Why should you stop overpaying for these items?

If you are planning to save some money, one thing you can do is stop overpaying. We do this on a daily basis with many items, but it is easy to avoid if you know what to not buy.

There are a lot of products and services you may be overpaying for, and we are here to tell you all about them. If you stop paying more than needed for these things, you will have more money to use for other stuff or even to save them.

It is essential to know how much you are spending on the things you are buying. If you are not aware of this, it is extremely hard to estimate how much money you are going to spend in a month.

Read on and find out how to stop overpaying for items and services that are not worth it!

1. Brand-name drugs

As anyone, you probably need medicine, and you have prescriptions from your doctor. And even if you don’t have it, you might need to buy something from the drug store from time to time, such as OTC medication and so on, if you have a headache or a cold.

But there is an extremely important factor when you go to the pharmacy to buy what you need. Do you reach for brand-name drugs or for generics? This is what makes the difference. Stop overpaying, and whenever possible, buy generics.

The pharmaceutical companies are part of a big scheme of businesses, and they spend enormous amounts of money to make you buy brand-name drugs. All of the ads and the campaigns are not cheap.

So step back before your next purchase and choose to stop overpaying. Buy generic instead because all of them are approved by the FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and all of them have the same duality, stability, purity, and strength as the big brand names.

2. Credit cards

At some point, many people need more money, and they decide that a credit card is the solution. And indeed, a credit card can help you big time and can also offer you some great advantages.

But banks will do everything they can to make you spend more money, and because of this, you need to stop overpaying and not let yourself be fooled by the travel perks, cash back, and any other things like these.

When you see offers that promise you to get money back or other benefits, you might ignore the high-interest rates that you will have to pay for those credit cards. If you carry a debt monthly, the interest will cost you far more than the incentives that you receive.

When you have a credit card, the smart thing to do is to pay it down as fast as you can. If this is not possible, you can try a no-interest credit card. In this way, you will make sure that while you are paying for it, you won’t incur more interest, and there will also be no more changes because the rates are 0%.

3. Magazine subscriptions

Maybe you missed flipping the pages of a magazine, and this made you purchase a magazine subscription. There is nothing bad about doing this, but how much do you read those magazines? Do you spend the time to actually enjoy them, or do you just flip through their pages for 10–15 minutes and then toss them in the recycle bin?

No one looks at all the gossip and celebrity wedding photos more than once. So, we believe it is not worth a subscription. Maybe if you buy a cooking magazine or one that has to do something with DIY or a hobby of yours, it might be a good purchase, but otherwise, we advise you to stop overpaying and cancel that magazine subscription.

4. Digital books and book downloads

Reading is amazing, and if you enjoy this activity, you should know that it is beneficial for your brain and can help you avoid dementia. But the next question is, where do you get your books from? Do you have a Kindle or any other device, and do you prefer to read them in digital format?

If this is the case, it is important to know what approach you take when buying the books. If you pay big bucks for them, you should stop overpaying and be aware that you can get many digital books for free or for less money.

For example, check out your local library website and see what they have to offer. Many times, you can get almost any best seller you desire for free. So, if this is possible, why not take advantage of it?

Another thing we want to ask you is: do you have an Amazon Prime membership? These days, almost anyone has such a membership, and if you are a big fan of reading, you should know that you can get free access to a library of hundreds of e-books by using the Prime Reading feature.

5. Bottled water

Water is an essential need for anyone. You can’t just give up on water; everything is going to be okay. Now, everybody has their routine when it comes to water, but you should know a few things about the bottled water industry.

Yeah, we know that the big companies advertise it as fresh spring water that is crisp and will make you feel more hydrated than ever, but is all of this true? Most of the time, no. Is it just water that comes from the ground, exactly like the water you drink from your kitchen sink?

So, why spend money on bottled water when you can use the water from your faucet? Obviously, when this is possible, sometimes the quality of the water may not be the best, and if this is the case, you don’t need to risk your health.

When the taste of water is not the best but you know for sure that the water is safe to drink, you can still find some methods that will help you stop overpaying. Buy a faucet filter or a pitcher filter, and this will help you get more crisp water.

6. Phone plan

When you decide to subscribe to a new phone plan, you need to be very careful because this can be really tricky. You can’t just go into the first shop around the corner and take the first plan that seems to be the most suitable for you.

The sales assistant has the job of making you pay as much as possible, and this is why you need to navigate all of this carefully because it might be full of traps. You don’t want to end up paying more than needed on a phone plan.

So, stop overpaying, and before subscribing to a plan, do your research first and find out what the best plan is for you. Check out all of the providers, and don’t just stick to the one that is more familiar to you.

If you don’t want to spend money on bottled water anymore, one thing that might help you is a portable water bottle. You can buy one from Amazon for an accessible price: Sahara Sailor Water Bottles, 32oz

You should also read: 9 Benefit Programs for Seniors to Lower Their Expenses