You Can Bank On Cyber Savings
Illawarra Mercury
Tuesday July 31, 2001
Families could save up to $141 a week by using the Internet to pay bills, do banking, homework, send emails and shop, a new study has found.
Three out of four households saved time or money by using the Internet for common tasks, according to a SaveHome study commissioned by the National Office for the Information Economy.
Oak Flats family Les, Lyndall and Damian Kirchmajer use the Net for correspondence, research and to juggle school, work and household chores such as bill payments and banking transactions.
Letting their mousepad do the walking could save the family four hours each week - an average saving of $95 - according to the survey.
While Mr Kirchmajer, an academic, believes the Internet can be a time-saving device, he is not so sure about the financial benefits.
``The biggest saving is definitely time but with the bulk of printing we do and having to constantly upgrade computer equipment and software, my hand always seems to be in my pocket," he laughed.
``If you are buying expensive items, like furniture or whitegoods, it is likely you will save money by researching what is out there on the Internet."
Mrs Kirchmajer said the family recently experienced a saving on the Internet after returning from Perth.
``A friend has emailed the photos from WA and we can just choose the ones we like and have them printed," she said. ``That is definitely a cost saving."
The Kirchmajer family spends an average 20 hours a week using the Internet, most commonly for work-related research or correspondence.
While it was difficult for the 300 households surveyed to identify direct financial benefits, the survey revealed most saved an average $30 a week, without taking into account transport and postage costs.
Larger families with three or more children benefited most, with time and direct money savings as high as $141 a week in some cases. But while 60 per cent of households used the Internet to find out about goods and services, only 28 per cent were prepared to buy online.
``I might consider it down the track but I am a bit wary," Mrs Kirchmajer said.
Mr Kirchmajer laughed: ``You can't taste, smell or try on things using the Internet, but for an impulse buyer like me that could save us money".
© 2001 Illawarra Mercury
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