These purchases can drain your budget—steer clear of them when funds are low.
New Books & Magazines – Instead of buying new, buy used books/magazines at thrift stores or visit your local library. If you have a Kindle, they offer free books and magazines as well.
Overdrive or Libby also give you ebooks and audiobooks free.
Try book swaps with friends.
With the internet at our fingertips, staying updated on news and drama is usually free and effortless.
Music & Movies – You don’t have to shell out to stay entertained—plenty of shows and songs are just a click away.
PlutoTV is free. The catch? You’ll watch a few ads, but the content’s totally free.
YouTube also has a large selection of free movies you can stream on their website.
Listen to music for free on the radio or apps/websites like Spotify.
Bottled Water – Billions of dollars are made every year from selling water. Buy you a nice tumbler and use tap water to save some of those dollars.
Monthly Subscriptions – Do you need all of them? When you add them up, you might be surprised at how much you are paying a month.
Hair Color at the Salon – Do it yourself instead!
Manicures/Pedicures – See above.
Eating Out – It’s cheaper to cook at home … and you have leftovers for work the next day or we always save our leftovers for Thursday nights. It’s whatever you can find in the fridge night on Thursday.
Snacks and Prepackaged Foods – Choosing fresh over packaged is a small shift with big benefits.
No Extras at the Grocery Store – Make a list … stick to it.
Coffee Shops – Ditch the designer lattes and brew brilliance at home.
Car Washes – Save money and suds—everything you need to wash your car is already at home.
Needless Car Use (Gas) – Do all of your errands in one trip.
What suggestions do you have?
