There are so many things that we pay for daily, without realizing how much money we could save otherwise. After forming a budget and taking a realistic look at all of the things that you’re spending money on, you can get a pretty good idea of what isn’t serving you. Don’t buy these items to save yourself thousands:
There are plenty of ways to cut corners around tech.
New Technology
Everyone is always heading out to get their latest iPhones or any other cool gadgets that come onto the market. It’s trendy to do so. And many are under the impression that when a new phone comes out, the old one becomes obsolete. Fortunately, this myth isn’t necessarily true. And you can probably get at least a couple more years out of the devices that you have before you need to update to a new one.
Before you go out and completely replace your electronics, try deleting unneeded things to save memory. Or you can go to somewhere like the Apple Store or Dr. iPhone and have a professional fix your stuff. The companies try to act like the most minor break demands a whole new purchase, but that’s just not true. Chances are, it’s much easier to buy a new screen or battery than a whole new phone.
Other devices work the same way. If you’re a gamer, you surely have your eyes on the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. But neither of these are currently a reasonable purchase. It is far easier to invest in an older console, and enjoy the massive backlog of games available there. Likewise, if your computer is starting to wear out, have Geek Squad look at it first. It may be much cheaper to buy a new processor or graphics card than a whole other model. There’s plenty of ways to cut corners around tech.
Gym Membership
It’s unreal how many people think that they need a gym membership to motivate themselves to exercise. And often if someone isn’t on the “buy a gym membership” train, they think they can recreate the gym at home by purchasing expensive equipment. Neither of these are necessary expenses.
In fact, there are simple ways to work out without buying crazy equipment or dishing out money for gym memberships: Just find no equipment work-out videos on YouTube and follow the regimens. It’s perfectly fine as well to purchase a couple resistance bands, a yoga mat, or some light free weights. Try this quality home set on Amazon. But there is no need to dish out crazy amounts of money on memberships or sophisticated equipment.
Cable TV
This tip sort of goes for all subscriptions you don’t really need or use. Just as paying for landline phones in homes is entirely obsolete, most people these days merely subscribe to streaming services. They have no need for the days of cable. Aren’t you tired of all the commercials? And barely being able to watch what you want to when you want to? For this reason, sites like Netflix or Hulu are all the rage, and most TV channels have their own streaming services as well. That way, you can watch all the shows that you want to without the irritating commercial breaks.
But even streaming has its faults, as it’s easy to lose track of how many subscriptions we have now. Between Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney +, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount + and much more, it’s easy to rack up bills on apps we barely use. That’s why we recommend only investing in one at a time. Watch all the stuff you want on one app, and when you’re bored with it, cancel it for a new one. Or if you must have multiple, make a friend group where each of you only pays for one, and share all of the passwords.
And if you’re on a strict budget and want free entertainment, have no fear. Tubi is a free and legal service with loads of hit movies and shows. And you could always see what’s available at your local library.
Store-Bought Cleaning Supplies
Most of the time, you can get away with creating a DIY cleaner. And for things that are difficult to remove, you can use a magic eraser. There are so many expensive cleaning products on the market. And there is no reason why you need to buy any of them. There are simple methods for making your own cleaning products at home out of items you more than likely have in your kitchen and they’re much more eco friendly.
Of course, there are those choice occasions when everything is too disgusting to clean them with DIY cleaning products. Sometimes, the only option is to get in there and kill it all with bleach. And that is entirely alright. However, DIY cleaning products are great for frequent maintenance cleaning and will not fail your needs.
For a DIY Multi-Purpose Cleaner, combine 1/2 cup Vinegar, 2 cups Water, 1 teaspoon Castile Soap, and 20 drops Lemon Essential Oil in a spray bottle and shake!
File Cabinets
File cabinets and other paper storage are completely unnecessary nowadays. Now all of our necessary documents are safe in our clouds and hard drives. But for your older papers you still have to dish out every year, there’s an answer. Apps like CamScanner that make it so you no longer need to store any physical copies. You won’t even need a scanning machine, as your phone will do it all with this app. And after you scan your papers, you can email them to yourself and keep them in a digital folder. So say goodbye to the file room.
There’s plenty of other ways to cut down on your budget too. Everyone’s spending habits are different, and virtually all of them can be improved. The only way to find out is through a close evaluation of your bills, and making an honest look at what corners to cut.
Are you interested in more ways to better your budget?
