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6 Traps to Avoid That Will Save You Time but Not Money

In the fast paced world we live in today, convenience is king. That being said, convenience often comes at a cost. When attempting to stay within a budget, there are some instances when taking a short cut is not worth the extra expense. Letق€™s take a look at six traps that will save you time, but will cost you money.

1. آ Not Going to the Doctor or Dentist

When you have a tight schedule, you may be prone to skipping a check-up at your doctor and dentist. In fact, you may even think this is saving you money. However, not getting regular check-ups and cleanings can leave you with a massive bill later down the road, as any health issues that could have been caught earlier may progress to more severe problems. Itق€™s better to deal with the co-pay now instead of having to pay for surgery later on. Doing so may even save your life.

2. آ Not Getting Scheduled Car Maintenances

Similar to avoiding the doctor, not taking your car in for regular maintenance may save you time in the short-term, but could cost you dearly in the long run. Many people think that only doing the bare minimum of changing their oil will save them both time and money. Nonetheless, that more than likely will lead to expensive car issues like needing to change the tires out because you didnق€™t take the time to rotate them or taking your car in for a major repair because you ignored your ticking dashboard. As far as cars go, taking the time to care for it properly will go a long way in saving you money.

3. آ Buying Food in Bulkآ

Itق€™s hard to pass up a good bargain, especially when it means you donق€™t have to go back to the grocery store to buy the product again for a while. For instance, if you see apples on sale for less than half of what they usually go for, you may be tempted to buy them. However, if your family isnق€™t going to eat the whole bag you bought then youق€™ll be wasting money on the purchase. Itق€™s incredibly easy to buy bargain items that you never end up using. Before you buy anything in bulk, consider doing so carefully if it’s perishable. You wonق€™t save any money if you end up tossing it in the trash.

4. آ Purchasing Prepackaged Meals

With a busy day, you may feel you donق€™t have the time to prepare a proper meal and so resort to a prepackaged one. However, before you do so consider the fact that many of these meals contain both preservatives and as high as 57% of your daily recommended sodium intake. Although these meals are both cheap and save you time, in the long run, they may send you to the doctors with such health issues as diabetes, clogged arteries, and obesity, none of which are cheap to deal with.

5. آ Buying Convenience Items

There are situations in which buying something out of convenience does result in a better quality service or good, but this is often not the case. For example, many would agree that getting a coffee at Starbucks is not any better than making a cup of coffee at home. However, what Starbucks does offer is convenience, as well as a certain amount of social status. Before you purchase something out of convenience, consider the extra cost that comes along with it. If you could just as easily make the item at home, then you’re not paying a higher price for quality, but for convenience.

6. آ Driving in Places with Public Transportation

Many parts of the US do not have an extensive public transportation system. However, if you live in a city with an exemplary system, then driving everywhere will cost you a substantial amount of money that you could otherwise save by taking public transit. In fact, one study found that you could save as much as $9,000 a year by taking the bus or metro instead of driving your car everywhere. Though, public transportation does tend to take more time, which is why many people forgo it, if you want to save a huge chunk of money then public transportation is the way to go.