When times get tough, the best course of action is usually to cut your expenses as much as you can to save more of your income for necessities. While it can be difficult to decide which expenses are necessities and which can be eliminated until your financial situation changes, there are some expenses that can be easily cut to save more money. Most of these expenses seem like necessities until we are under a financial crunch, but once you have made the sacrifice to do without them, you will quickly find that they are easy to live without. Here are some of the expenses that you should focus on when your income is limited.
Cable Television
Many people believe that they need cable television as an entertainment option to keep themselves and/or their children entertained while at home. They may even believe that they need it to remain informed about what is going on in the world. Fortunately, there are some channels that you can get on the television without having to pay for cable. While you may not have as many options available for shows, you will be able to see some pretty good programs and receive newscasts every day. There are many other ways that you can entertain yourself without television and cutting the cable is a good reason to explore some of these other options.
Coffee Shop Drinks
Many people have gotten into the habit of stopping for a coffee shop drink on their way to work or at some point during the day for a pick-me-up if there is a convenient location nearby. While these drinks may not seem like a big expense when times are good, cutting these nearly $3 drinks out of your budget when times are bad can save you more than $60 per month. Instead of purchasing these specialty coffee drinks, spend a few bucks for a travel mug and brew your own coffee at home to drink on the way to work. You will save money and be able to make your coffee taste exactly the way you want with sweeteners and flavored creamers.
Bottled Water
Many people believe that bottled water is cleaner and better for you than regular tap water and view it as a necessary expense for their health. However, this is often not the case. Many types of bottled water are just municipal tap water run through an additional filter and poured into a bottle to be sold at an astronomical mark-up. You would be better off carrying tap water in a refillable bottle to quench your thirst. If you are concerned about the quality of the tap water in your home, you can purchase a small filter to go onto the end of the tap to filter out anything in the water that should not be in there.
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Good points! I still have my cable, but I limit how much I will pay. I never paid for bottled water and only vist Starbucks once a month.
These are some of those expenses that are “small” but snowball with time, and they add up quick.
Cable Tv, Cut the cable, cut down tv hours(news is depressing anyway), read a book instead :)
Coffee…I think one can always brew a nice cup at home…visit Starbucks just once in a while
Bottled water…its over-rated…tap water works just fine!