Top 10 Ways You Can Waste Money Without Realizing It

 

Whitson Gordon

Everyone's always on the lookout for ways to save money, but sometimes we ignore the fact that we're actively wasting money every day. Here are 10 ways you might be letting money slip through your fingers.

10. You Ignore Wear and Tear on Your Home

When you own a home, it seems like the repairs and improvements never stop...but you might have missed out on a few important ones. If you've still got drafts of air flowing through your house, you're probably wasting a lot of money on heating and cooling costs, and might even have some water damage from leaks around the foundation. Check out the three money-saving home improvements you should do right now. While you're at it, check out our other guides to getting your energy bills down with just a little common sense.

9. You Aren't Maximizing Your Credit Card Rewards

We pay for more and more stuff with plastic these days, so why not get the maximum amount of cash back when you do? Lots of credit cards come with a good set of rewards, but some are definitely better than others—especially if you have a specific place you want to spend them (like travel). Check out our roundup of the five best reward credit cards, and the five best travel-based rewards cards. Once you've found the right card for you, make sure you're using it in a way that gets you the most back for your money.

8. You Have Unclaimed Money In Your Name

It may sound like the least convincing scam ever pulled, but you may actually have unclaimed money that belongs to you out there, just waiting for you to grab it. Sometimes it's a savings bond, sometimes it's an unclaimed 401k, but no matter what it is, it's actually really easy to look up. Check out our post on the subject for more info about where to go and how to get that money out of financial purgatory and back into your pocket. Photo by redjar.

7. The Food In Your Kitchen Goes Bad

It's hard to judge exactly how much food you'll eat in the next week or month, but when food spoils, that's money down the drain. Planning your meals ahead of time helps a ton, as does knowing how long different foods stay fresh on the counter, in the fridge, and in the freezer. But, in the end, all it takes is a little attention. Check out our guide to waging war on food spoilage to keep it all under control.

6. You Pay Too Much for Smartphone Data

Most people sign up for a data plan and use their phone without really digging into how much data they use. If you're still holding onto an unlimited plan, for example, it's worth looking up how much data you actually use in a month—you might actually save money by moving to a metered plan (after all, 48% of people don't even use 300MB of data per month). Check out this chart to see how much you could save, and if you haven't checked your data usage in awhile, give it a look. You might be surprised. Of course, if you do have a limited plan, make sure your phone isn't secretly wasting data in the background, too. Photo by Chris Young.

5. You Don't Use Coupons That Are Right In Front of You

The internet is an amazing thing. No longer do you have to join the ranks of extreme couponers and spend hours clipping to get good deals on stuff. These days, all it takes is a simple browser extension or two to get a coupon on nearly everything you buy online. Plus, you can get one that compares prices across the net for you—it's like very intense deal hunting without any of the work. Check out our guide to automating your discounts for more info, and never pay full price again.

4. You Don't Negotiate

No one likes negotiating, but with the right preparation, you can make the whole process a lot easier—and get a lot more for your money. In fact, researchers found that the average new hire loses out on $500,000 in the long run, just by not negotiating their salary on that first job. There are a number of negotiation methods that work well in different situations (the Briefcase Technique being a pretty good one for salaries), so check out our guide to getting anything you want with minimal negotiation. You might be surprised how much you let go down the drain before you put in a little effort.

3. You Fall For Tech Myths

It's amazing how much tech companies try to squeeze out of you when you go to buy a new computer. "Oh, don't buy that one, it's six months old...buy this new one!" "O, you should get an extended warranty for an extra $200." "Here, this $40 HDMI cable should suit your needs." These sales tactics lead to quite a few myths, like the fact that new products are somehow better than refurbished products, or that expensive cables will get you a better picture on your TV. If you buy a lot of technology—and if you're anything like us, you do—you can save quite a bundle by knowing your stuff before you go into the store. Check out these six common tech myths that cost you money before you buy.

2. You Overpay Your Monthly Bills

Bills can pile up quickly, but the good news is you can often get discounts with just a few phone calls. Usually all you need to do is ask. Make sure you call back regularly to keep those discounts, and you'll have more money in your wallet. It's probably a good idea to check out BillShrink, too, to see what kinds of things you might be overypaying for.

1. You Try Too Hard to Save Money

Wait, what? That's right: Sometimes, trying to save money can actually lead you into a pit that wastes money. For example, some people avoid regular checkups with the doctor or dentist, but then end up having to go in and pay much more for all the things they neglected. Maybe you take store credit card offers and pay the minimum every month, or maybe you do your own taxes and miss out on some pretty big deductions. That's not to say saving money is a bad thing—it's just important to pay attention to where all of your money is going, and that you aren't shooting yourself in the foot with a strategy you're using to "save" cash.