Are you looking for a way to save more money every month? There are several items that we use every day that are really quite unnecessary; items that don’t provide us with anything essential for life. If you can find a way to wean yourself from purchasing these things every week, you just may be able to save up enough money to make a difference in your retirement account.
The following five products are very popular in today’s market, but when you think about it, they are all things that none of us need (and some of them are actually quite bad for our health). Save money today by banishing these five items from your shopping cart.
1.Soda and other sugary drinks: These types of drinks provide us with nothing but extra empty calories, rotten teeth and money down the drain. Ban these from your house and your body. Other than a coffee or glass of milk in the morning, we really only need to drink water throughout the day (which is the healthiest way to hydrate and clean out our system).
2.Weekly entertainment magazines: Dirty gossip is so tantalizing, but it is also a waste of time and money. Even monthly magazines can be filled with nothing but advertisements of things we can’t really afford. Resist the temptation to throw two or three magazines in your shopping cart every time you go grocery shopping, and you could save around $50 a month. If you just can’t completely break the habit, still try to save money by subscribing to one or two magazines instead of purchasing them from the stand.
3.Bottled water: Why do people still purchase bottled water? It is a practice that is wasteful in more ways than one. Buy a reusable water bottle instead, and filter your own water at home with an at-home water filter system (which usually cost you about $50 year). Buying bottled water costs an average of $280 per year, in comparison, and creates a lot of plastic waste.
4.Packaged snacks: Packaged snacks are easy, but they are also unhealthy and costly. Cut back on the amount of chips, crackers, cookies and fruit snacks you purchase for your family, and try eating fresh fruits and vegetables instead.
5.High end beauty products: There are a few select high end beauty products that just can’t be beat by drug store brands. However, when it comes to shampoos, conditioners, soaps and body lotions, cheaper brands are usually no different from costlier brands. Save your money for something more reasonable.
Guest Post by: Carol Wilson is a freelance writer and blogger who specializes in topics related to the business world; including marketing, entrepreneurship, small business ownership and even business insurance. She is also a mom who enjoys sharing the parenting advice she has been given with others. Carol welcomes your comments at wilson.carol24@gmail.com.
