Remember all those resolutions? Well… it’s time to get to work on them. I paid bills this morning and let me tell you–it was depressing.
Since I’m not going to be making more money any time soon, I need to start making some adjustments in my spending. Here are the corners I think I can easily cut (I figure if I publish them here, I’m more likely to follow through):
Netflix– We’ve already determined that I’m horrible at watching the movies I have. I just checked my Netflix account and I’ve had them at home since September. Time to either get rid of it all together or downgrade. Potential Savings: $16.99/month if I cancel; $8.99/month if I downgrade to one movie at a time.
Magazine subscriptions– I currently subscribe to both People and Entertainment Weekly, yet I rarely read both of them every week. I could always borrow from friends or pick up an occasional issue at the newstand. Potential Savings: People is approximately $10/month (for the yearly plan), so I’m guessing EW is similar. I could save a total of $20-$25/month if I cancelled both.
Cable– I spent $92/month on cable and internet. I have digital cable and HBO, but I rarely watch TV. Yes, the new season of Big Love started this week, and I enjoyed True Blood when it was on. But is it really worth the extra $13/month? Also, if I downgrade to “basic” cable, I could save another $38.50 Potential savings: $13.00-$51.50
Cell phone– Believe it or not, I need to upgrade my cell phone plan. Here’s the thing. I have a super cheap phone plan. I have a ton of talk minutes, but I do not have unlimited texting. So I end up paying extra money every month for texting charges. So I think if I get a higher monthly texting plan, I’ll actually end up saving money. Potential savings: I’m not 100% sure, but I’m guessing $50/month. Maybe more.
With these small sacrifices, I could save $92- $144 per month, which would more than pay for my car insurance and garbage pickup! And that’s without really giving up anything major. I can live without cable TV and celebrity magazines, right? Maybe I’ll even read more books. I’ll have to get them from the library, though.
Anyone have any other “painless” suggestions? I don’t regularly drink $4 lattes or get weekly mani/pedis, so that’s not a problem. Also, don’t bother reccomending cutting coupons or shopping at Goodwill–it’s not going to happen. TJ Maxx is a stretch for me.