Conquer The Insignificants!
Everyone seems to be looking to save money at the moment. We switch our utility suppliers, cut back on our mobile phone and cable bills and some of us even try growing our own vegetables. One of the best ways we can save money though is often ignored and that is to stop spending so much of our hard earned cash on the little things, The Insignificants!
The Insignificants are all those little treats and tit-bits most of us spend our money on every day like coffee, sandwiches, sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks, magazines, take away food and the list goes on! We spend so little on each purchase that it doesn’t even feel like we’re spending at all.
I once took the time to write down everything I spent in a week on small, seemingly insignificant purchases and the results we’re shocking. Recently I seem to have fallen prey to ‘The Insignificants’ once again so I’ve decided to give myself another dose of shock therapy and write down every little thing I spend on over the coming week. I’m not talking about bills or regular weekly food shops, they are after all essentials. I’m just going to write down all the little purchases I make to see how much of my money goes down the drain on a daily, monthly and yearly basis.
I hope you’ll join me!
Weekend Reads
Here are some of my favourite posts of the week from other great personal finance blogs on the web, I hope you have time to read a few. I’ve also included Money Bulldog’s first ever guest post which Mr.CBB over at Canadian Budget Binder kindly posted for us this week.
Have A Great Weekend Everyone!
Canadian Budget Binder ~ The Grocery Game Challenge #5 Jan 28-Feb 3~Will You Target Your Budget
Our First Ever Guest Post ~ Canadian Budget Binder ~ Emigrating to Canada ~ Should I Rent Out My House
Frugal Rules ~ 5 Easy Ways to Save Money Lost Due to the Payroll Tax Increase
Work Save Live ~ Why I Chose The Debt Avalanche Method To Pay My Debts
Average Joe’s Money Blog ~ 5 Lies Bad Advisors Tell Clients
Live Well On Less ~Should I Convert My Car to LPG?
Debt Round Up ~ Dang it! I Fought My Emotions and They Won
Monster Piggy Bank ~ How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby?
Modest Money ~ Tips to Finding the Home of Your Dreams!
One Smart Dollar ~ What is a Currency War?
Reach Financial Independence ~ A Beginner’s Guide to a Minimalist Home
Thanks for the mention, I really appreciate that.
In relation to your post though, I’ve found not going out at lunchtime from work is saving me from spending and it makes me look good in front of the boss too…
Matt recently posted..Should I Convert My Car to LPG?
Yeah lunches are a killer on the wallet, have a good weekend Matt!
Thanks for guest posting mate. I hope you get a chance to come back again to spread some of that UK dust around CBB……. Have a great weekend! Mr.CBB
Canadian Budget Binder recently posted..Financial Advisors: 101~Get The Inside Scoop!
I’d love to Mr.CBB, I’m sure my readers would love to hear from you aswell. Have a good weekend mate!
Thanks a lot for mentioning my article.
Sean @ One Smart Dollar recently posted..Will You Be My Frugal Valentine?
No worries Sean.
Oh the insignificants. They do add up fast if you don’t pay attention to them. Thanks for mentioning my post as well as my guest post on WorkSaveLive. I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the weekend.
Grayson @ Debt RoundUp recently posted..Weekly Personal Finance Blog RoundUp – 2/1/2013
No problem Grayson, I enjoyed them both! Have a good weekend.
Thanks for the mention sir! Those little amounts do add up quite quickly don’t they? Luckily for us we work from home most days, so if we can stay off of Amazon then we generally do pretty good!
John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted..Frugal Friday: Blog Posts That Ruled This Week, How Can it Be February Edition?
They certainly do John! I spend a lot of time on the road so find the temptation to spend on little things a regular occurrence. I know what you mean about Amazon especially now I’m on the computer more, enjoy the Superbowl mate.
Thanks for the mention! I don’t focus too much on the insignificant, the sources of temptation are limited here. But it can certainly add up!
Pauline recently posted..Trading currencies as an additional source of income
It looks beautiful out there Pauline, I bet you don’t need to spend much at all to enjoy life over there.
This is a great reminder! The small amounts we spend here and there really do add up. Several years ago, I had to quit going out with the guys for lunch because I realized how much those insignificant $5 lunches were costing me.
Brian @ Luke1428 recently posted..Gambling on Super Bowl XLVII – What I Didn’t Know
Hey Brian, thanks for the comment! You’re right, $100 a month on lunches is a big chunk out of your paycheck.
Oh, SO true! When we added up last year’s “insignificants” we found several thousand dollars had been thrown away. Thanks for a very educational post, MB!
Laurie recently posted..Why Good Personal Finance Management and Prepping Go Hand in Hand
Thanks Laurie, it takes some discipline to cut down the needless spending but if it saves thousands over the year then it has to be worth it.