Ways to waste your money

I grew up in a house where nothing went to waste. We recycled before anyone knew to call it that. We saved and re-purposed, making the most out of everything. In full disclosure, I haven’t always lived that way in my adult life. However, there’s something about an economic crisis that will take you back to basics.

There are many, many ways to waste money. I’m certain you have examples you can share, but I’ll run down a few. Look at it more as a reminder about the little forgotten things:

1. Subscriptions to magazines you don’t even read: If you haven’t read the past five or six issues of your ‘can’t live without this’ magazine, then guess what? You can probably survive without it. While you’ve likely paid for a certain period of time already, you don’t have to worry about the automatic renewal if you go ahead and make the call to cancel.

2. Bad broccoli smells: Is that spoiled food in the bottom of your refrigerator? You may find yourself tossing out old vegetables and produce because you bought them weeks ago and never got around to cooking them. Don’t beat yourself up. Just plan better next time. Buy less, or buy only what you know you’ll cook within the next few days. Tossing out bell peppers, squash, tomatoes, grapes and the like is an absolute waste of money.

3. Have you been to the gym lately?: Signing up for a gym membership has good intentions written all over it. It’s even better if you actually use it. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do when it comes to hitting the gym. If it’s too hard to find the time, consider buying exercise DVDs for home, or going for walks.

4. Return it, why don’t ya?: You bought a cute skirt, but brought it home and discovered it wasn’t the fit you were looking for. You’ve promised yourself you’ll return it, but weeks or even months later, it’s still in the bag at home. Make a special trip to return it for cash, or exchange it for something better.

5. Libraries are good: The movie you just bought or rented, or the book you just paid a lot for, are probably free at your local library. If it has been a while, head there to check out what they have. You might be pleasantly surprised.

6. Convenience stores: A bag of chips and a soft drink could cost as much as $3. Couldn’t you save a whole lot by getting a big bag of the same snack — with a coupon, if you hunt for it — at the grocery store? I often put a baggie of my favorite snacks in my car to munch on.

I’ll stop here, only out of courtesy. Why don’t you share your own thoughts about things we waste money on? I’m betting we could easily get up to 50.