Small Budget Items that Can Break your Budget

[FallenPixels]

We chat at work, skype kills her data plan

[Tierra Lemieux]

Here in Regina the water is really hard.

Hard water flakes showup up in my aquarium.

It wrecks your faucets too and costs ends up costing you money to replace them.

And some areas have hard water and it is silly to buy your own as it reduces its life

[PurpleBunny89]

the only one on the list we have is bank fees and its all because of DH. If he would just let me manage his account he wouldn't have that issue ... or switch to PC but its beyond my control.

Also, DH does the coffee thing maybe once or twice a week when he is working if he needs it. Seeing as he works 14 hour shifts I don't blame him. Usually we trade for Tim's GC's or he ends up getting a $25-$50 one for birthday and/or christmas so it goes a long way.

[PurpleBunny89]

I'm also going to add to the list movie rentals. At one point we used to spend a insane amount of money on them. You don't realise how much $2.50 + taxes a movie rental adds up several times over a month. Now my library card gets just as much action if not more then my credit card!

[walkonby]

I was on MSN today and they had a great article on how small budget items can break your budget. They include:

• banking fees
• credit card fees
• magazine subscriptions
• water heater rentals
• dry cleaning
• gym club memberships
• land line phones
• transit tickets (rather than a monthly pass)

I have bolded the less obvious ones on this list.

Also convenience fees are mentioned in other articles. For example when a SaskTel recording says " for.75 cents we will complete your call" or "for .50 cents we will notify you when the busy line becomes available."

I am not sure how a land line can be included in affecting one's budget? We only have a land line, nothing else. Never had cell phones ever. My land line is under $30.00 a month, which is the cheapest you can get with Bell, what cell phone is less than that? I have no bells or whistles on my plan, no long distance calls can be made from my land line. ( I insisted on this )
If we had cell phones both DH and I would need one to call each other, so that seems crazier to me?

[Granger]

I don't even drink coffee, but I know how much other ppl spend on it!!! Another budget breaker can be cards...I make my own or go to the dollarstore. I think for many sending cards is going out of fashion...text or Facebook. I am old fashioned in that sense. I do not have my birthday posted on Facebook. It is how I know my real friends...lol.

[PurpleBunny89]

I don't even drink coffee, but I know how much other ppl spend on it!!! Another budget breaker can be cards...I make my own or go to the dollarstore. I think for many sending cards is going out of fashion...text or Facebook. I am old fashioned in that sense. I do not have my birthday posted on Facebook. It is how I know my real friends...lol.

I do this too!!! No one on FB knows my birthday and to be honest I prefer it that way then having my inbox flooded on the day with fake birthday wishes because people feel obligated. 7

We also get cards at the dollarstore.

[coupon girl]

- I pick bestsellers books and put on hold at library and wait til they become available-sometimes 3 will come available and I get 2 put back on hold-freee -only buy the odd time for trips out of province -wouldnt want to lose the book an then I buy at value village or talize

[Frugalbigmama]

When I go to the library I look at the return cart and usually that is far as I go for good reads

[Granger]

I just swapped a book that I had on sale online for the first time. Thinking I will do more of this. Lady was interested and had one I hadn't read by the same author.

[jasperandchar]

The price of a coffee is outrageous, I don't personally like coffees from restaurant including Tim Horton's I like my Folgers brewed at home. We don't have cellphones and we couldn't get them cheap enough or for the cost of our land line and we need a phone for appointments, school contacts, etc and we are rural so service is not good.

[Shwa Girl]

I was on MSN today and they had a great article on how small budget items can break your budget. They include:

• banking fees
• credit card fees
• magazine subscriptions
• water heater rentals
• dry cleaning
• gym club memberships
• land line phones
• transit tickets (rather than a monthly pass)

I have bolded the less obvious ones on this list.

Also convenience fees are mentioned in other articles. For example when a SaskTel recording says " for.75 cents we will complete your call" or "for .50 cents we will notify you when the busy line becomes available."

Good list
At least we can avoid bank fees at ING/Tangerine and PC Financial and others

Rental water heater == we upgraded our rental and they did the piping, brought up to code for 2013, threw out the old one and our bills are lower. We paid nothing for all their work.

Land line phones. We were at our friends with cordless phones. It was thunder and lightning. We were cut off 2 x with one call. And the cell towers are at risk with lightning too.

About gym memberships, around here June is a sale month
= toonie Tuesday gym workouts
= free Fridays
= 10 pass sale in June (10 x workouts)

[Darth Penguin]

Here in Regina the water is really hard.

Hard water flakes showup up in my aquarium.

Saltwater,brackish or fresh??

[beckie.c]

Here in Regina the water is really hard.

Hard water flakes showup up in my aquarium.

It wrecks your faucets too and costs ends up costing you money to replace them.

Agreed. DH is a plumber in Regina, so even though we could get a high-quality WH at cost, he still wants to rent because of how bad the water eats through the anode rods and metal.

I'm definitely guilty of dry-cleaning, but only with my expensive work dresses (where I have paid $200+) and even then I maybe dry clean them 3-4 times per year, since they only get worn for special occasions.

Another 'convenience' type fee I hate are the admin fees attached if you don't pay your home, vehicle, life insurances in one lump sum. I think I spend $150 a year on these fees because we haven't had the cash to pay for these in one large chunk... I'm working on that though.

[thriftygranny]

I 've been following this thread and I have never heard of renting your hot water tank and heater, didn't even know it was an option.Maybe it just isn't done in Alberta?