[shadha]

10 little expenses that add up fast
Do you wonder where your money goes, especially if you're not a big spender? It's surprisingly easy to blow thousands, a few dollars at a time.

It's easy to fritter away money on little daily expenses. If you fall into these money traps, learn to avoid them and pocket the savings.

Coffee: According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for a cup of brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year.

Cigarettes: The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,650 a year. Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236.

Alcohol: Drink prices vary based on the location. But assuming an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar. That's not chump change.

Bottled water from convenience stores: A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water costs about $1. One bottle of water per day costs $365 per year. It costs the environment plenty, too.

Manicures: The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.

Car washes: The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.

Weekday lunches out: $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most workdays. If you buy, rather than pack, a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out about $2,340 a year.

Vending-machines snacks: The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year.

Interest charges on credit card bills: According to a survey released at the end of May, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. The average interest rate on a standard card is about 13%. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest. Ouch!

The big lie about credit card debt

Unused gym memberships: Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.

Published Oct. 11, 2007
SOURCE
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Imagine the amount of money you spend every year if you do all of the above.


shadha-

[gmk]

For me, there are a several big money-wasters:

• eating out to restaurants too much (not just lunch, esp. weekends)
• throwing food away b/c I made too much or didn't get around to using up an ingredient
• leaving lights,fans,TV on

[wheelworks]

My car cost me more consuming one month of gas than 4 years worth of bicycle maintenance riding my bike to work.

My other biggest wallet lightener would be getting married. But that's money worth spending so I don't regret it donchaknow

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by shadha

Imagine the amount of money you spend every year if you do all of the above.


shadha-

Alhamdulillah I don't do any of the above

[Timbit]

Well, hopefully Muslims wouldn't drink or pay interest on credit cards anyway.

Nobody gets a manicure every week though. Maybe every two weeks. But I guess if you get a pedicure every time too, it's about the same. It's worth it though, no?

Anyway, there's no reason to be cheap about things.
You have to get a coffee/snack/lunch/bottled water/carwash sometimes.

Money is to spend.

[shadha]

Timbit: Anyway, there's no reason to be cheap about things.
You have to get a coffee/snack/lunch/bottled water/carwash sometime

I guess what they are trying to say is-- with the snack, let's say you buy $1 Famous Amos cookies each day at work. Instead of doing that, you can purchase a box of cookies for $3 and bring a few wrapped cookies with you a day. The box would last a week+.

With the bottled water- bring the bottle home and reuse it or you can bring an insulated water bottle with you to work. So instead of paying $1 a day for water- purchase an insulated water bottle for about $9 and then spend pennies a day refilling it prior to going to work.

90% of the time I drink water and I drink water all day, so I personally love this sucker for work.

Lunch- pack lunch the majority of days.

Car wash- kids are always doing the $5-$10 car washes at schools and gas stations. So instead of paying $58 each time, get a few kiddie car washes then every three or four months go get detailed. Or you can just wash your car yourself and get it detailed every four months.

With coffee, if a person is a coffee drinker, there's really nothing that can be done unless they make it at home and we all know there are huge differences with the taste of that.

Sincerely,
Queen of Cheap



shadha-

[heba]

cigaretted are more like 9$ a pack.

[shadha]

Then you are totally getting bamboozled.


shadha-

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by shadha

Timbit: Anyway, there's no reason to be cheap about things.
You have to get a coffee/snack/lunch/bottled water/carwash sometime

I guess what they are trying to say is-- with the snack, let's say you buy $1 Famous Amos cookies each day at work. Instead of doing that, you can purchase a box of cookies for $3 and bring a few wrapped cookies with you a day. The box would last a week+.

With the bottled water- bring the bottle home and reuse it or you can bring an insulated water bottle with you to work. So instead of paying $1 a day for water- purchase an insulated water bottle for about $9 and then spend pennies a day refilling it prior to going to work.

90% of the time I drink water and I drink water all day, so I personally love this sucker for work.

Lunch- pack lunch the majority of days.

Car wash- kids are always doing the $5-$10 car washes at schools and gas stations. So instead of paying $58 each time, get a few kiddie car washes then every three or four months go get detailed. Or you can just wash your car yourself and get it detailed every four months.

With coffee, if a person is a coffee drinker, there's really nothing that can be done unless they make it at home and we all know there are huge differences with the taste of that.

Sincerely,
Queen of Cheap



shadha-

Queen of Cheap...

Let's see...Work pays for my water and I get free coffee from the work cafeteria...I skip lunch and never need to wash my car (cause I don't care about looks) and I commute to work by bike (which I don't need to spend dough to wash).

So the gross total comes to about $0....

donchaknow

[shadha]

I get stupid over the taste of water. There are many bottled waters that I hate the taste of, I can just never remember which ones.

Not everyone gets a free coffee, my greedy self can't skip lunch , and yeah, I have never washed my car. Lol. My brother washed it for me and got it detailed a few times.


shadha-

[Arabesque]

I know people spend their money on paying phone bills here. My money gets busted on paying for gas. I almost always take the longest route to my destination. Not intentionally.

Toiletries? Books? Or am I the only one?

[heba]

Originally Posted by shadha

Then you are totally getting bamboozled.


shadha-

its canada constantly raising tobacco prices/taxes to try to make people quit smoking. bastards. lol

[shadha]

You should take the hint then.

As I have always said, some people are just too beautiful and too kick ass to smoke.


shadha-

[heba]

Originally Posted by shadha

You should take the hint then.

As I have always said, some people are just too beautiful and too kick ass to smoke.


shadha-

who said i smoke!

[niqabi]

I'm guilty of buying a french vanilla every morning. It really does add up! I was thinking of investing in one of those cappuccino machines...