Everyone has one, how much you choose to indulge in it is your choice. In many cases, they aren’t expensive, but can get expensive if you find yourself indulging too often.
I’m referring to purchases that are considered by many to be luxuries, but in some cases have become daily habits, habits that are hard to break.
Energy Drinks
First on the list is a habit that both Humble Timothy and I have had and overcame. Originally it started out as the occasional energy drink when we were really tired and needed to stay awake.
Harmless enough right? Well eventually the delicious drink replaced all the other beverages in our house, and we were drinking one or more a day, quickly becoming a $100+ a month addiction! Glad we nipped that one in the behind!
Salon Visits
Let’s get our hair done! Manicures and pedicures anyone? How about a bronzy spray tan? It’s hard for any woman to deny that it’s nice to feel pampered every once in a while, but this habit starts getting out of hand when you’re visiting the salon every 3 weeks to have your highlights maintained, every 2 weeks to get your acrylic nails filled, or every day to keep up that summer glow.
My suggestion is to buy your own hair coloring kit, if it’s that important to you, learn to apply acrylic nails at home, and get acquainted to the good old outdoors again.
Lunch Out
Sure it’s nice to go out to a restaurant during your lunch break, but once you’re making it a daily habit, you’ll find your paycheck won’t be lasting nearly as long! Chicken Caesar salad, iced tea, and tip, you’re easily looking at roughly $10-$15, and that’s just one day! With that said, skip the burger and fries, the fancy salad bars, and the little bistro around the corner, and bring your lunch instead!
Going Browsing
Another habit I still have a hard time breaking, going browsing. Browsing is different than shopping. When you shop, it’s because you’re looking for something, something you need, something you want, whatever the case, you know why you’re at the store and you know what you’re looking for.
Browsing is when you go to the store, but don’t have a particular purchase in mind, you’re just there to look around. This doesn’t sound like an expensive habit, but it can be because while you’re just looking around, something might catch your attention and suddenly you’ve caught the Browsing Bug. Before you know it, you go out browsing and come home with bags of stuff you don’t need. Now tell me browsing isn’t expensive…
Video Gaming
Video gaming can be a very expensive habit that’s both addictive and hard to break! Not only do the video games, consoles, and subscriptions add up, but also consider gaming’s opportunity cost. You’re spending hours a week, perhaps even hours a day, playing video games for entertainment, when you could be doing something productive…
Coffee Shops
The final and most obvious habit on my list is also the most common. You wake up and and drink your morning cup of joe before heading off to work. I understand. But if you’re enjoying your cup of coffee from a coffee shop rather than your own brewer at home, you could be looking an very pricey habit!
In fact, I recently read an interesting article from Yahoo about how much a Starbucks habit can cost you. If you buy a $4 beverage everyday, an average price at this particular coffee shop, you’ll end up spending nearly $1,500 a year on coffee, and that’s only one cup a day!
Conclusion
It’s okay to enjoy the occasional Mocha Latte or the lunch out at the barbecue place across the street, but when it starts becoming a daily routine, something has to change.
For us, the easiest way to induce change was when we took a look at our monthly spending. When we saw ourselves spending $100 a month on energy drinks, we were so freaked out that we swore off energy drinks and haven’t bought a single once since!
Do you suffer from the Browsing Bug or any of other expensive habits listed above? What about any habits not mentioned? How do you work to control your spending? Let us know in the comments!