Every day, people are buying unnecessary things, wasting their income, and wondering why they can’t pay their bills. Sure, there are a lot of things you need, these are five things you don’t need but you’re probably wasting money on anyway.
Low-Fat, Foods
America is obsessed with these pseudo-health products that, if you look at the ingredients, are more likely to cause you cancer at the expense of 10-50 calories. Not only that, but this beautiful little buzzword can rack up prices far beyond the normal product’s price. Instead of spending an extra $0.50 or $1 on low-fat, just jog around for a minute and burn the 10-50 calories you would have saved.
Taking Your Car to The Dealer
Everyone expects the car dealer to know more about your car than any other repair shop. Maybe that’s true, maybe it’s not, but one thing is for certain. The dealership knows you think this, and they are going to raise their prices because of this reputation. If your car is under warranty, or the dealership really is the only one who can fix the car (which is so rare!), then take it to the dealership. But if you just need a regular repair, take it to the no-name repair shop. He’ll be happy with the work, and you’ll be happy with the lower price.
Bottled Water and Cups of Coffee
Both of these are so similar that they had to be put together. When you buy bottled water, 90% of the price is from plastic; that means your $1 bottled water should really cost $0.10. Next time you want water, get a reusable bottle, canteen, or something else to hold the water and get it from the tap.
Coffee is the same thing. A cup of coffee that costs about $1 to $3, or more if you go to a popular chain or order some concoction that takes a full minute to say, would cost about $0.20 to $0.30 at home. Get a thermos, fill it up, and laugh at everyone else spending away from their entire check on these expensive little cups.
Precut Fruits and Vegetables
When you go to the food store, you are inevitably going to see the precut fruits and vegetables. Sure, they look better, and some of the processing work is done for you, but how much work would it have been to bite into a strawberry or cut open a melon? According to the store, it’s so much that they can charge 33% to 50% more than the laymen’s full fruits and vegetables. Just bring home the non-cut version next time, do the work, and save yourself some cash.
ATM Fees
When you would rather visit a closer ATM that isn’t connected to your bank, you have to spend $3.43 on average. Maybe that doesn’t seem like much, but multiply that by 52, and you are spending over $175 a year. Just go to the bank and keep some cash in your pocket.
Conclusion
Avoid these costs and you will have more money and be less likely to need short-term credit or cashflow issues. Most of the items on this list seem a little more convenient, but when you compare your savings versus how much time it takes to cut your own veggies or make your own coffee, you will be sure to find that these convenience items just aren’t worth it. Just look at your life, and see what other things you are spending too much money on.
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