Impatience is Wasting Our Money

The pace of the world is getting faster and faster – we’re all trying to keep up.  I catch myself spending money to save time – buying lunch at work instead of making one in the morning (not my sharpest time of the day).   This tendency adds up quickly: every time we pay for transportation instead of walking/biking, to even bigger mistakes like not taking the time to shop around the best mortgage rate. 

Sometimes, a key to saving money is to slow down.  If we become a bit more patient and fight the immediacy need, we can save a lot of money (and likely improve quality of life as well).

More ways to slow down:

• Wash your own car. Savings:$30
• Make your coffee at work. Savings: $2+/coffee
• Bringing your lunch to work.Savings: $12
• Buy your produce at farmer’s markets or green grocers.Savings: $10.(Plus your produce will be way better.)
• Walk/bike to instead of transit/uber.Savings: $3-20
• Clean your own place.Savings: $60-100
• Slow cook!Have friends over for dinner instead of going out. Savings:$20/person
• Avoid toll roads – take the long way home.Savings: $20
• Call to have late fees reversed on bank/credit cards (It will work once!).Savings: $30
• Use your in-network ATM’s instead of the closest one.Savings: $3
• Plan your grocery list before you go shopping.Savings:total of what you don’t buy.
• Compare prices before you buy, especially larger items!Savings: up to 30%
• Set a waiting time before buying items, a cooling off period – eg. 48 hours before buying splurge items.

Let us know of other good slow habits!