ARE YOU THROWING AWAY MONEY?

Are you throwing money away that you could be saving?

Have you ever really sat down and looked at your expenses? Are you paying for services and products that you don’t use or are you simply paying for a service that you forgot you had?

For months, I was throwing away money with a gym membership that I wasn't using, simply because I forgot I was paying for it. My membership was set on automatic withdrawal and each month, I overlooked the charges.

Use it or lose it!

There are many items that we pay for that we simply don’t need. It’s time to evaluate your bills and cut where you can. Check out the following items that you might be paying for but don’t need.

Gym Membership:

Each New Year, we set out to get in shape and get healthy. And the gyms see us coming. Instead of buying a month to month membership or a basic membership, we buy the year-long membership that includes a personal trainer, the juice bar and many services we won’t be using. And how many times do you really go? A handful?

Instead, use your house as your personal gym, there are many free workouts that you can find via the internet and sites that help you build your own personal gym. Of if you have a neighborhood gym, use those facilities. They may not be the fanciest but they will get the job done.

Unused gift cards:
Gift cards are one of the easiest ways to throw money away! I always look at gift cards as a hassle. They sit in my wallet for months and months unused.  So use them! One of my friends actually uses her gift cards to buy gifts for others. It’s a great way to shop for the holidays and to use those unused gift cards too.

Entertainment:
Do you subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, the latest magazines or those premium movie channels? Are you using all of those sources of entertainment? Maybe you should think about canceling a few of those subscriptions. I easily get caught up in the $2 magazine offers, but I find that I never read the magazines. While it might only be $2, its $2 more I could have used for something else. Are you really using your entertainment expenses to the max?

Time to Evaluate!

Now it’s time to sit down. Look over your financial statements and work to eliminate those unnecessary fees. Maybe you found a service you pay for and don’t use, maybe you've realized there are services you don’t need. Whatever the case might be, now’s the time to sort through your finances and work at saving yourself money!

^Alysha