The trick to saving money is cutting down on unnecessary expenses first and foremost. These are the things you spend money on that you don’t technically need to spend money on all the time. Mainly, we’re talking about some costly comforts that you like to have in your life, but you could do without.
If you take a step back and look at your finances, you’ll quickly see which things fall under this heading. Moreover, you’ll be able to add them up and see just how much money you’re spending per year, per month, or per week on these things.
With all of this in mind, here are some key costly comforts you can (and should) cut down on…
Expensive Coffee
It’s become a bit of a meme for the older generation to say that millennials can save money to buy a house or afford something else expensive if they stopped going out for coffee so much. Obviously, there are many things wrong with statements like this, but we won’t dive into it right now!
What we can say is that there is a bit of truth to it. You might spend a fortune on coffee, which could easily be saved. An average cup could cost around 3-4 dollars, and imagine you have one every day before work. That’s approximately $20 a week on coffee, or $80 a month.
Over a year the course of a year, that’s a good few hundred dollars that you’re throwing away. Stop going out and buying coffee – make it at home, it works out considerably cheaper. And some say it even tastes better too. Seriously, coffee can save you money.
Beauty products
A bit of a broad category, but it basically covers everything from face creams to makeup. We spend a fortune on this stuff, and the worst thing is we never really use it all. You’ve probably got things in tubes or tubs that you’ve never opened or used once. I think the main issue is we see so many cool products we start buying them all.
Realistically, you don’t need as many beauty products as you think. When it comes to skincare, less is more. If you click here, you can see lots of different products, including some neat sets. Buying a skincare set can be all you need, and then you save money by not getting all the flashy extras.
The same goes for makeup; stop buying endless palettes and things – choose a handful of items you will use regularly, and then make them last. Less is more; you don’t need loads of stuff on your face for it to look good.
Streaming services
You could also say entertainment services, and we’re pretty much talking about all the subscriptions you have. Put your hands up if you are subscribed to the following platforms all at once:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime
- Hulu
- Disney Plus
- Paramount Plus
- HBO Max
- Spotify
A lot of you will keep your hands up, and that’s worrying. On their own, each service only costs a few dollars a month. Added together, you’re spending well over $50 a month – or over $250 a year on streaming services.
Ask yourself; do you really need all of these? Look to either downgrade your plans or cancel different services. One idea is to chop and change throughout the year. Have Netflix for a few months, then have Hulu, then have Disney Plus.
You still get to explore all the different titles on each service, but you aren’t paying for them at the same time!
Meals (Eating Out)
No, we’re not talking about your daily meals. Clearly, food is not a luxury and you should still be paying for it. However, you could cut down on meals that you pay for on top of the money spent on weekly food. We’re talking about takeouts and eating out – both of which are extremely costly.
I would say takeouts are more expensive because you usually pay for the food, plus a delivery fee, plus a service charge, and sometimes an extra fee if you don’t spend a set amount of money. There are many charges, making it a costly meal. If you eat out or get food deliveries a few times a month, you might spend way more than you expect. Cut down on them, and you can save a fortune.
Saving money is challenging, but the key is picking things that won’t impact your life too severely. Sure, you don’t want to cut down on the things above, but your life won’t change if you do. Once you realize how much you can save, you find it easier to motivate yourself to cut down on these costly comforts.
