Cutting these expenses will make a HUGE impact on the amount of money you're able to save!
When you finally sit down to go over your monthly statements and work on your budget, you may be shocked at how many expenses you have. ( I know I was!) Part of creating a workable budget and getting out of debt is combing through all the outgoing money and stopping it at the source. Below are some everyday things you might find that add up to some hefty expenses that can easily be cut down or eliminated.
Here's what to cut from your expenses to make a significant impact on your monthly budget:
- Subscription boxes
- Cable
- Groceries
- Car-payment
- Self-storage
Keep reading for the details…
Subscription Boxes
One of the most significant monthly expenses is also the most discretionary. Subscription boxes add up. If you have a lot of weekly or monthly packages delivered to your doorstep. Think about what that convenience could be costing you. The more subscriptions you have, the heavier the impact is on your credit card statement. Even worse is that virtually no subscription is ever critical or essential. It almost entirely wants as opposed to needs, and you would be surprised how much you could save if you just stopped the steady flow of unnecessary goods.
Cable Bill
Cable is wildly unnecessary. If you are still paying for cable, ask yourself how important it is to keep the service. If you have Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, or any of the other streaming services, you are paying for redundant content. TV is expensive and frustrating. There are too many channels, and nothing is ever on. Why not streamline and save yourself some money every month? You can even get Netflix and Hulu for free, depending on other corporate affiliations. If you are a T-Mobile member, for example, you get Netflix included in your service.
Here's some info about how I was able to cut our cable bill by over 80%!: How to cut cable and save tons of money.
Grocery Bill
You can't just stop buying groceries, but you are probably spending a lot more than you need to. You may need to change your store to get the best deals on what you buy. Some stores are more expensive until you factor in the deals you can get from the weekly inserts. Go to the store on days when promotions are at their peak level. Look for clearance tags and other extreme deals. Safeway, for example, has red hot deals, which are better than clearance.
Focusing on the types of items you put on your shopping list is essential too. Be deliberate about what you purchase for the week. know what you plan to eat and don't buy too much unless you come across products that are marked down to a stock-up price. Stick to cheaper foods like in-season produce, bakery items, bulk items, and butcher and deli items at significantly reduced prices. The more you have for easy meal preparation at home, the more you will realize that while your grocery bill is going down, your monthly spending on Uber Eats is also significantly lower.
Car Payment
A substantial monthly payment we all can relate to is the car loan. Having a car is not always avoidable. You may be able to reduce your need for a car significantly. If you have access to alternative forms of transportation, It's easy to eliminate car payments from your monthly responsibilities. But even if you don't, you should look into the value of your car and how much you owe. It may be worth it to trade the vehicle in or sell it privately.
All you need to sell your car is the title, so if you can pay off your auto loan with a personal loan or emergency fund, you can get your money back when you sell or trade-in your car. Then buy a sensible used car that you don't have to take out another loan for. Or, see how long you can push it without needing to have a car. Consider your job and your commute as well. You may want to consider other opportunities that are less demanding on your resources.
Self-Storage
If you have so much stuff that you need to rent out other space to keep it in, you should consider the value of those things. The longer you have that unit, the more diminished your returns will be. The good news is that you can eliminate your self-storage bill and make money in the process. It's so easy to sell things you don't want to ship on Facebook Marketplace. You can also have a garage sale to liquidate all of your things. If you value the items you are storing too much, consider selling things in your home to make room for them. That way, you can still get rid of the need for costly additional storage.
What are some big expenses you've cut to save money? Tell us in the comments below! Found this post helpful? We'd be so thankful if you shared it with your friends!