Begin

1. Booze.

Drink. Drank. Drunk. 

It is a great way to socialize, but this cannot allow us to break the wallet.  We must be sensible in how we are spending to be able to drink the good drinks.  We found the way to help us save in this category is drinking during Happy Hour.  For example) We just went out for $3 draft beers and $6 pizza.  Our tab was under $20 with a huge tip!!  If we do not watch where we go, we can easily add up and spend upwards to $100.  NO JOKE — been there done that and cried a little.

2. “Convenience” Stores

Ever stop at one to fill up gas?

We used to think this was not a possibility to spend money too, but as we talk more and more to people. This is the top way people spend. The spouse maybe going to get just a “drink and chips” end up spending $3 to $7 in the gas station.  It is even WORSE since we moved to the East coast and there is a 7/11 on every corner without even a gas station.  Think we are kidding, check the bank statement or who knows what this is…check the mint.com. 

3. Subscriptions not used. 

When we were 18 and signed up for everything under the sun. 

What subscriptions are automatically coming out of your bank account?  Have we looked lately?  Netflix? Amazon Prime? Xbox Live? Internet? Fabulous Boxes? TV? Cable? Hulu? StitchFix? LuLuLemon?

4. Living like your best friend.

We can say our friends have tried to live our lifestyle. 

When we first got out of school, we were making more than most of our friends working a Fortune 500 job.  Mostly making about $50k – $60k, while my best friends were bartenders and trying to live like their parents who have been at it for years on years saving, budgeting, and already lived the poor lifestyle.  Let us just tell you. Just stop! Stop living their life and live your own!!! Stop living in the $1200 apartment, going out to eat 4 to 5 times a night, drinking out Friday and Saturday night spending $100, and stop buying all these clothes for the kids or grandkids. We choose to be bale to go out and spend our money on experiences because we drove a car that was 10 years old and lived with roommates.  If we would have lived in the $1200 apartment with a brand new car, then we would stay at home and cook meals and drink water out of the tap.  Choice the lifestyle. 

5. Fees

How do we know this?

We used to work in the banking field, and it was common every day not to see more than $500 in a checking account and same for a saving account too.  Many accounts had less than $20 in it!! We are not LIEING — eek if we had less than $1000 in our bank account…we would cry, but that just how we now manage our money. Fees add up though for real $30 overdraft fees, another overdraft fee is $60, and wow there goes the $60 extra we were planning on putting towards our “extra bill.”

Check it out! Let us know how you spend your money.

Are the ways you spend your money what you want and feel guilt free on?