Mindless Ways in Which People Waste Money and How to Avoid Them

ElitePersonalFinance
Last Update: September 9, 2021 Save Money

Living without money is hard. And the same is said for saving. Even though some spending habits are apparent, you still find ways of wasting resources. Do you know that your money spending habits can leave you bankrupt? Avoid wasteful spending! Below are the tips to help you achieve that quest.

Hasty Driving

There are many negative impacts of driving at high speed. A car speeding at 80mph uses 10% more fuel than one cruising at 70mph. Also, drivers who prefer speeding on highways still splurge much by lowering their gas mileage by 30%. Additionally, accidents and crash risks are everywhere. Careless drivers have to cater for damages. Therefore, drivers have to take their feet off the pedal and limit their speed to avoid wasting a coin on speeding issues. Stay safe always!

Bottled Water

Demand for bottled water continues to rise in the united state. Meaning, a more significant part wastes their money buying bottled water, whereas there are many alternatives. Surprisingly, each spends an average of $100 each year on bottled water. Remember, the packed water is usually expensive. Stop purchasing bottled water and get an under-sink filter, which is less costly and clean.

Wasting Food

Wasting food is a weird habit every American should avoid. Some throw the leftovers in the vegetable crisper and forget. According to the National Resource Defense Council, most people waste food every year, ranging from $1,350 to $2,275. This spending habit can sketch away all your savings. If you want to stop the practice, plan or budget your food expenses on time and store your leftovers in the fridge for the next meal. Sounds good?

Flavored Beverages

Most flavored beverages such as soda and soft drinks are always bought for satisfaction. It’s not a surprise people waste a lot of their money on such drinks. Remember, sugared beverages don’t add any weight and contain sweeteners. These sweet beverages lead to brain damage, cause obesity, among other effects. To benefit your pocket, cut back the flavored beverages instead of drinking water.

Going out of Eat

The habit of dining out makes one expend much more. American consumers budget more money for restaurants spending more than $3,000 per year. When they prefer going out to eat, they avoid developing cooking skills. But you can prevent the habit and save more by cooking your healthier food at home and packing it at your workplace.

Paying for TV

Cutting a fortune for hundreds of channels might seem hard to majorities, but saving a coin from it sounds beautiful. To the surprise, cables are very costly. You need to have more than $100 monthly on average to watch TV. Instead of paying for cable services, watch your direct Television or live TV.

Paying for Services That You Don’t Use

Some people pay for unused services just because of emotions. For instance, you find your colleague has a gym membership. What follows? You buy yours even though you don’t need it. 67% of Americans have gym memberships but don’t use the service, despite having the average monthly cost of $58 gym membership. Therefore, avoid these subscriptions and memberships to ditch your monthly payment for a good.

Impulse Buying

When you buy impulse, you end up with items you don’t necessitate. Also, these impromptu purchases may be costly. Therefore, it’s decisive to have a list of items before visiting any store for shopping. The list will help you buy what you had planned for, thus saving money.

ATM Fees

Most people visit ATMs without checking their charges. ATMs save time but waste money because they charge large amounts. But you can avoid these fees by finding ATM which does not charge anything, such as; some grocery stores and your bank branch.

Phone Service

Some people still use traditional landlines and cell phones for communication. Using these kinds of phones, you may be paying more for your mobile phone services. Instead of wasting your dollar on such services, prefer using Voice Over Internet Protocol or VoIP plans which use low down cost.

Lottery Tickets

Some people get a fortune in lottery games. A lot of cash is spent on lottery tickets. Americans spent $73.5 billion on traditional lottery tickets and a total of $80 billion on lottery games. That’s much! Winning the game or other big prizes isn’t easy, and that’s why you find the majority blowing a wad and leave feeling like reckless morons. Instead of wasting your money on such games, quit them altogether.

Phantom Electricity Costs

The phantom electricity costs apply when the items in your house connected to the power system are fully charged and not in use at that moment. Wholly charged desktops, laptops, or phones consume a lot of power. Almost $1.9 billion of phantom electricity are used annually to power household items that are not currently in use. To cut the cost, you need to put off the power after your household items charge immediately.

Paper Towels

Paper towels are mostly used to wipe and clean up kitchen spills. The sheets are costly, and what is more, they are not environmentally friendly. You find many people purchasing the towel to keep their home clean despite its cost. Why don’t you find a cheaper option? Buying cotton instead will save a significant amount in your pocket.

Convenience Food

Why do you have to purchase expediency foods if there are plenty of food products from grocery stores? Buying convenience foods, you have to pay a big first-rate, thus consider groceries. The stores offer prepared food products such as chopped vegetables and pre-washed lettuce and no service cost. You can also prefer buying food in its original form and making yourself avoid wasting money.

Buying Brand Name Products

Generic brands could be one of the most medications costing less than other range of products. Therefore, those who use costly drugs prefer common medications since they can be one of the most underused ways to save money.

Private Mortgage Insurance

Private mortgage insurance (PMI) charges extra fees on down payments while purchasing a new home. Also, the insurance has deductibles, which can reduce premiums. Instead of these extra costs for private mortgage insurance, consider saving on that additional cash and put in a savings account to buy your home, among other alternatives.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance charges more, and their cost is usually nonrefundable. Also, they don’t cover every single part of your holiday. However, many credit cards offer travel insurance with insurance coverage and medical evacuation. Comparing the two, choose credit cards’ travel insurance to save tomorrow.

Conclusion

From the above spending tips, you should be vigilant with your plans. The little cash you have today can shift you a long mileage tomorrow. Stop wasting and move on!

MEET THE AUTHOR

ElitePersonalFinance

Recommended Articles

AS SEEN ON