11 websites that make the things you love more affordable
Almost one-third of Americans aren’t saving for retirement, according to a 2014 survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
But that’s not to say Americans don’t want to save. USA Today reported this week that Americans have the desire to save money but don’t feel as though they make enough to actually afford putting money away.
It’s also a matter of American culture, where Americans feel safe not saving for retirement since they know there are welfare programs to keep them afloat, USA Today reported.
“Life is pretty stable here, and we have basic safety nets in place,” Charles Sizemore, chief investment officer at Sizemore Capital Management, told USA Today. “The countries with the highest savings rates tend to have little or no safety nets, and people are forced to fend for themselves in old age. So in a lot of ways, our success and stability have made us a little lax in our attitudes toward saving.”
Experts told USA Today that one of the best ways Americans can begin to save for retirement, though, is to cut back on expenses and start putting money away — sooner rather than later.
But that’s easier said than done. To help, here are 11 websites that offer affordable ways to save money for learning, shopping and leisure activities that could give you the room to start saving for retirement.
This free websites gives users access to more than 300,000 foreign language courses.
Want to advance your career? Coursera.org can help you do just that. The website offers free versions of college courses from across the world.
Songza is a free website that offers users a chance to hear any song of any genre from any decade depending on your mood.
Adobe Photoshop costs a pretty penny, even with its month-to-month pricing, which can put your desires to edit photos to a halt if you’re looking to save. Luckily, Pixlr offers an easy-to-use and free version of the photo editor, with many of the same capabilities.
Learning how to code can certainly help boost your resume. Check out codeacademy.com for some easy instructions and tutorials.
ThredUP makes it easy to be fashionable at affordable prices. The online consignment shop offers moderately priced clothing for both women and children.
Book trading has made its way online with Paperback Swap. The website allows users to trade their books with other users in exchange for a new book of their own.
If books aren’t your thing, Swap a DVD offers users a chance to exchange DVDs with each other.
Cards, calendars and invitations can get expensive. But freeprintable.com offers users these printable items all for free.
Need something for your home but don’t feel like shelling out the money for it? With Freecycle, you can check your local community to see if someone’s selling what you need.
Yapta.comAirline prices can get sky high. Luckily, yapta.com lets you know when those prices go down and where the best deals are for airfare and hotels.
