Homeowner? Sure. This is a title that most of us would like to be associated with, but to be honest; it’s not a title that comes on the proverbial “silver platter.” The truth is; owning your home is not only life-changing but also exciting. The problem is; saving for it is not that fun, especially if you are continuously guilty of these little money-wasting habits, which with time could add up to dent your home owning dreams.
That said, you can drop the following money-wasting habits, and maybe with time, you shall have saved some extra cash towards buying that dream home you’ve always craved for.
Discard the ATM
Ever thought of that $3 that ATMs charge you to access your money? You may think it is inconsequential, but with time you’ll realize that these ATM fees are highly expensive and can prove a stumbling block towards your dream. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit the ATMs; all you need to do is plan for the trip to the ATM (free ones), say once a week or a month.
Never Throw Away Food
Why should you spend most of your time toiling to put food on the table only to let it spoil and throw it away? Even if the food spoils, throwing it away actually equates to throwing away cash! Learn to be efficient when it comes to food preservation. For instance, let the freezer be your friend or simply find inventive ways of using stale food.
Avoid Hidden Shipping Fees
Buying commodities or products online sounds great, but what about that extra $9 shipping fees? Most of us always assume that such fees are small, especially after spending a lot on the commodity itself. Contrary to that opinion, you can avoid these fees by doing a thorough research and finding sites that offer free shipping. Similarly, you can consider bulk buying or better still, consider subscribing to membership programs such as Amazon Prime that often subsidize shipping fees.
Do Away with Unnecessary Holiday Membership
Let’s be honest; many times we find ourselves subscribed to membership programs that we rarely use or don’t need. Do you remember that holiday gym you subscribed to? How about that Hulu password that you don’t even remember? We often accrue such bills on a monthly basis, yet we never use them or do not require them in an actual sense. You should keep track of such subscriptions and find out whether it’s worth it or if it’s wise to cancel them altogether.
Why Waste Utilities?
You need not be a rocket scientist to realize that wasting utilities such as energy is so detrimental to your wallet, and of course, that dream home. Nobody needs to be reminded that streamlining energy usage is one of the best home practices. It’s as easy as turning off those unused lights or lowering the water heater down a few degrees.
With that, it’s a no-brainer that indulging in any of these habits hinders that dream of owning your home or whatever it is that you crave for. It’s like washing your hard-earned cash down the drain.