We don’t intend to hurt anyone’s feelings by saying you’re lazy, but all of us have a few areas in which we could try a little harder. Face it: being lazy has cost us financially. We’ve made bad decisions and moves simply because we didn’t put a little more work into finding alternatives or we just went with the first option to get it over with.
Let’s take a look at 5 ways being lazy can hurt us financially:
1) Going to the Wrong ATMs
Do you often need to stop at the ATM to grab some cash? Most of the time, we’ve had to pay large fees to do just that. The average amount people are paying to pull money out of the ATM is $4.25. That might not seem like a lot, but it really adds up over time! If you use ATMs associated with your bank, most of the time, those transactions are free. This really shows how not just settling for any ATM can cost us in the long run.
2) Stopping by the Convenience Store
Yes, these stores are, well, convenient! The last thing you want to do is stop by the grocery store on your way home. Instead, you might stop at one of these stores or even at a Rite Aid or Walgreens to grab that gallon of milk or a few other items. The problem with this is, these stores overcharge for the convenience they offer. What only costs $2 at the grocery store can be $7 at a convenience establishment. Regularly stopping at these places means you are vastly overpaying for these items.
3) Bothering with Online Meal Kits
Millions of people order their food online through Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, and other companies. It might seem convenient as you get precise ingredients sent directly to your door. But recent surveys found that people who use these companies spend 21% more than you would if you just bought them yourself at the grocery store. Again, it’s all about the convenience of having the food shipped to your door, so it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the extra cost. You’re certainly not saving money by going this route.
4) Ignoring Your Junk Mail
Most of the time, we immediately toss our junk mail. We get a lot of it, so it can be difficult to sort through it all, but by doing exactly that you can save yourself a lot of money. Stores have weekly sales and clearances. You can save a ton of money every week, taking advantage of the sales and knowing which stores to shop at.
5) Cut Your Own Fruits and Veggies
Have you ever gone to the store and bought fruits and veggies because they were already pre-cut? It can be a hassle doing it yourself, but you can end up paying as much as three times the price. Again, the convenience factor really adds to the price.
