The most common ways people waste money

Wasting money is such a general term and differs from individual to individual. What you could think of a waste can be an investment for others. That’s why the way we perceive money is different. Even the most savvy individuals sometimes forget to look over the simplest things that are in front of them.

However, there are some recurring expenses, which we can try to avoid to save more at the end of the month. This is a list of the 20 most common money leaks people don’t think of.

Money Leaks

1 – Takeaway meals 25%

2 – Paying for lunch or snacks while at work 21%

3 – Satellite TV subscriptions for channels hardly watched 19%

4 – Paying over the odds for utility bills by not shopping around for the cheapest tariff 18%

5 – Buying expensive takeaway coffee 18%

6 – Buying too many ready meals – 16%

7 – Spending too much at the pub or club 14%

8 – Cigarettes and tobacco 14%

9 – Mobile phone contract 14%

10 – Paying avoidable bank or overdraft charges 12%

11 – Paying avoidable credit card charges 11%

12 – Paying too much for home insurance by not shopping around for the best deal 10%

13 – Paying too much for car insurance by not shopping around for the best deal 8%

14 – Netflix or similar subscription 8%

15 – Paying fees at cash-tills to withdraw cash 7%

16 – Paying avoidable credit card annual fees 7%

17 – Unwanted magazine subscriptions 6%

18 – Gym membership which is hardly used 6%

19 – Subscriptions for apps that are hardly used 6%

20 – Amazon Prime membership 5%

How can we save?

The first answer will be start using Emma! Of course, we are the makers and are specifically building it to tackle this list and improve your life. For example, Emma can help you with all the fees listed here and also the cancellation of subscriptions! 🙂 The second most logical answer is to weigh what you really need versus what you don’t.

Takeaway meals are always a bad choice. You can still cook something to the same level with probably 1/4th of what you would spend on a takeaway. Trust me. I am Italian. Avoiding crisps at work is the second step to greatness! A fresh fruit or an healthy snack brought from home can help you save more than £200 a year.

While I was at the University of Manchester, my routine was a £1.30 americano every morning. Did I really need that? No, I could have made that at home, but I was too lazy to wake up before to make it happen. This would have saved me probably £130 of coffee per year.

The biggest cause of money waste is laziness, since we can’t make the effort to pick the right things or break some patterns. This is up to you, there is no one that can actually help in making you more active and money wise. That’s why when it comes down to saving, you need to ask yourself if you really want it. When you find the answer, start acting. With time, you will see plenty of improvements and results.