If you're constantly wondering where your money is going, consider how much your daily habits are costing you.
Do you drop $10 to $15 on fast-casual lunches every day? Are you quick to buy something you don't actually need? Do you make purchases to keep up with the same level of luxury your friends enjoy?
These seemingly small habits, and many more, could be keeping you from saving hundreds, even thousands, of dollars a year.
We turned to the Quora threads, "What habit has saved you the largest amount of money?" and "What are some lifestyle changes that save money?" to round up the best — and easiest — ways people save money every day.
SEE ALSO: 15 times it's worth spending a little more
Learn the difference between saving a dollar and saving a percentage.
Quora user Jaap Weel writes:
"Remember that saving 5% on a $10,000 item is not at all like saving 5% on a $10 item. But in order to process decision problems at different scales, the brain tends to normalize things so the two cases appear similar.
"Ever since I studied behavioral economics, I started spending less time worrying about saving 20 cents on spaghetti, but I spent a lot of time thinking about what car to buy and making sure I got a good deal on it. You can buy a lot of spaghetti for a $4k discount on a car, and yet I see people who spend lots of time on grocery coupon clipping but never stop to consider whether they could move to a cheaper apartment, drive a cheaper car, etc."
Do-it-yourself.
Quora user Betsy Megas writes:
"I enjoy the challenge of learning new skills and the satisfaction of accomplishing tasks. Among the things I've gotten pretty good at: basic plumbing, interior painting, sewing, bike maintenance, baking, cooking. I'm still working on gardening, and I think I'd like to learn and improve basic construction skills (I'd like to build a deck or patio and repair some fences) and maybe learn about building PCs. Here again, I see it as both entertainment and expense avoidance. Occasionally also exercise."
Practice delayed gratification.
Quora user Angela Recruiter writes:
"When you are shopping and your heart leaps at the sight of xyz product, and you think it's love at first sight...WAIT. Save it, bookmark it. Come back to it hours later, then a day later, then days later and gauge, each time, how or whether your level of "pumpity-pump" interests stays the same, declines, etc. Never buy on impulse. Sleep on it. Ask yourself: Do you think it'll make you happy a month from its purchase? A few months? A year? Years?"
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