Weighing your costs versus your convenience is something we all go through. But there are many things in which you shouldn’t be paying extra for. No matter the situation, by properly planning and doing your research, not paying for these extras will help you save those few bucks that easily add up over time. In this two-part series, we give you part one of things you shouldn’t be paying extra for.
ATM Fees
ATM fees are one of the most common things we spend extra dollars on. ATM fees vary in price from $1.00 all the way up to $4.00. There are many alternatives to taking cash out without the fees including taking out cash from your home bank machine. Most big banks now offer map locations of where the closest bank machines are in comparison to your location. Cash back at certain grocery stores, or if you’re located in Ontario, the LCBO does cash back options as well are other options for getting cash on the go with no fees. Withdrawing money from the ATM on multiple occasions may not seem like a big cost at the time, but those fees continuously add up costing you.
Photograph via Pixabay
Grab and Go Meals
We’ve previously talked about how to save money grocery shopping, and prepping meals yourself was discussed there as well. As convenient as pre-packaged meals may be, grocery stores now have specific departments dedicated to pre-packed food. Chopped fruits and vegetables, varieties of salads, sushi, sandwiches and even hot meals are only some of the options you can now find in grocery stores. But in most cases, for the cost of one of those salads you can buy an entire package of lettuce that will make four of the same salads if you make them yourself. But there can definitely be a benefit to these meals when you are in a time crunch, so plan wisely and you’ll be saving money in no time.
Photograph via Wikipedia
Cell Phone Bills
When was the last time you thoroughly looked at your cell phone bill? Especially with Canadian cellular companies, making sure you know what your cellular plan includes is the best way to ensure you won’t be getting overcharged. Make sure to ask questions and look at things that most people end up spending extra money monthly for, such as long distance charges and data overage. Ways to make sure you don’t get caught having to pay these charges are to make sure you read the fine print. Most packages offer specials like the time of day you make calls can be much cheaper and can help bring down your bill. Also, reviewing the data packages available to make sure you know how much data you are using so you don’t go over your limit is one of the most common mistakes people make these days and are paying for. Using Wi-Fi as much as possible is also another way to limit your data usage. Your cell phone bill may be combined with a family package, TV or internet, and with so many things involved, make sure you’re not paying more than you have to.
Photograph via Pixabay
It’s the little things that add up, and as much as these charges may be small at the time, it is watching out for the incremental damage these small charges can do to your overall savings.
