substantial income hit -- 62 percent.

"Good Morning America" technology correspondent Becky Worley offered some advice for coping with the situation.

Becky Worley's Advice for the Wiggins

Instead of Using Cable, Use a Media PC:Media PCs have special software and have big hard drives to act like a TIVo and record programs for you. They also have a wireless keyboard, a mouse and a remote control that come with them. So I think for usability, it's really worthwhile to invest in one of those. It should cost you around $500.

Invest in an HD Antenna:

Media PCs have all the right ports to take an input from an HD antenna. It's like over-the-air rabbit ears, but it's pulling down an HD signal. An HD antenna will cost you around $40, and you can find it at your local Radio Shack. When you plug that antenna into the computer, you get free HD content of everything that's going out on the networks. That means content from ABC, CBS and NBC -- and that includes big events like the Grammys and the Super Bowl. So it's free TV with an antenna, and all you're buying is the antenna. You also can use the HD antenna with your television. All you need to do is make sure that your TV has what is called a digital tuner built into it.

Call a Neighbor, Not a Company:

I know technology can seem intimidating and like a barrier to entry -- but remember, technology is your friend when it comes to saving money. It may be easier than you think. Just give it a shot. It might be that the installation is a breeze. If you run into trouble, don't call one of those expensive come-to-your-house kind of services. Call a geeky kid down the street and give him $10 or $15 an hour. Think of technology as your friend. You can outsmart the system. You can lower the bills. You can do this, and technology can help.