It’s one of those things where you are in the checkout line and you buy People magazine. Or you buy that Patagonia puffy “because you need it.” We aren’t judging you but either way, it’s money and it’s going somewhere where it probably shouldn’t. Here are 5 things that you spend too much money on:
Shipping charges– It’s tempting, I know. Expedited shipping sounds pretty nice. I’ll let you in on a little secret, whether you get your shoes in 2 days or 10, I’m at the 90% confidence level that your shoes will still fit. If you are the average online shopper who always chooses faster shipping, it is safe to say you probably spent an extra 100$ last year on shipping altogether. That’s like…12 Chipotle Burritos. Weigh it out.
Lottery tickets– You have better odds of convicting OJ Simpson before you win the lottery. Don’t believe me? 259 million people go for the jackpot and one of you will actually come away with the lucky number. Next time you are in line at the store, skip the lotto tickets. Put that money in a bank account and you will thank yourself later.
Car wash upgrades– They call them upgrades. We call them “money pits”. They try and get you with the foam wax, protective coating, rust inhibitor, and in the end you are paying double the price. A good old simple car wash just can’t be beat, stick to the basics.
Daily coffee trips– The average coffee user will spend 1100$ a year on their morning pick me up. I can list 100 more productive ways to use that cash. If you really need that fix, brew it at home. The home brewers will spend about 50$ a year. 1100$ vs 50$…end of story.
Smartphone apps– The app industry has a net worth of 77$ billion dollars. Remember that guy who asked you to prom but he was nerdy and into World of Warcraft? Well he went on to get a coding degree and now he is laughing at you every time you upgrade on Candy Crush.