10 Stupid Ways You're Wasting Money (And How to Stop)
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Buying Everything New
There’s a reason the expression “good as new” exists — the fresh-out-of-the-box feeling is nice, but it comes at quite the premium. You don’t always need it.
Impulsive Grocery Shopping
How often are you throwing food out? Shop smarter by planning for leftovers and future meals. And we shouldn’t have to tell you to show up with a list.
Hitting the Coffee Shop
Coffee at home can often average out to less than a quarter per cup. Doesn’t that sound better than a $6 cold brew?
Luxury Conveniences
Convenience is key, but these days we have a tendency to go overboard. It’s usually worth it to just pick up the ramen or drop off the dry cleaning yourself, rather than dealing with the delivery fee for a courier.
Missing Tax Deductions
Services like TurboTax can be easy and affordable at first, but they’re probably not going to do as good a job as a personal accountant. In general, a good one will get you a whole lot more money back in tax deductions than you’d ever spend on their services.
Ignoring Energy and Water Usage
Simple things like checking lights, unplugging unused cables, and managing your running water more efficiently can add up.
Too Many Subscriptions
How many unused gym memberships do you have? Are you paying for Doordash and Uber Eats? Are you subscribed to a publication from a city you longer live in? Tools like make it especially easy to check these things.
Unneeded Insurance
Health insurance is probably pretty important though. Don’t tell people that Cheapism told you to ditch your health insurance.
Don’t Skip Generics or Dupes
I love Cocoa Puffs as much as the next fella, but I’d be lying if I said that I’ve never eaten generic versions that were just as good.
Credit Card Interest
Sure that minimum looks warm and cuddly, but your interest shoots up when you only pay the minimum, and might end up costing you hundreds a year. Pay as much as you can each month to save money in the long run.