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A couple more tools that could help you save money

In our never-ending quest to equip you with tools and resources for better financial decision making, I'm back with two more. Now bear with me on these two, as they may not be as obvious in their money-saving potential.

The first up is Dropbox, a file-hosting service that lets you store files across the internet using file synchronization. They offer free storage of up 2 gigs, 50 gigs for $9.99/month, and 100 gigs for $19.99/month.

The setup is ridiculously easy: sign up and then install the Dropbox sync client on any computer (PC, Mac, or Linux) from which you'd like to be able to access the files. That's essentially it. Have a file you think you might want to access from both home and work? Just put it in in your Dropbox folder.

Dropbox also has apps for the iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry platforms. This came in handy the other day when I wanted to listen to a sermon I had put it in my Dropbox at work. I pulled out my phone and tapped the file. Within seconds, Andy Stanely was giving another brilliant sermon.

So how does Dropbox save money? For starters, remote-control software services such as GoToMyPC are overkill for my needs. I have the free (2 gig) Dropbox account and am currently using only 3% of my total capacity. So rather than paying GoToMyPC $20/month, I'm paying nothing. Secondly, it keeps me from having to burn files to portable media, saving me the time and money of doing so. Furthermore, since the files are synced, I can always know that I'm working with the most recently updated file (if you've ever saved an older file over a newer one, you know the frustration of having to redo it — and, as they say, time is money).

Dropbox is a dead-simple, practical service that's worth trying if you have file sharing needs.

Next up is PayPal. Now PayPal is really without peer for web-based payments and money transfers. I mean sure, Google Checkout lets you pay for things, but it's hardly as ubiquitous or robust.

PayPal has had apps for the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry platforms for a while. You could use these apps to send money to people, donate to a charity, or look at past transactions. But now iPhone users can deposit checks by taking a picture. Pretty wild. Simply snap a picture of a check via the PayPal app and the funds will be transmitted to your account within seven days.

Of course, banks such as USAA and Chase also allow you to do this kind of thing — provided you have an account with them. But PayPal's 226 million accounts makes its reach and accessibility vastly superior.

So how does this save you money? No more driving to the bank to make the deposit, a time and money waster. I didn't say it was gonna save you a ton of money, but every little bit adds up. And let's be honest... it's just really cool too.

That's our Personal Finance Friday for this week. Spend wisely — and have a great weekend!

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