Okay, I’ll admit that based on my last post about travel I’ve been looking over travel websites for tickets and vacation packages. I want to buy and I want to go! Funny how this guest post came through to my inbox at just the right time to shake some sense into me. It didn’t say not to buy a plane ticket but I got the cosmic point. ;)

5 Things You Shouldn`t Buy

Going generic, collecting coupons and searching for deals will help you save money, but for more substantial gains, cut out the products you don’t really need. Unnecessary products, services and high interest rates cut into your budget in ways you might not even be aware of. You should compare credit cards, evaluate your bills and look for waste when examining your budget, but you also need to take a close look at what you buy.

Water Bottles

Disposable water often exceeds a dollar a bottle. If you buy in bulk, you’ll save more, but it still may cost you over four dollars each week, depending on how much water you drink. A reusable water bottle has a built-in filter that purifies tap water. Even when you factor in the price of the bottle and the replacement filters, each bottle of water only costs a few pennies on average and you’re not sacrificing the convenience of a bottle.

Coffee on the Go

A coffee shop habit is costing you more than you think. Most coffee shops and even convenience stores charge over a dollar for a cup of coffee. If you drink coffee in the morning five days a week, you’re spending over $20 each month on coffee. If you’re using credit to pay on those mornings you don’t have enough cash on you and you’re in a hurry, you’re spending even more.

Compare credit cards to see what you’re wasting in interest on your rushed coffee shop purchases. A large can of ground coffee and filters will run to a little over $10 and will stretch further. Get into the habit of making coffee in the morning to save yourself over $100 each year. If you’re pressed for time in the morning, consider buying a coffeemaker with a timer. You can set the timer the night before to brew your coffee the next morning.

Light Bulbs

Switching one old incandescent bulb with a new energy efficient bulb saves you more than $40 over the bulb’s life, according to the U.S. Energy Star program website. If you’ve got three old bulbs, for example and you replace all three with energy efficient bulbs, you’re saving over $70 for just a few minutes’ work. Not only do energy efficient bulbs last longer, but the bulbs also use less electricity, saving you money on your utility bill.

Paper and Magazine Subscriptions

Stop subscribing to newspapers and magazines you no longer read. Subscription renewals often become habits, but if the editions are going into your recycling bin unread, you might as well be throwing your money in there too. Many newspapers and magazines now have online editions. Try getting digital subscriptions to the newspapers and magazines you do read to save money and reduce household clutter.

Landlines

With the influx of cell phones, landlines are becoming obsolete. If you always use your cell phone and the only calls on your landline are from telemarketers, you probably don’t need a landline anymore. If you want to keep a landline, explore low-cost alternatives to traditional landline services, such as an internet-based phone service.

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