4 Habits that Cost You – And How to Cut the Costs!
This morning, I woke up and realized that I really needed some caffeine. I’m not a huge coffee drinker, but I do have a bit of an addiction to the Starbucks Frappucinos. Vanilla is my favorite flavor. I ran to the store and grabbed two of them for $5.
Wow. That’s pretty pricey, considering I could have just gotten a bottle of soda for my caffeine need for much, much cheaper. A lot of us have these habits that we do, whether it’s enjoying Starbucks or overusing credit, that hurt our finances. Today, we’re going to look at 5 of those habits and see some ways that we can stop spending so much on them.
1. Starbucks. Starbucks is a guilty pleasure of several of my friends. Some people spend thousands of dollars a year on their tasty specialty coffees and coffee drinks.
Tips for Saving:
- Consider a local coffee shop instead. Their prices are cheaper and sometimes, their drinks are better too!
- Learn to make your favorite drink yourself. It may not taste exactly the same, but hey, it helps, right?
- Try to steer clear from caffeine for a bit. A caffeine addiction can harm your productivity in the long run. Maybe it’s time to lay off a bit?
2. Impulse shopping. We all do it. We go to the store and see that one thing that we’ve wanted forever and “oh my gosh, it’s on sale!” But, doing this too often can hurt our budgets.
Tips for Saving:
- Always take a list. Always, always, always know what you’re going for. Even if you’re just grocery shopping, have a list so that you don’t come home with ten more things than you intended to.
- Go shopping with someone else. This can help keep you accountable for your spending.
- Set a budget for your trip. If you’re shopping for fun, give yourself a dollar figure to stay within. Have that amount in cash and leave the cards at home if that will help you.
3. Eating out instead of cooking. I do this way too often. I live alone, so I don’t feel like cooking. Some people are too busy to find time to cook. No matter what your reason,
Tips for Saving:
- Make your meals on Sunday. Or sometime over the weekend. Freeze them into servings, heat and eat when you don’t have time to make a full meal.
- Take turns with family members. Taking turns doing meals helps alleviate the pressure of cooking on just one person.
- Have quick meals on hand. Lunch meat, easy preparation meals, and salads are all nice quick things that take very little time to make.
4. Going to the same place to shop, all of the time. Some of us have loyalty to certain stores that we always shop at. I do it too. But you may not be getting the best value for your buck by going to the same places.
Tips for Saving:
- Get fliers from other stores. If you go to the same place for grocery shopping every week, why not sign up for other grocery clubs and get their fliers?
- Shop around online. If you’re looking to buy something, check for it online first. You may be able to get that $20 book for $5, or the $50 cord for $10. Compare and contrast prices and look for sales.
Overall, the name of the game is changing your spending habits. Put a little effort into it instead of settling for what you always do and you can save big bucks. And that’s the name of the game here on Money Thinking. Until next time, spend smart, save smart!
