1. Brand name products - grocery stores, drug store health care & over the counter items, clothing, it all adds up and yet most generic products are made on the exact same conveyor belt as the brand name item. If you check ingredient lists on medicines and groceries, you'll see they're identical almost every time. The markup in advertising you stop paying could be thousands at the end of the year.
2. DIY - are you paying someone to do things you could do yourself? Pool cleaning? Lawn care? Groceries delivery service? Dry cleaning? Drop off laundry service? Housekeeping? Basic home repairs/car repairs? I know sometimes life has you too busy to do some of these things yourself, but consider if you can cut any of these to save money.
3. Wasting food - only buy what you've already PLANNED on cooking/baking, do food prep once a week (cutting veggies/fruit, making pasta & rice, for later in the week) so you can toss together a lunch, bowl, casserole, omelette, salad, etc. Also, did you know the ACTUAL shelf life of many foods are well past the label dates? Don't automatically toss out perfectly good shelf-stable or refrigerator condiments just because of the date. Check with free online databases to find out the actual shelf life of unopened products, especially canned and shelf-stable items.
4. Cable/Satellite TV - are you paying hundreds a month for cable when you rarely are home or have time to watch it? If so, try a much cheaper alternative like Netflix or Hulu. Most TV shows are available online and you could be paying under $100/month instead of twice that and still have fast internet.
5. Pay Cash - there's something about physically handing over dollar bills that helps us grasp what we're spending. If that's not possible, use your debit card. Avoid credit cards if possible. If you can't afford it, then wait until you can or don't buy it.
6. Insulate - live in a drafty home? There's plenty of window seal kits out there for cheap money that simply involves taping plastic around the whole frame and using a hair dryer to smooth it out. It can cut costs tremendously. Also in summer, get sun screens, light-blocking shades, or reflective rolls of window/slider covering to keep heat in/out and cold in/out in their proper season. Also don't overlook the old fashioned doorstop that covers the big crack under outer/attic/basement doors.
7. Online game purchases - I'm talking about when you're playing a facebook game and you can "buy extra lives" for an amount of money - or extra items to get to the next level. I'm sorry (not sorry) but this is stupid. You're going to trade hard-earned money for imaginary things that don't really exist? Just don't. Keep your money.
8. Carry a reusable cup - save money on coffee, iced drinks, etc. by refilling a cup at home and eliminate the need for so many water bottles, buying coffee/drinks outside of your home.
9. Multiple grocery trips - when you stop to pick up a few things several times a week, those multiple trips may seem like you aren't spending much, but at the end of the month, you'll probably find you spent more than you would've just planning a once a week trip instead - yes, a planned trip.
10. Cleaning products - either make your own for pennies, or buy them at the dollar store, and you don't need a separate cleaner for every little job. Online recipes to make your own are everywhere. I spent $12 and made my own laundry cleaner for the next 2 years, and it only took about 15 minutes to make, it worked better than what I had been using. Homemade cleaners are great for everyday cleaning, including kitchens, baths, stove tops, floors, windows, and laundry.
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