One of the biggest challenges people face with their personal finances is figuring out sneaky expenses that eat away their income and result in their inability to save. Even though some regular bills and other cash consuming activities may seem very small and insignificant on their own, their cumulative effect can become quickly huge and results in a huge drain on their income.
In this article, we look at 9 ways that people spend their income on seemingly little things that add up together to drain their income.
#1 Cost of Transportation
Transportation is one of the major expense people make but hardly give it a thought. According to an article on life hacker, the true cost of commuting, “Each mile you live from work costs $795 in commuting expenses per year (assuming a driving cost of 34 cents per mile and factoring time lost with a salary of $25 per hour).”
If living close to your workplace is an option, try and move as close as possible. It could save you not only time, but possibly as much as $125,000 in ten years. If your kind of work permit it, convince your boss to let you work from home
#2 Smoking Cigarettes
Smoking can be a very expensive habit which can be a continuous drain on your income. 17 percent of adults in the United States smoke. “Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, or 1 of every 5 death”
Avoiding this damaging and expensive habit will not only prevent poor health, it can save you more than $8,200 a year — just ponder on what you can do with all that extra cash.
#3 Costly Car Insurance
Auto insurers regularly increase their charges every six months or every year, and different auto companies calculate their rates differently. Many people who have car insurance don’t bother checking their price or comparing their charge for car insurance. And that’s not good given how frequently rates can change
Compare auto insurance policies to get the best rates available and save yourself thousands of dollars every year. The company that was cheap some years ago may no longer be the best deal for you today.
#4 Drinking Bottled Water
Business Insider reported in 2013 that U.S consumers spend an average of $1.22 per gallon on bottled water, which was 300 times the cost of tap water.
“Americans spent $11.8 billion dollars on bottled water in 2012, the latest data available from the BMC. This represented a 6.5% increase from 2011, during which the bottled water industry made $11 billion.”
Consider buying a water filter to save money on drinking bottled water every day.
#5 Carrying Credit Card Debt
Credit card debt is one of the most expensive and sneaky expenses that eat away your income. The Average American Household debt, according to 2017 Facts & Figures is $5,700. While the Average for balance-carrying households are $16,048. Additionally, 38.1% of all households carry some sort of credit card debt.
Those minimum payments may seem little now; however, they can cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars in interest yearly
If you owe credit card debt, create a debt reduction plan and commit to paying it off for good.
#6 Buying Coffee
According to a 2012 report, “the average American worker spends nearly $14.40 a week on coffee, which does not include the cost of drinking coffee at home. Data is shown to indicate that the average worker spends around $1,100 annually on coffee.”
Stop this income consuming practice, learn how to prepare your own coffee at home and watch your savings rise.
#7 Energy Bills
Americans spend a lot of cash on energy bills; based on a report, the average house spends about $2,200 annually.
Check out for electrical devices around the house that is rarely used, but stay plugged in. Most electrical devices continually draw a little quantity of electricity, a phantom charge that can add up fast when you reflect on the many electrical devices and small appliances you own. To reduce that usage, unplug any device or power strips you don’t use regularly.
#8 Spending More Money on Snacks
Nielsen data revealed that Americans spend more on snacks such as protein, beef jerky, and chips than they do on actual food. According to the report, worldwide, snack sales rose 2 percent to $374 billion in 2017.
You can avoid these expensive and unhealthy snack foods by planning your meals and shopping with a grocery list.
#9 Excessive Cell Phone Bill
According to the Uk Dailymail, “In a technology-led age, the smartphone is considered one of life’s essentials. But the cost of paying for these mini mobile computers is plunging thousands into debt.”
According to the post, “A family-of-four could easily be paying at least £140 a month for mobiles, more than the average energy bill.”
Ponder on how often you really make use of your cell phone. You can look for means to migrate to a cheaper cell phone plan. If you make use of your phone often, review the features you’re paying for on your bill and see if you can reduce any of them. Even if you manage to save $10 every month, say, for a reduced gigabyte data per month, would add up to $240 in a year.
There are other several sneaky expenses that eat away peoples’ income, but if you can avoid the ones listed here, you would have done a great deal to cut off avoidable expenses and increase your savings over time.