Small spending mistakes you make every day can add up over time—and before you know it, you’ll be deep in debt and with a bad credit score. Check to see if you’re making these financial mistakes on a daily basis.
You don’t compare prices
If you have money to buy something, you don’t always think about how much the price is too high. Refusing to compare prices with other stores leads to you regularly spending more than necessary. This applies not only to goods, but also to services. In the age of accessible Internet, comparing prices is easy, there are even special applications. Even if you are ready to overpay to save time, do not make this mistake when making large purchases: the cost of the same household appliances can differ significantly in different places. Your attention will definitely pay off.
Buying extra for free shipping
Many online stores offer free shipping only for purchases over a certain amount. As a result, you end up buying something you didn’t intend to. If possible, don’t rush to add unnecessary items to your cart. Check your competitors’ terms first. And if you can’t find a store with free shipping, give yourself a day to think about what else you really need.
Don’t follow subscriptions
Subscription is convenient. For a small amount, you get access to a huge amount of original content or valuable applications. The main problem here is that many people continue to pay even for things they haven’t used for a long time — not only because they forgot about payments, but also simply because they are lazy (indeed, canceling a subscription is sometimes a big deal). A bank statement will help you figure out regular write-offs. Ideally, it is better to issue subscriptions to a card where you have a minimum amount of money — this way the write-offs will be more noticeable, especially when the payment fails due to insufficient funds. Don’t neglect the possibility of family subscriptions. For the same money, you can sometimes connect up to four or six people — the savings are obvious.
Pay with a credit card
Credit cards certainly have many useful advantages, but only if you carefully plan your expenses or are able to pay off the debt monthly. Otherwise, you will face unpleasant side effects – a financial hole in the form of a huge minus on the account and the accrual of high interest. If you regularly do not meet the grace period and have forgotten the last time you paid off your debt to the bank in full, a credit card is not for you. At least consider leaving it only for large purchases, if you cannot refuse it completely. This will help you spend borrowed money a little more consciously.
You underestimate small expenses
A cup of coffee for one hundred and fifty rubles a day is about four and a half thousand a month. Good coffee in a coffee shop can now cost twice as much, and that’s already nine thousand rubles a month. And if you drink a couple of cups a day and you have more than one such habit… small, seemingly harmless expenses can eat up a significant part of the budget. Underestimating daily expenses is a mistake. Calculate your expenses for a month, and perhaps you will immediately want to reconsider some of your preferences.