Top 10 Money - wasters Beware !!!

Kiplinger’s had an article about 10 things we overpay for - I think it should instead be titled “10 things we waste our money on!” We all have them, even the most frugal of the bunch has something they spend money on that maybe they feel slightly guilty about. While some things are worth paying more for, some are just money-wasters that happen to be more convenient at the moment.

Here are their 10 money-wasters…

Afternoon snacks. Protein bars, etc… At $2 or more a pop, this just isn’t a cheap snack. Eat an apple instead and you get to keep the doctor away as well…

 

Bottled water. Rather than spend $2 a day for water, buy a pitcher and a filter for about $20 and drink as much as you want for pennies a glass.

 

A caffeine fix. Stopping at Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts can set you back as much as $1.65 per cup. Splurge on a pound of gourmet coffee for $8 to $13 and you can make 40 cups for about 20 cents to 33 cents each.

 

Favorite music. Instead of paying up to $18 for the CD, download the individual songs from iTunes or Amazon.com for under a buck each.

 

A night at the movies. A night at the theater can be $20-$30. Borrow for free from the library, Redbox, or Netflix are much cheaper options.

 

Fresh-cut flowers. If you are going to get them, get them from the grocery store rather than the florist - or better yet, grow them yourself!

 

Fruits and veggies. Sure, precut vegetables and salad mixes that are washed and bagged save a little time. But unprocessed fruits and veggies are cheaper and better for you too!

 

Credit-card fees. Credit Card fees can be as much as $39 each time. Set up a bill payment schedule to avoid any more fees, and why not negotiate a better interest rate while you are at it….

 

ATM fees. If you are charged the average out-of-network ATM fee each week it adds up to over $180 a year. A better alternative: Get cash back at the grocery store.

 

Fax and mail services. Instead of paying FedEx $1.49 to fax one page, sign up to send free faxes from a provider such as FaxZero.com. Also, use the US Postal service to save money shipping!

 

 For me, my guilty pleasure is going out to eat. Not McDonalds, but nicer meals with my wife. Thankfully I have learned to save money eating out over the last few years. What about you? Do you have any money-wasters that you have or haven’t get gotten control of?