Sneaky Expenses: Top 6 Budget-Breakers
Blog icon
Do you feel like you are living paycheck to paycheck? Do you create a budget only for it to be busted by the end of the month? It could be you are spending money on things you aren’t even aware of. See below for CreditBox’s list of sneaky expenses that could be being taken out of your bank account right under your nose! Once you are aware, you can start to save money.
1. Bank Fees
Most bank fees are taken out of your account without your consent so it can be hard to budget for them. Unless you are paying close attention, you might not notice the maintenance fees, annual fees or ATM fees. Take a closer look at your next bank statement. If you notice fees like these, consider switching your account to banks with no monthly fees. Instead of being taken out for nothing, you can save the money.
2. Monthly subscriptions
Do you pay for music streaming, Hulu, a gym membership, or a monthly beauty box? Did you forget until you just read that sentence? Make sure you are using the things you get billed for automatically each month. Maybe you thought you would go to the gym when you signed up in January, but you just don’t have the time. All the unused and unnecessary subscriptions can add up. This is money you could be saving instead!
3. Coffee
According to a recent survey, people who buy coffee regularly throughout the week spend an average of over $1,000 annually! Skip the specialty coffee shops and make your coffee at home or opt for the fast-food coffee options at half the price. You may not notice this small charge, but it cuts into your budget quickly.
4. Expired Promotions
A lot of companies will reel you in with special promotions for a limited amount of time. For example, your cable company can offer you free premium channels for the first six months, but then fail to remind you that it will be on your bill for month seven. They are counting on that fact that you will forget to cancel after your free trial is up. Try and set reminders for yourself in advance so you can cancel the expired promotions before you get charged for them. It may take an extra few minutes at the time, but will be worth it in the long run.
5. Gifts
Most people do not add gifts into their budget, with the exception of the holidays. When someone close to you is having a birthday or getting married, it can be a relatively unexpected expense that you did not save money for. It can help to determine a set amount you want to spend for the gift, and stick with it. If that still doesn’t work, you can turn to CreditBox for the extra funds for your loved one’s gift.
6. Cell Phone Bill
When is the last time you checked your cell phone bill before you paid it? You could be paying data overage fees or there could have been a promotional rate that expired. (See above.) It pays to closely examine not just your cell phone bill, but other monthly bills as well. The people who create them are only human and there could be mistakes that are costing you.
If saving on these sneaky charges still doesn’t add up, apply at CreditBox for a better way to borrow. Get approved fast for loans up to $4,000 with our easy online application.
1. Bank Fees
Most bank fees are taken out of your account without your consent so it can be hard to budget for them. Unless you are paying close attention, you might not notice the maintenance fees, annual fees or ATM fees. Take a closer look at your next bank statement. If you notice fees like these, consider switching your account to banks with no monthly fees. Instead of being taken out for nothing, you can save the money.
2. Monthly subscriptions
Do you pay for music streaming, Hulu, a gym membership, or a monthly beauty box? Did you forget until you just read that sentence? Make sure you are using the things you get billed for automatically each month. Maybe you thought you would go to the gym when you signed up in January, but you just don’t have the time. All the unused and unnecessary subscriptions can add up. This is money you could be saving instead!
3. Coffee
According to a recent survey, people who buy coffee regularly throughout the week spend an average of over $1,000 annually! Skip the specialty coffee shops and make your coffee at home or opt for the fast-food coffee options at half the price. You may not notice this small charge, but it cuts into your budget quickly.
4. Expired Promotions
A lot of companies will reel you in with special promotions for a limited amount of time. For example, your cable company can offer you free premium channels for the first six months, but then fail to remind you that it will be on your bill for month seven. They are counting on that fact that you will forget to cancel after your free trial is up. Try and set reminders for yourself in advance so you can cancel the expired promotions before you get charged for them. It may take an extra few minutes at the time, but will be worth it in the long run.
5. Gifts
Most people do not add gifts into their budget, with the exception of the holidays. When someone close to you is having a birthday or getting married, it can be a relatively unexpected expense that you did not save money for. It can help to determine a set amount you want to spend for the gift, and stick with it. If that still doesn’t work, you can turn to CreditBox for the extra funds for your loved one’s gift.
6. Cell Phone Bill
When is the last time you checked your cell phone bill before you paid it? You could be paying data overage fees or there could have been a promotional rate that expired. (See above.) It pays to closely examine not just your cell phone bill, but other monthly bills as well. The people who create them are only human and there could be mistakes that are costing you.
If saving on these sneaky charges still doesn’t add up, apply at CreditBox for a better way to borrow. Get approved fast for loans up to $4,000 with our easy online application.
