In our fast-paced lives, time is the one commodity we don’t have a lot of to spare. And, as the pandemic has shown us, when we do have some spare time, we would rather spend it with family and friends than on time-consuming and often onerous tasks like banking, saving, or filling in forms.
So, here are five one-stop solutions that will make fast work of tasks or routines that often seem daunting because they require so much effort.
Also read: 3 Reasons Why Earphones Are a Must-Have in 2022
1. Buying a home
Buying a home is an exciting step. But the thought of filling in multiple bank application forms and collating bank statements and other documents can be overwhelming. Work with a bond originator who will apply to more than one bank on your behalf, and secure you the most competitive interest rate on your home loan.
“By applying for pre-approval – supplying your personal information and submitting the relevant documents – you will find out exactly what you can afford, you could speed up your bond application when your offer on a home has been accepted, and you greatly increase your chances of home loan approval,” says Carl Coetzee, CEO of BetterBond. A pre-approval also tells sellers and agents that you’re serious about buying. You can do your pre-approval online at any time of day or night, it doesn’t cost a cent and it remains valid for 90 days.
2. Passive saving
We all know we should be saving for a rainy day, but rising living costs mean that many of us are so financially stretched that setting up a separate savings account is the last thing on our to-do list. Why not take the work out of saving by passively setting aside a small amount each day with one of the micro-savings and investment tools and apps available?
“Through the act of passively setting aside small amounts every day, a user has the ability to automatically invest the micro-savings into things like cryptocurrencies, fractional shares and other traditional and non-traditional investment options,” says Tony Mallam, co-founder of upnup. Small amounts are saved by signing up to an app that links with your bank account to round up on every purchase made, or by adding a fixed amount to each transaction. This is then redirected to an ewallet and invested in a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. The best bit? This can all be done from your smartphone, it couldn’t be easier to invest!
3. Outsource household chores
We know that many people can’t tend to everything around the house, there simply isn’t time. Most work full days and simply just don’t have time to clean the house, fix that gutter or clear the garden. There just aren’t enough hours to get to housework on top of everything else. So why not turn to your smartphone for a solution?
An app like SweepSouth makes it possible to book home cleaning with the swipe of a finger. They also offer outdoor services, which come in handy when you need garden services or someone to do general home maintenance or DIY projects around the house.
4. Earn additional income
These days, everyone has a side hustle; from selling handmade goods to offering freelance services in various forms. But what can you do to earn extra income without using up too much additional time? Becoming an Airbnb host is an option.
Data released by Airbnb shows that last year between January and December 2021, Hosts in South Africa collectively earned over R2 billion. For those looking to join the growing Host community and start earning valuable additional income, timing is crucial.
Using new data, Airbnb recently revealed the best time to open your home based on when Hosts earned the highest income throughout 2021. These dates include the Heritage Day Weekend, Christmas Eve, summer travel during December, and winter travel, which includes the school holiday period.
PriceCheck tip: If you have that spare room available, you could make some serious extra cash. Making sure that the guest room has the right decor and amenities is crucial though, such as a coffee machine or mini-fridge to keep your guests happy.
5. Become price-savvy
Life is expensive, so why spend more than you have to on anything? Whether you’re shopping for daily groceries or want to splash out on a big-ticket item, like a TV or fridge, then you’ll want to find the best price on the things you want and need. Using a price comparison website like PriceCheck will help you find the best prices on anything and everything with just the click of a mouse.
PriceCheck is Africa’s largest product and financial services platform. Established in 2006 by Kevin Tucker, PriceCheck has grown into a platform that allows you to compare millions of products from thousands of stores. Using PriceCheck is simple; on desktop, mobile or tablet. The website’s powerful, intelligent search is designed to allow you to search quickly and accurately for products you’re interested in buying, allowing you to learn more about the products and the merchants that sell them. Once you’re ready to buy, just click through to the store you’d like to buy from and purchase your product immediately. Being a savvy shopper has never been easier!
