Coffee Runs, Gym Memberships and Other Ways You Waste Money Daily

At the start of the fall season, leaves are turning bright hues of orange, red and yellow. With all of these beautiful changes, perhaps you’re thinking of turning over a new leaf yourself. After all, we’re about to enter the holiday season, where careful spending, eating and drinking habits sometimes go by the wayside until we reach the New Year.

This year, why not try ending the year on a high note, even if in just one of those areas. It may be easier than you think. To prove that, we’ve found 10 ways you may be wasting your hard-earned money every day:

1. Choosing Brand Name Anything

When you go to the store, do you routinely grab brand-name products, just because they’re the brand-name products? Do your finances a favor and read a few labels. Store-branded items often carry the exact ingredients of more well-known brands; they just cost less. Next time you head to Target, Walmart or your other favorite retailer, give their brands a try.

2. Buying Groceries When Hungry or More than Once a Week

You may not realize just how much your empty stomach may affect your grocery bill. Hungry shoppers tend to take a little more time perusing the aisles and grabbing a few extra foods that just look too good to resist. Here’s another grocery store challenge for the fiscally-minded. Limit your grocery store trips to just once a week. You’re certainly less inclined to spend if you only allow yourself one trip per week!

3. Frequenting Coffee Shops, Lunches Out, Etc.

Listen; we love a Salted Caramel Mocha just as much as everyone else. But, buying one every morning adds up… and, fast. So does your favorite burrito, burger or beer. That’s right; daily coffee runs, lunches out and happy hours are a major source of waste when it comes to trying to save money. Exercise some restraint and just say “no” to these trips at least every once in a while.

4. Paying Full Price for Clothes

It may be that shopping is a major source of wasting money in general and that certainly can translate to your wardrobe. How can you be more careful when you’re clothes shopping? Vow to never pay full price. Everything, yes even that new top or those just-released pair of shoes, will go on sale at some point. Make a game of watching the sales and you may also see a little more money in your bank account!

5. Using Express Shipping

Oh, so online shopping is more your thing? Stop paying extra fees to ship your buys to you faster. If you absolutely need your items in two days, invest in a yearly Amazon Prime membership. But, please, stop paying to express ship everything you order! Many online retailers are happy to provide free shipping. Trust us; you CAN wait a week for that sweater. It’s not even cold out, yet!

6. Not Carrying Cash

How easy is it to swipe or tap your credit and debit cards for speedy checkout? Many of us rarely even carry cash anymore! As easy as it is pay with a card, it is that much harder to track your spending. Give yourself a certain cash allotment on a weekly basis and make yourself watch where every single dollar bill goes. You may be much less inclined to spend where you typically do. (See numbers 1-4.)

7. Paying ATM Fees

When you are withdrawing cash for your weekly allotment, make sure to use your own bank’s ATM machine. Otherwise, you’re probably paying a few extra dollars up front. Why just give your hard-earned money to a bank, simply to push a few buttons?! Save yourself the fees and stay loyal to your own bank’s ATM.

8. Subscribing to Cable

Have you ever taken a close look at your cable package? How many of the umpteen channels that you pay for do you actually watch? If you’re able to part ways with your expensive cable package in lieu of streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, you may see great savings on a monthly basis!

9. Carrying a Gym Membership

Ugh… speaking of things you never use, are you paying a monthly fee to belong to a gym that you had good intentions of using, but rarely – if ever – do? Save that fee and get your exercise elsewhere! There simply is no sense in paying for something you’re not using.

10. Not Taking Care of Your Car

Routine automobile maintenance is always recommended, but you can be doing a few of your own wellness checks for your car, too. If your tires are low, you could be getting poor gas mileage. Read the manual and routinely check to make sure your tires are at the right levels. Also, stop paying for premium gas if your vehicle doesn’t require it. It may seem like only a few cents more, but it does add up and if your car doesn’t need it, it won’t help anyways.

Go ahead; set some bright financial goals for the future. A house; a car; a dream vacation. But, don’t wait until January 1 to resolve to work toward those goals. Cut out some of your everyday wasteful ways today!

This post is sponsored by PA Preferred Mortgage:

Pennsylvania Preferred Mortgage is a full service mortgage banker and is a member of the Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC family. Specializing in residential and refinance loans, Pennsylvania Preferred Mortgage offers a wide range of mortgage products, including fixed and adjustable rate mortgages, jumbo loans, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, and renovation financing. Learn more at www.papreferredmortgage.com