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Adding Pennies is about putting money back in your pocket.
You do that in two ways: make extra money or cut expenses.
Of course, you want to do both.
We love showing you how to make $50-$100 a month with Swagbucks and helping you get cash back from a portal like Rakuten.
Don’t underestimate cutting your expenses too though.
I have seen people reduce their expenses so much that they were able to work less.
When I first got into saving money, I was astonished by how much money I could put back in my pocket by cutting wasteful activities that I did not miss.
The truth is in the hectic paced world we live in, most things are bought just for convenience.
When I think about how much money I spent years ago on things like buying snacks at convenience stores (before I got into health and fitness) or buying lunch everyday, it is amazing.
This stuff adds up to hundreds a month.
Could you use an extra $100 or so?
Of course, you could.
That could be an extra $1200 or more a year toward your savings or other big financial goals.
My mom’s co-workers spend $20/day eating lunch out.
That is an extra $400/month.
When you combine multiple things on this list, it could easily add up to $200-$500 per month in extra money.
Here is a list of common wasteful things you can cut to end up with some serious extra money in your pocket.
Remember to pick the items to cut that work for you.
Personal finance is not about misery.
It is about doing the things you really want.
25 Items That Most People Waste Money On That Could Be Easily Cut
1. ATM Fees
ATM fees are something no one should pay.
Either choose a bank with lots of branches or make other arrangements.
Most large banks and credit unions have many locations.
It has been years since I have paid an ATM fee.
RELATED: How I Stopped Paying ATM Fees And Never Looked Back
2. Overdraft fees
Overdraft fees range from $25 to $35.
Just three of those could equal $100.
Turn off overdraft protection, so if something bounces, it just does.
Do whatever you have to not pay these fees.
3, Late fees
Late fees not only cost money, they also lower your credit score.
Set up automatic payments.
Like the last one, do whatever you have to do to avoid this fee.
4. Cell phone data
A lot of people have more cell phone data than they need.
This will cast you.
There are so many places you can get free wifi that you should not need a lot of data for basic things that don’t require privacy.
5. Coffee
This has probably been said enough, but $5 a day for a latte on your way to work adds up.
That is $25 a week or $100 a month. .
If you have to have a latte, limit it to a couple times here and there and brew your own coffee at home.
6. Sugary beverages
Sugar is bad for your health and your waistline.
Learn to drink just plain H2O.
I used to buy “healthier” soda made with Stevia a long time ago.
When I realized how much it was costing me, I became a water drinker.
Now, I am used to only water.
7. Junk food
Junk food, like candy, is bad for your health and expensive.
Instead of sweets, go for mother nature’s candy: fruit.
After you are used to eating more fruit, you will find you crave less sweets.
Sweets are not the only junk food.
Processed packaged snacks are bad too.
Anything in a box or bag will cost you.
Use MyPlate to eat healthier snacks.
Not only will you save money, but you will have better health too.
8. Convenience store snacks
Convenience store, like gas stations and drugstore snacks, cost.
You know you are paying more for the convenience.
Have a plan for snacks again.
9. Vending machines
Along with the last one, you pay for convenience.
Hitting a vending machine at work a couple times a day can add up.
Most people are not buying healthy items either at the vending machine.
Pack a healthy snack like fruit or yogurt.
I even make my own trail mix.
My trail mix with only three ingredients is definitely healthier than most of the ones at the store.
10. Magazines
Magazines at the store are not cheap.
I did know how much they cost because I have not bought a magazine in a store in a decade.
Boy was I shocked.
An issue of Vogue was $9.99.
That is half the price of a year subscription.
Vogue, in general, costs more than most magazines.
Get a subscription to your favorite magazines.
Don’t pay too much for subscriptions either.
Swagbuck’s has deals where you can pay $2 or even get them free.
I don’t like to pay more than $5 for a magazine subscription.
You can usually get most magazines subscriptions for that price.
You can also read at the library for free.
11. Name brand products
Whether groceries or over the counter medicine, generic products often have the same ingredients.
One of my other businesses is a health and wellness business.
I don’t buy big food brands because they are usually unhealthy with questionable ingredients.
I buy generic brands from natural food stores like Whole Food’s 365 brand.
We don’t have a Trader Joes where I live, but I hear they are even cheaper.
Generic foods from these natural food stores can still be cheaper than big brand names without questionable ingredients.
I recently started buying generic over the counter medicine.
It has saved me a bundle.
12. Airline fees
A checked bag fee is something no one should pay.
I personally travel carry on only.
If you check bags, you should have an airline credit card to your preferred airline.
13. Lottery Tickets
The chances of winning the lottery are pretty slim.
Put that money in a high interest savings account or invest it.
14. Tobacco
Smoking will kill you.
Find a way to stop and save money.
I don’t say this to be judgmental.
I have lost family members to lung cancer.
You can do it.
It is like any habit.
My grandmother recently quit.
No one thought she would ever stop.
She got diagnosed with kidney disease and wanted to live.
15. Credit Card Interest
Credit card companies are stealing money from you if you pay interest.
Switch to a 0 percent credit card until you can pay off the debt.
Ask your credit card company to lower the interest.
Many will do it.
16. Foreign Transaction Fees
I took a trip to Canada a couple years ago.
I made sure to research credit card transaction fees.
There are too many credit cards that charge no foreign transaction fees to pay a fee.
17. Food Delivery
Delivery is not cheap.
I was almost ashamed to say I had never ordered food delivery.
Most people use food delivery.
I did it once to be knowledgeable for the blog.
My $8 Chipotle order that I order every now and then went from $8 to $16 after tips.
That was a lot.
Just pick the order up at the store instead.
18. Dining out
Like delivery and eating lunch out, dining out will cost you.
If you paid $10 for dinner every day, that would be $70 a week or $280 a month.
Sound like a lot?
That is what the average person spends eating out each month.
Nothing wrong with a restaurant here and there, but limit it.
Dining out is one of the biggest money drains out there.
Learn to cook more meals at home and save money.
You can still enjoy your favorite restaurants here and there again.
I am Foodie.
If you cut the average person’s dining out spending at $300 a month in half, you would have an extra $150 a month.
If you usually spend $300 a month, you would still have $150 a left to eat out.
19. Books
I had a problem with this in the past.
One day I ran out of room for books I never read.
You can get free books, kindle, audio, or other, at the library.
You can also save yourself a lot of clutter.
Trust me, I know this one.
20. Gym Memberships
If you have a gym membership that you never use, it is time to get rid of it.
21. Lunch out
The average lunch will cost $5-$10 a day.
That is $25-$50 a week or $100-$200 a month.
If you enjoy lunch out, you can limit it like dining out.
Lunch was something I cut years ago.
It was amazing how much it used to cost me.
I spent less than others too at my cafeteria.
I learned to cook things like Chinese baked chicken at home from YouTube.
It is not hard to improve your cooking skills.
Grocery stores have a frozen section if cooking is still a challenge.
With frozen staples like chicken breasts, vegetables, quinoa and cauliflower rice, you have a meal.
22. Pre-packed foods like fruit
To cut fruits and vegetables, you just need a knife.
Buying fruits, vegetables, etc. in a package is always money.
Take some time of the weekend to cut up fruits and vegetables to always have some on hand.
Cook a big pot of brown rice too.
23. Full priced clothing
Clothing is an item you should never pay full price for.
Even if you don’t like thrift stores, there are always sales.
Louis Vuitton even has sales.
I am more of a mid-range kind of girl myself, but if luxury is your thing, they even have sales on that again.
There are also my favorites: T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross.
24. Online shipping
No one should pay online shipping costs.
If you order is not enough to avoid the fee, just pick it up in the store.
I order online and pick up in store just for online shopping portal money.
25. Dry cleaning
Too many clothes can be washed and dried.
Make sure to pay attention to this when you buy clothes.
Summary
There are lots of things we all waste money on.
This could be money toward a bigger emergency fund, money to pay off debt, or other bigger financials goals.
It may look like giving up your latte that only costs $5 is small.
These small things when combined add up to thousands a year.
If you must have your latte, nothing wrong with that.
Again, personal finance is not about misery, it is about getting to do the things that really matter to you.
See if any of these items are things that you currently waste money on.
Cutting just a few will probably put a couple hundreds back in your pocket at the end of the month.
If you want to go a step further, track your expenses for a month.
Notice the purchases that add up that are costing you that are not important to you.