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If you find yourself looking at your bank account week after week, wondering what is happening to all your money, you’re not alone.
About 65% of Americans have no clue how much they spent last month, according to financial tech company Intuit.
But once you get organized, even minor changes in your habits can save you hundreds of dollars a month. And we’re not talking about making your coffee at home or canceling your subscriptions.
If you want to see where you’re really going wrong, check out these everyday things you’re overpaying for.
Big-box stores are overcharging you
It's hard to feel confident you're getting the best price on whatever you're buying when there's thousands of stores on the internet.
You can't check everywhere, which is why most people just give up and pay whatever Amazon is charging.
With the Capital One Shopping browser extension, you don't have to sacrifice savings for convenience.
After taking a few seconds to install it on your computer, the tool will automatically search for better prices at tens of thousands of other retailers before you hit checkout. It even scans for coupon codes and takes shipping into account.
The MoneyWise editorial team was able to find hundreds in savings on a list of 10 things they were saving up for. Those savings could be yours in just 30 seconds.
Click here to start saving now.
Overpaying for car insurance
It's easy to set and forget your insurance bills. You find a good price, set up automatic payments and promptly forget all about them.
However, premiums change all the time. Experts say you need to shop around every six months to ensure you're still getting the best deal.
SmartFinancial can help you find a lower rate on your current coverage in minutes.
Just answer a few quick questions about yourself, your car and your driving record, and SmartFinancial will instantly sort through more than 200 insurance companies to find you lower prices in your area.
Comparing car insurance rates with SmartFinancial is totally free, so even if you’re just curious, check it out and see how much you can save.
Wasting money on banking fees
When it comes to traditional banking, you’re bound to end up paying more than you’d like — monthly account fees, withdrawal fees and ATM fees all eat into your savings.
A banking alternative called Aspiration can help you cut those costs. Technically a broker-dealer offering “cash-management accounts,” it acts as a one-stop-shop for investing, saving and spending.
Because it’s not a bank, Aspiration doesn’t charge any service or ATM fees. They’ll actually give you money back — with a Spend & Save account, you can earn up to 10% cash back on certain purchases with your Aspiration debit card.
Your conscious spending has wider impacts, as well. Aspiration Plus offers Planet Protection, which offsets carbon emissions from any gas purchases you make using carbon credits.
If that’s not enough incentive, how about free money? When you sign up for Aspiration with our special link you can get $150 cash back when you spend $1,000 with your new debit card.
Stop paying fees and start earning cash today.
Costly health insurance
Americans spend way more on health care than anyone else. The average resident spends $10,966 per year, according to the Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF — that’s 42% more than the average in Switzerland, the next wealthy country down the list.
Still, you can't just go without health insurance. Even with some extra cash saved up, a medical emergency for you or a family member can wipe that away in a flash. So what can you do?
With SmartFinancial, finding affordable health insurance is easy. The site will sift through dozens and dozens of providers to find you the absolute best rate for the level of coverage you need.
All you have to do is answer a few quick questions, and SmartFinancial will take care of the complicated comparisons for you. The whole process only takes a few minutes and is completely free.
Overpriced premiums for your home
Unless you’ve had to make a claim, you probably haven’t thought about your homeowners insurance since you signed up.
You might have tracked down the best price back then, but premiums change pretty frequently. If you end up overpaying for years on end, you might as well pay for that leaky roof yourself.
SmartFinancial will automatically compare quotes from over 200 insurance companies for you. It can even check for discounts to help you find the best rate in your area.
Save yourself hundreds by switching to a new insurance company.
Start investing with as little as $5
The first lesson many of us learn about money is that spare change adds up. But how can you take advantage of that when few people are using cash these days?
Even if you do most of your shopping online or with a card, you can make better use of your digital dimes and nickels.
Acorns is an investing service and savings tool rolled into one.
When you make a purchase on your credit or debit card, Acorns automatically rounds up the price to the nearest dollar and places the excess — the coins that would wind up in your pocket if you were paying cash — into a smart investment portfolio.
Signing up for Acorns takes less than five minutes, and you can start saving automatically for just $3 a month. Plus, if you sign up with our special link, Acorns will add $10 to your account as soon as you make your first investment.