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KW: bad money habits
Big or small, some financial habits can zap a solid financial plan and leave smart savers with empty wallets. To avoid buyer's remorse and similar guilt about neglecting your finances, check out these 40 bad money habits to avoid.
1. Not Checking Your Credit Report
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check credit report
People with top-tier credit ratings qualify for the lowest finance rates when car or home shopping. Over a 30-year term, a quarter of a percentage point can add up to thousands of dollars. Check your credit history regularly and clean up any problems as soon as they arise.
2. Leasing Your Car
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leasing a car
A 2015 report by car comparison site Edmonds.com found that the overall cost of leasing can be almost $10,000 more than the cost of buying a similar car used and more and about $5,000 more than buying the same car new. And that’s for a mid-priced Honda Accord. Drop the lease and invest the difference, and you can boost your overall financial scenario.
3. Ignoring a 401k Match
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401k match
One in four employees doesn’t save enough to receive the full 401k match provided by his employer, according to a 2015 report by investment advisory firm Financial Engines. That means the average employee leaves $1,336 in his employer’s coffers each year. That’s like telling your boss you didn’t want a pay raise this year.
4. Paying Yourself Last
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budget
“I've been guilty of this, which is why I preach about it all the time,” said Amanda Abella, business coach for millennials and author of Amazon bestseller “Make Money Your Honey.” “If I don't give myself money first (for savings, personal bills, or investing), then I notice I tend to spend more on business expenses within the month because I feel like I have the money to do so.”
5. Going Out for Lunch
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brown bag lunch
A 2013 survey by Visa found that the average American eats out 1.8 times per week and spends about $10 each time. Over a year, that adds up to a staggering $936. No need to waste money on lunches out when a brown bag lunch is cheaper and, if packed correctly, can be more nutritious, too.
6. Drinking Fancy Coffee
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latte factor
David Bach’s famous latte factor made Americans aware of what their coffee habits are doing to their bottom lines. A $4 cup of joe per day comes out to almost $240,000, when compounded at 6 percent for 40 years. Check out your own personal latte factor using Bach's online Latte Factor calculator.
7. Using Store Credit Cards
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store credit cards
Retail stores are notorious for offering a discount on an initial purchase if you sign up for the store card. While that 10 percent or 20 percent discount might sound sweet when you’re standing at the checkout line, signing up is far from a good idea.
They’re not doing it to be nice, said Daniel Zajak, certified financial planner and partner with SimoneZajak Wealth Management Group in Exton, Pa. “They know that most of their customers will not pay off the card and they will make up the discount and more in interest payments,” he said. Instead, Zajak suggests shoppers bypass the discount and instead start to track expenses and debt.
8. Overdrafting Your Account
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overdraft
Are you wasting money on overdraft fees? America’s three largest banks — JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo — raked in more than $1.1 billion in overdraft fees alone in just the first three months of the year. Stop lining the pockets of bank presidents and set up overdraft protection. Or, just be sure to monitor your accounts to make sure funds for any outstanding checks are covered.
9. Keeping Your Gym Membership
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gym membership
Your unused gym membership — whether economically or over-priced — is not a good deal if you’re not actually using it. According to a recent episode of Planet Money on NPR, attracting members who won’t actually come is a strategic move by many gym owners.
Most gyms hold about 300 people but the average Planet fitness has 6500 members, the show said. The reason this model works is because only a small fraction of members use the facilities on more than a semi-regular basis. The secret it to know yourself. If you’re not going to work out, skip the gym payment.
10. Accepting Bad Checks
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returned check fee
One of the newest fees levied by banks is a bounced check fee – applied to the person who tried to cash the check. That’s right — some banks are starting to assess a fee for recipients of checks that represent accounts with insufficient funds. The solution? Make sure anyone writing you a check has sufficient funds in their account. If you can.
11. Not Having Health Insurance
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health insurance
“Young people, especially men, often think that they're invincible and don't need health insurance,” said Steven Fox, financial planner in San Diego with Next Gen Financial Planning. “However, unexpected tragedies like a car accident or bad sports injury could result in significant financial setbacks on top of the other problems.”
Alternatively, college aged students can remain their parents' health insurance until age 26, sign up for their school's health program, or buy low-cost catastrophic coverage from commercial carriers, he added.
12. Ditching Your Change
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spare change
For those of us who still use cash when out and about, the amount of change we receive on a daily basis can add up over time. Don’t just disregard your coins. Instead, save them in a jar and periodically bring them to your bank for sorting and deposit. You’ll be surprised at how much you save over time.
13. Smoking Cigarettes
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smoking cigarettes
As many as 42 million Americans still smoke cigarettes today. A pack of smokes costs between $5.25 and $12.85, depending on where you live. At a half a pack a day, that’s anywhere between $268,000 and $656,000 over the course of 40 years, assuming you’d invested that money at 8 percent instead. Calculate your own potential savings here.
14. Signing Up for a Premium Auto Loan
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new car auto loan rates
“Being approved for a $20,000 auto loan doesn't mean that your budget for a car is $20,000,” said Fox. That money needs to be repaid, he added, and young people pay a very high cost to borrow at an early stage in life. “Spending should be determined by a well thought out budget, not by the size of a line of credit,” he said.
15. Falling for a Bait and Switch
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bait and switch
Ever bring a sale item to the cash register to find it’s not actually on sale? Ever take a cab and get hit with a fare that’s higher than expected? Avoid the bait and switch by saying no to items that don’t turn out to be on sale and by asking cab drivers for a fare estimate upfront.
16. Not Using a Budget
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how to budget
It’s easy to spend extra money when you don’t have a plan for each of your dollars. A budget can be boring, sure, but it can also net you a beach-side retirement 10 years early, if implemented correctly.
17. Making Impulse Purchases
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impulse purchase
Adding a pack of gum to your shopping cart at the grocery store may not seem like a big deal but that’s not the only place impulse shopping takes place. Online retailers have added new tricks to entice you to return your abandoned shopping cart (received one of those emails lately?) or making it easier than ever to make purchases (like in-store pick-up). Those unplanned for expenses can easily burst a well-planned budget, if not kept in check.
18. Carrying Credit Card Debt
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credit card debt
Double digit credit card interest rates are the norm, which means those who carry a balance are taking a serious hit to their wealth. “By making the minimum suggested payments, you’ll continue to pay that high interest rate for many years, said Zajak. “I encourage clients to get their debt paid off as quickly as possible. Once that is complete, direct that money into another savings or investment vehicle and start amassing real wealth.”
19. Having Wine With Dinner
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BYOB restaurants
Buying wine with dinner is a pricey proposition. Restaurateurs routinely markup bottles by three times the wholesale price – sometimes more. Who’s paying the price? Diners, of course. Consider a BYOB instead or, if you can bear it, skip the wine altogether.
20. Not Keeping an Emergency Fund
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emergency fund
Without an emergency safety net in place, it’s easy to break out the credit cards and ruin a well-thought-out budget if the car breaks down or the roof leaks. Having an emergency cushion of three to six months of expenses can keep your plan in place when unexpected events occur.
21. Buying Groceries Without a List
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grocery shopping list
Those who shop without a list can easily fall prey to grocery shop creep, the phenomenon that happens when you add just one more thing to your cart – several times per trip. You probably don’t need chocolate covered pretzels or frozen waffles. Having a list keeps you from running afoul of your spending plan and spending more than anticipated.
22. Not Tracking 'Invisible' Expenses
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compare mortgage rates
“It's easy to scrutinize your tangible expenses, like groceries and gas,” said Paula Pant, entrepreneur, investor, and author of the Afford Anything blog. “But many people let money leak from their 'invisible' bills, like insurance premiums and mortgage interest.”
Pant suggests consumers take one day per year to shop for competing insurance plans and mortgage rates. “These expenses can move the needle far more than shaving 10 cents at the pump ever could,” she said.
23. Your Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
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facebook
“You need to turn off social media sometimes so that you don't always cave to FOMO,” said Martin Dasko, author of “Next Round’s On Me, How to Achieve Financial Freedom in Your 20s” and the Studenomics blog. “This dangerous habit convinces you that you're always missing out and that you need to participate in everything. It's okay to stay in. It's okay to do your own thing. You're not always going to miss out.”
24. Paying for Monthly Subscription Services
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netflix
Online streaming services can easily add up, especially if you don’t take the time to monitor how many monthly fees you’re racking up. If you’re not using them, cancel one of all of your Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, and Pandora accounts.
25. Splitting Lunch With a Friend
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split the bill
“It might be a bit easier, simpler, and faster to divide the bill evenly — but doing so has cost me more,” said Jason Vitug, founder at Phroogal. “There was a time I was in a very tight budget but still wanted to eat with friends,” he said, adding that his bill would have totaled $10 with tip and tax. When he was asked to split the bill and pay $25 — which would have covered the meals and drinks of his friends— he objected. “The jokes followed, but I managed to break the social dining habit and help my finances,” he said.
26. Not Automating Your Payments
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mobile banking
One of the cornerstones to savvy money management is in savings and payment automation. “I automate retirement, savings, credit card payments, and more,” said Abella. “If someone isn't automating, then they are just more likely to miss financial goals or miss payments.”
27. Keeping Up With the Joneses
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keeping up with the jones
Trying to keep up with appearances and meet the financial spending patterns of those around you is a recipe for disaster. “People generally think they spend less than they actually do,” said Chad Smith, CFP with Financial Symmetry in Raleigh, NC. “Buying bigger houses, cars, and other toys can easily blow past spending targets originally assumed in financial plans.”
Those who find true happiness don’t find it at the bottom on a Neiman Marcus shopping bag. Instead, according to recent research, day-to-day contentment is a feature of financial security.
28. Increasing Your Standard of Living
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iphone 6
Photo credit: Hadrian / Shutterstock.com
“Too often, once people learn they are getting a raise, mental planning begins of how they can finally buy the next thing they’ve been waiting,” said Smith. If they saved most (if not all of the raise) instead of buying a new iPhone, he suggested, many people could reach financial independence much sooner than expected.
29. Window-Shopping
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window shopping
There is some real wisdom to the line of thought that if you don’t see it, you won’t want it. “Avoid window shopping and you'll spend less. It's amazing how ‘need to have’ pops into my head when I'm shopping,” said Roger P. Whitney, CPF with WWK Wealth Advisors in Fort Worth, TX.
If you simply remove temptation, you’re much more likely to spend less.
30. Assuming Life Will Always Be Like It Is Today
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financial plan
Not planning for future downfalls is the biggest habit that can sabotage a financial plan, said debt freedom expert Jackie Beck. It’s easy to assume life will always be as rosy as it is today but, for some people, that won’t be the case. If you don’t plan for life’s downside, “you don't leave room for error, unexpected events, or emergencies -- and that can wreak havoc on your budget,” she said.
31. Not Checking in With Your Partner
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joint bank account
Couples who don’t make a plan to check in with each about spending choices run the risk of ruining a financial plan. Elle Martinez, founder of Couple Money, suggests a check-in for purchases over a certain dollar amount (she likes $100).
“Double dipping into the joint account can quickly drain things, so keeping one another in the loop is essential,” she said.
32. Not Keeping Track of Your Cash Flow
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track spending
“Not everyone is into budgeting, but at the very least you need to understand where you're spending your money,” said Martinez. “Free services like Mint and Personal Capital make it simple to set things up so if you get updates on your balances and spending.”
33. Not Asking for Raise
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how to ask for a raise
“If you are being underpaid or are underemployed your focus should be on getting a raise, finding a side hustle, or looking for a new job,” said Kelly Whalen, founder of The Centsible Life. “You should always be looking for ways to earn more to help you increase your savings and reach your financial goals,” she added.
34. Your Brand Loyalty
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apple watch
Brand loyal customers often get first crack at coupons and special deals but they’re also more likely to spend on things they don’t truly need. Those who shop exclusively for a particular brand are at risk for sabotaging a financial plan, said Tai McNeely, co-founder and financial educator at His and Her Money.
“I know someone that loves Apple products so much, that every time a new product comes out, he has to get it,” she said. Buying an expensive product you don’t need, just because it’s newly available, it a sure fire way to overspend.
35. Going to Happy Hour
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happy hour
It’s easy to get in the habit of relying on food and drink to decompress after a long day at work. “I'd grab a drink with friends more often than I realized,” said Jim Wang, founder at Wallet Hacks. “Spending $20 for a bunch of cocktails with friends isn't a big deal, until you do it half a dozen times in a month and you wonder where that money disappeared to.”
36. Using an Out-of-Network ATM
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atm fees
Automated teller machines can charge up to several dollars per withdrawal, and that amount can really add up. Three dollars per week can add up to $156 for the year, the cost of a fancy dinner out with a loved one – or an extra deposit into an individual retirement account. You choose.
37. Not Planning Ahead for Expected Needs
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valet parking
“A lot of spending is due to last-minute decisions,” said Carey Ransom, Chief Exploration Officer at Payoff. “You're going somewhere and you forget to bring water or a snack. You forget your umbrella and get stuck in the rain. You are late getting somewhere and have to park in a premium spot.”
Add many of those items up and you might just blow your budget, he added.
38. Your App Purchases
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app purchases
Photo Credit: Anatolii Babii
In the list of things to waste money on, iPhone and android apps easily top the list. Those $1.99 purchases seem inexpensive enough but they can quickly add up – especially if you have kids who are adding to the overall purchase price. Consider free app downloads exclusively or cap yourself and your family with a monthly app budget.
39. Neglecting Maintenance
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car maintenance
Any solid spending plan should include budget money for home and auto maintenance. Worn weather stripping, a poorly maintained HVAC unit, or a clogged fan belt can create a bigger financial burden than the immediate cost savings that comes with letting routine maintenance slide.
40. Not Allowing Yourself Some Wiggle Room
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saving money
“If you try too hard to stick to a budget or plan, it can backfire,” said Valerie Rind, author of Gold Diggers and Deadbeat Dads. Instead, know that your plan a roadmap. If you veer off track every once in a while, accept that happens. Don’t beat yourself and you’re more likely to get back on track right away.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 40 Money Habits That Can Leave You Broke