Here is an insightful article from Bankrate.com about 12 "necessities" that can drain your budget. I've shortened the list and will comment on a select few. Back in the day, "necessities" covered things that were necessary (hence the term) like food, water, and shelter. Yet, in these touch economic times people tend to place necessary value on things like:
1. Daily latte/coffee (bought from a coffee shop)
2. Cable TV
3. Manicures/Pedicures
4. Botox
5. Bottled Water
6. Second Car
7. Lawn Service
8. (Expensive) Clothes
9. Childhood Parties
10. Cell Phone
11. Private School
12. Pet Grooming
Comments:
1. I don't get the whole coffee thing, let along getting it every day. Is it the ambiance people are paying for? It's just coffee, and I bet you could get it for cheaper by (as Bankrate suggests) making it at home.
2. I have cable TV and DVR and would probably be the first thing to go if I had to make serious budget pare-backs. That could easily save you 1,000 per year easy.
4. Who thinks botox is a necessity? This is definitely the "outlier" on the list if you ask me.
5. Bottled water isn't what it's all cracked up to be. As mentioned in the article, tap water isn't all that bad, especially if you buy a filter of some sort. Just because water is in a bottle doesn't mean its any cleaner/better. I agree with them here.
10. My cell phone plan is fairly affordable, and its the only phone I have. I haven't had a land line in over 5 years. Yikes, it's scary how long it's been. I'm rarely home except in the evenings, so it usually works out. However, with these "get everything for $99" plans I see now, I still think premium cell phone service is overpriced.
I don't have kids yet, no pets, no car, and no lawn. Those things will come, but I think the theory of look for smart options should be your guide here. Instead of private schools, consider Charter Schools or Magnet Schools which are (usually) better-performing and in most cases, free. And besides, you're already paying for public school, just look for a quality one. As for those other things, I'll speak on them when I have more experience with them. Perhaps readers with children can shed some light.
1. Daily latte/coffee (bought from a coffee shop)
2. Cable TV
3. Manicures/Pedicures
4. Botox
5. Bottled Water
6. Second Car
7. Lawn Service
8. (Expensive) Clothes
9. Childhood Parties
10. Cell Phone
11. Private School
12. Pet Grooming
Comments:
1. I don't get the whole coffee thing, let along getting it every day. Is it the ambiance people are paying for? It's just coffee, and I bet you could get it for cheaper by (as Bankrate suggests) making it at home.
2. I have cable TV and DVR and would probably be the first thing to go if I had to make serious budget pare-backs. That could easily save you 1,000 per year easy.
4. Who thinks botox is a necessity? This is definitely the "outlier" on the list if you ask me.
5. Bottled water isn't what it's all cracked up to be. As mentioned in the article, tap water isn't all that bad, especially if you buy a filter of some sort. Just because water is in a bottle doesn't mean its any cleaner/better. I agree with them here.
10. My cell phone plan is fairly affordable, and its the only phone I have. I haven't had a land line in over 5 years. Yikes, it's scary how long it's been. I'm rarely home except in the evenings, so it usually works out. However, with these "get everything for $99" plans I see now, I still think premium cell phone service is overpriced.
I don't have kids yet, no pets, no car, and no lawn. Those things will come, but I think the theory of look for smart options should be your guide here. Instead of private schools, consider Charter Schools or Magnet Schools which are (usually) better-performing and in most cases, free. And besides, you're already paying for public school, just look for a quality one. As for those other things, I'll speak on them when I have more experience with them. Perhaps readers with children can shed some light.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment