It’s official: people waste money. Whether we know it or not, there is always something most people waste money on. Food, wants that we view as needs, and other small items manage to cut a whole in our wallets. Those small things can add up fast. In our Facebook group, we often discuss things we waste money on, and give one another solutions to save on these items. This small list are the top 20 things we’ve agreed most people waste money on, including ourselves.
- Eating Fast Food
- Eating at Restaurants
- Cable TV
- Electronics
- Groceries
- Online shopping (sorry, Amazon)
- Late fees
- Bank fees
- Coffee
- Clothes
- Kids clothes
- Makeup
- Monthly subscriptions
- Cigarettes
- Date nights
- Adult beverages (blame it on the…)
- Gym memberships
- Bottled water
- Entertainment
- Trips to the salon
Most of these cut me right to the core, because we used to waste money on them (or still do). The best part is there are solutions to cutting down or eliminating most of these, and start saving immediately.
Want to save on electronics? Here are 5 ways to keep your technology frugal.
Are you looking to lower your grocery bill? Our family has a $64 a week grocery budget, and we explain why that number is so important to our budget (and how we accomplish this weekly).
If you’re a clothing junkie like me, you might be swimming in items you’ve never worn, or are willing to let go. If you’re a parent, your kids might also be swimming in a ton of clothes can’t can wear anymore. Here are 7 places to sell kids clothes. Some of these places also purchase adult clothing, too!
Clothes may not be a big deal for you, but you’d love to shop a little more responsibly. We have a some awesome articles that share how to thrift: How To Thrift on Instagram, How To Thrift For Back To School, and How To Thrift For Kids (and you).
Going to have some fun answering this. Thanks for a good read.
1-2. It is nice to get out once in a while, but these do add up, so need to budget and maintain control.
3. We cut the cord, but cable co. runs the wifi networks, not cheaply might I add.
4. Always wait for a sale.
5. Keep the processed and boxed stuff to a bare minimum
6. Sorry Amazon, I agree. They don’t always have the cheapest prices. Shop around. I like e-bay.
7-8 Never pay this. Too many options, use a credit union or an ATM on your network.
9. Refill Keurig reusable pods.
10-11. Second hand, Dirt Cheap, clearance racks, garage/yard sales and Goodwill.
12. Yes very expensive. Not for me, but for DW.
13. Go to library to read mags or books. Netflix and Hulu refer to #3.
14. Yuk
15. Second hand movie during matinee and cheap dinner
16. Occasionally and moderately.
17. Free on base military.
18. On sale only.
19. Budget and plan for this carefully
20. Not for me. Wife does this only when needed, not every week.
Eating Fast Food–don’t eat this but once a month, maybe
Eating at Restaurants–only if I have a date
Cable TV–haven’t had this in more than a decade
Electronics–it took me 5.5 years to upgrade my laptop; and ten years to upgrade my television (from 19″ flat screen to 32″ flat panel lol)
Groceries–I eat everything that I buy, nothing goes to waste, and I buy only necessities (it helps that I shop for a household of only one 🙂 )
Online shopping (sorry, Amazon)–this I’m guilty of because the store that I work in doesn’t carry my size in stock
Late fees–nope, not in 20 years or so
Bank fees–nope, not in more than a decade
Coffee–mmmm, coffee
Clothes–yep, love me my WHBM wardrobe
Kids clothes–definitely not
Makeup–once or twice a year
Monthly subscriptions–yep
Cigarettes–big definite NO
Date nights–what are these?
Adult beverages (blame it on the…)–love me some Not Your Father’s Vanilla Cream Ale
Gym memberships–it’s not a waste if it motivates me to get my butt off the couch
Bottled water–I drink from the tap
Entertainment–books, books, and more books
Trips to the salon–my rainbow colors are professionally done
It’s not a waste if you truly budget for them and garner enjoyment from those line items.