Money for Any Reason You May Need!

Are Your Daily Habits Emptying Your Wallet?

Many people find that no matter how well they try to budget their money they always spend more than they expected. In order to figure out why you are always going over budget you must look at your daily habits and how they are affecting your wallet. These habits may seem natural and harmless while in reality they are expensive and taking away money that could be saved or put toward bills. Occasional fun is not as detrimental to a budget as your everyday habits.

Shopping

This can include groceries, clothing or other unnecessary items. Some people have a habit of shopping frequently without a set list of what they need. If you are running to the grocery store three or four items each day you can be costing yourself more than if you went shopping once a week or even once every other week. By creating a list of items you need for the week and sticking to it can save you hundred of dollars a month. In addition to making your shopping trip less frequent you can also shop at different stores that have lower costs. Avoid impulse purchases such as clothing and other items by only going to those stores when you need something.

Drinking

An occasional drink will not hurt your wallet, whereas a daily habit of going to the bar or buying a six-pack will definitely cost you. By limiting the purchase and consumption of alcohol you can save money. If you frequently stop at the bar on your way home from work, you are paying a higher price for your drinks than you would if you enjoyed one or two drinks at home. The atmosphere of a bar can encourage you to drink more than you would if you were at home. By limiting the amount of time you spend at bars can save you hundreds of dollars if not more a month.

Smoking

The cost of cigarettes keeps rising causing you to spend more on them than you were just a year ago. Depending on where you live and how much you smoke, you can save up to a hundred dollars a week. Many people look at the cost of quit smoking aids and assume that it is cheaper to keep smoking without realizing that once you have quit and gotten over the withdrawal symptoms, those aids are no longer needed. In addition to saving the money you were spending on cigarettes, you will also save money on medical bills, health insurance and life insurance premiums. These long-term savings can add up quickly.

Eating Out

Some people, especially those who live alone, believe that eating out costs them less than buying groceries and cooking a meal at home. This false belief is because they fail to realize how those costs add up over time. A breakfast out can cost from five to seven dollars, lunch from seven to ten dollars and dinner can cost you up to fifteen dollars depending on where you choose to eat. In addition to the cost of the meals, they are typically not balanced meals. Eating out is the leading cause of health conditions caused by being overweight, which will cost you more in medical bills.

Dating

When you are dating someone, you feel like you need to impress him or her by going out and having fun. Rather than spending forty dollars on a movie at a theater you can rent a movie and make some popcorn for a fraction of the cost. Cooking a meal at home will not only save you money but it will also give you a chance show off your cooking skills. You can still impress the person you are dating without emptying your wallet on a daily basis.