Thrifty shoppers are always looking for ways to save money whenever possible, whether by cutting weekly or monthly spending, or by stretching your dollar through sales and coupons.
But take heed, because some common efforts to save actually result in wasting money.
Changing the way you shop, switching to a different financial service, and more — all under the guise of saving — can often be more detrimental than you might think. Instead, think twice and avoid these common pitfalls.
Switching Banks
Why You Think It Saves Money: "Why am I paying all these bank account fees? I'm going to switch banks for a free checking account and more ATMs."
How You Can Overspend: Despite last year's fervor for Bank Transfer Day, switching banks can be costly. You can easily incur overdraft fees from un-posted or pre-written checks and from transitioning automatic bill payments and direct deposits. New deposit requirements or availability policies can result in low-balance fees while you learn how to maintain "free" checking accounts.
Smarter Saving: Find a bank that offers free checking with no requirements and a ready-made bank "switch kit." Keep your old checking account open for several months until you are certain all automatic payments and checks have cleared.
Spending for Rewards
Why You Think It Saves Money: "I get cash back for things I buy anyway, so put it on the credit card."
How You Can Overspend: According to a recent Nilson Report, average monthly spending on a non-rewards credit card totaled $465; with rewards, it reached $890. Clearly, it's easy to feel compelled to spend more when you think that you're earning rewards. But be careful, balances carried over can quickly eclipse rewards as you'll have to pay off interest on your principle balance. Personal finance experts warn, also, that mental accounting weakens with credit card spending. You'll likely have a harder time keeping track of what you're charging, than if you were paying for everything in cash.
Smarter Saving: Stick to your shopping budget and always pay off credit card balances before their due date. For rotating rewards categories, spend only in those higher-paying categories (for example, 5% on groceries vs. 1% on gas). Search for a reward credit card with no rewards expiration dates and no annual fees.
Sharing Your Max Monthly Payment
Why You Think It Saves Money: "The salesman will stick to my monthly payment budget if I tell him what it is."
How You Can Overspend: Rather than offering you the best price for an item (paid for in installments, like a car or loan), salesmen often try to bloat the package cost so that it reaches (or goes slightly over) your max budget. If they know you're willing to spend a certain amount each month, you can bet they won't opt to undersell you.
Smarter Saving: Stay focused on cutting the overall price of your purchase so that you'll end up with a lower monthly payment. Don't let salespeople pack any extras into your plan.
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