Subconscious Ways You Are Wasting Money
Subconscious Ways You Are Wasting Money
There are subconscious things that we do on a daily basis that could be wasting energy, resources, and money. Listed below are a few ways that you could be saving money.
Utilize the Unsubscribe Feature
We have all subscribed to retail email notifications at one point in time to be notified of sales. This only serves as a temptation that you do not need lingering in your inbox. You have enough clothes and if you are looking to add a specific item to your clothing collection, I am sure that marketing email you received does not have said item on sale. If they did, that would be a lucky coincidence. Do yourself a favor and unsubscribe.
Order Groceries Online
I am not talking about grocery delivery (unless you live in the middle of nowhere or you’re immobile) but grocery pickup. Many stores offer free grocery pickup over a certain minimum and this is not only the convenient but more frugal alternative to grocery delivery which usually requires a membership and/or subscription. With food delivery services such as HelloFresh, you are usually limited to certain meals whereas if you do grocery pickup you can pick what you want online and just park in a designated parking spot and have a store associate load your vehicle. This saves time shopping and standing in line. This can also be a good way to curb a food addiction since you are not passing through aisles of tempting food that you know you don’t need. Walmart pickup is one example. Ordering grocery pickup also helps you stick to your grocery list and budget since you can mostly only see what you specifically search for.
You can get $10 off your first order using my referral link and there are many promotional codes found online for additional orders that can help cut costs.
Buy Your Own Router
Many people rent a router from their ISP for a certain amount each month and this is a total waste of money. You can buy a decent router for under $100 and it will pay itself off in under a year depending on how much you spend renting a router. Do your own research to make sure it is compatible with your ISP but this should not be difficult. Do not let your ISP try to sell you into buying theirs just to make a profit.
Printer Ink Subscription
If you own an HP printer HP Instant Ink is a subscription service that helps you save money on ink. I recommend this service for people who do not print much. The plan includes black and tri-color ink. The first 15 pages are $0.99 and you can adjust your plan to fit your printing needs. This saves time going to the store to buy ink and it is typically cheaper than buying original HP ink in stores. Delivery and recycling are included in the plan and any unused pages rollover. You have the option to cancel or modify your plan if needed.
I did not know about this plan until a few months ago. I have the grandfather plan that offered the first 15 pages free but this has since ended for new customers. I do not print much so this saves me money since I never have to buy ink. I bought my HP OfficeJet 3830 printer for $20 through OfferUp a while ago and it has been working wonderfully.
Buy Used Items First
If you are one of those people who do not mind buying certain items (emphasis on certain) used, then I greatly encourage you to do so. I do not recommend buying used porous or upholstered items such as couches or mattresses since bed bugs are a thing. I do advise buying used items that are non-porous such as coffee tables, wall décor, and electronics (if you know how to test them first). Exhaust your options before buying something new when you can get it for free or half the retail price.
There are many platforms available such as Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. If you are looking for an online clothing platform a good place is Poshmark (I have only bought handbags from here). You can negotiate the price of items and shipping with sellers and also sell your unused clothing items. Regardless of what you buy, I would advice sanitizing everything before using it.
The Best Free Gym Membership
I’ve had multiple gym memberships over the past few years and I went for a few months in the beginning but eventually stopped whether it was because of [insert excuse here] or due to it not being convenient for my schedule (aka bad time management). I began exercising indoors with YouTube videos and outdoors (during the warmer months) whether it was going for a walk, a run, or playing an outdoor sport such as tennis. Getting outside also provides many mental health benefits and I am an advocate for mental health awareness. Simply being outdoors where there is sunshine, fresh air, scenery and literally everything else in nature produces more serotonin and endorphins than walking on a treadmill.
If you have the space, you can buy exercise equipment and make your own at home gym which in the long run would be cheaper than a gym membership.
If having a gym membership is important to you, there are good options that cost $10 a month or you can get an annual contract that equates to an even larger discount. Some medical plans and employers may also provide you with free access to a gym or a membership that is heavily discounted – even for the more expensive gyms. For example, some companies partner with Active&Fit that provide you with access to multiple local gyms all for the same price which could be a flat fee of $25 a month. You can basically switch between gyms for that same monthly fee. There are also premium gym options that are a bit more but it depends on what gym amenities are important to you.
I realized that if something was not convenient for me that I would just not do it. After work, it is more convenient for me to walk outside or go play outdoor tennis (which happens to be in walking distance to where I live) which I would enjoy more than driving to a gym, cleaning equipment, and being in a rut with limited machines to use.
In the wise words from a very good book by James Clear (Atomic Habits) “the secret is to always stay below the point where it feels like work”. There is another quote that reads “why do I say something is important but never make time for it? Every goal is doomed to fail if it goes against the grain of human nature. How can I make it easy? How can I make it satisfying?” These are good questions to ask when trying to make a lifestyle change. Do what’s good for you.
Take Advantage Of Your Edu Email
If you still have an active college email, you can get reduced pricing on streaming services. One service is the Spotify + Hulu + Showtime bundle. You can get access to all three with it billed under Spotify for $4.99 a month which would be way cheaper then paying individually for all three services and much cheaper than cable.
If Comcast is your ISP, you can request an Xfinity Flex 4K streaming box as part of your plan at no additional cost if buying an Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV is out of your budget. Individual streaming subscriptions are not included. Xfinity Stream is an app for Xfinity customers that can be used. Xfinity stream has free TV shows and movie options that change on a weekly basis. Xumo is another app that offers free on demand shows.
Cheap Online Learning Resources
Aside from YouTube providing some free learning videos, other websites are Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Cloud Guru, Code Academy, and Cybrary (depending on what you are trying to learn). Udemy regularly has promotions going on where you can get courses for around $12. Other websites you can get them at a discount through your employer if they offer that as a benefit.
DIY Self-Care
Rather than go to the spa for a facial, you can have our own spa day. A few of my sensitive skin favorites are using clay masks as well as face and body exfoliators.
Save the Environment, Ditch Bottled Water
If you live in a location that requires you to buy bottled water due to poor water quality then that is understandable. If you have the option, using a water filter will save money on buying water in the long run as well as not needing to carry up heavy cases of water (if you live in an apartment). Buy a water filter and a tumbler to save money on water.
Speaking of plastic, if you are a heavy consumer you can also buy reusable sandwich bags which end up saving money on buying disposable sandwich bags and helps the environment since they last for many years.
Protect Your Mattress
Depending on where you buy your mattress, some places will include a warranty that can protect against manufacturing defects as well as use. I advise regularly rotating and/or flipping your mattress as well as using a mattress protector to keep it clean. If you are investing in a mattress, protect your investment since it contributes to your comfort and should last you a few years.
Frugal Home Improvement
If your energy is provided through ComEd, they offer deals through their marketplace such as water saving products and smart thermostats which can reduce the amount of your energy bill since this can be set on a schedule. It can also be cheaper purchasing smart thermostats through your energy provider. I bought a Google Nest 2020 for $1 after an instant rebate (it cost a total of $9 with taxes and delivery) which was a lot cheaper then it would cost to purchase elsewhere or if it were not on sale. Did I mention that it’s shaped like a tea cup with the wall plate? Home improvement does not need to be expensive.
Coffee Subscription
For those who cannot survive without their morning coffee before work I have the perfect solution for you. Buying coffee can get expensive. Panera Bread has a coffee/tea subscription for about $9 a month which equates to about 30 cents a day for a month supply. This is a cheaper alternative to Starbucks. An even better option would be to buy a coffee maker and make your beverage of choice at home.
Phone Contracts
AT&T offers a $25 prepaid plan that includes 8 GB of data. If you are not a heavy consumer of data and utilize wifi when possible, this should be sufficient. The con is that you have to pay for a year in full but it ends up being cheaper than many contract plans. You can check out the wireless coverage map to verify if there is sufficient coverage near you. Other options are Mint Mobile and XFinty Mobile (for Comcast customers) but the service quality depends on your location.
Annual Fee Credit Cards
It is a waste of money for most people to have a credit card with an annual fee. Unless you travel a lot or unless the annual fee is compensated for in other ways, ditch it. You’re not traveling that much during a pandemic unless your job requires it. There are many great alternative credit cards (even travel ones) without a fee that offer similar benefits.
These are a list of some things I have utilized in my personal life (along with products that I own) to save money and I figured it would help you too!
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