Have you declared 2012 The Year of Saving Money? Here are some things you should stop paying for.

  • 1

    Coffee


    Even though it may only cost two dollars or so, think about this: If you buy one cup of coffee at $2 per day, five days per week, 52 weeks per year you’re spending $520 per year on coffee. The simple solution here is to just brew your own. I got a coffee maker as a wedding gift and it has been a God send. I have to get up five minutes early to brew it, but big deal. I’d rather get up five minutes early to brew coffee than blow five hundred bucks on it.

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  • 2

    Bottled Water


    Bottled water costs a fortune. Let’s say a 12 pack of regular plain old bottled water costs $5 and you go through a 12 pack per week. That’s $260 per year you're spending on water. Water. Instead, buy a Brita water bottle. It purifies your tap water and costs about $10. You may have to buy a new filter for it every couple of months at a cost of about $8, but that’s $58 a year on water, instead of $260. That’s $202 right in your pocket.

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  • 3

    Subscriptions


    I used to subscribe to a fashion magazine and a gossip magazine to the tune of about $150 a year. I never had a chance to read the magazines so they would just pile up, take up space and collect dust, so when renewal time came, I politely declined. You can usually find the same information on the Internet for free, so if you have magazines or newspapers you never read, get rid of them.

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  • 4

    Landline Phones


    Unless you REALLY need it, get rid of it. Instead, if you haven't already, take advantage of free nationwide long distance on your mobile phone. Most wireless providers offer it and if they don’t, there’s always Skype. Skype has free video chat for Skype users, so instead of just wishing you could fly away and see your loved ones, all you have to do is call them on Skype and you can see them right there on your computer screen. Google Voice also offers international calling for about 10 cents per minute to Europe.

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  • 5

    Cleaning Supplies


    If you have piles and piles and piles of laundry, the money you’re spending on national name brand detergents is also piling up – it’s just in someone else’s wallet. Instead, make your own laundry detergent, or buy your cleaning supplies at the dollar store. They may be slightly diluted, but if it’s a dollar, why not?

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