Cutting these could save you hundreds.
10 Sneaky Expenses Draining Your Bank Account
Staff Writer, Jasmine Williams, covers a variety of topics from home decor to beauty and everything in between. She has bylines at Motherly, The Everymom, and Byrdie where she wrote about motherhood, beauty, health and relationships. Jasmine knew she wanted to be a writer when she realized she was actually interested in reading the articles in her mom's favorite magazines — and she may or may not have ripped her favorite articles out to study them later. When she's not working, you can find Jasmine playing make-believe with her toddler, spending an undisclosed amount of time in Target or TJ Maxx, and searching for a family-friendly puppy to add to her family.
Did January make you forget the answers to the deep questions you hoped would kickstart a great 2025? It's okay because after those crazy 31 days, we've agreed February is the start of our new year — so you get a pass if you didn't hit the ground running. Before you jump back into your written word of the year goals, take some time to think about the state of your finances. If this makes you want to throw tomatoes at us, it could be an indicator you haven't kept up with your expenses until you get your monthly statement.
We don't want you to spend another year crying about where your money goes each month so we're sharing the top hidden expenses that are draining your bank account.
Here are some sneaky expenses that could be taking your hard earned money as you silently weep.
1. Forgotten Subscriptions
How long has it been since the free streaming or content creation trial you signed up for expired? We're not psychic but we're sure you're looking at us with a blank stare or a set of surprised eyes.
Subscriptions are always tricky because they offer an enticing 7 or 30-day trial with an app's endless features. At this point, we're convinced marketers know we're likely to forget about the free period which is why we often see the same in-app scripts.
If you know you're not using certain apps or streaming platforms, make sure to cancel them because $4.99 — $9.99 per week or month adds up!
2. Premium Food Delivery Services
Sigh. This one's hard to write about because we love the convenience of having food from our favorite restaurants delivered to our front door. But, that's where the lie begins because there isn't anything convenient about delivery, taxes, silverware, and tip fees on top of the cost of your order. And when you add on a premium delivery fee that seemingly cancels a free delivery, you're still paying for it in some way.
This means you could spend over $100 per year to skip one fee, and you're not guaranteed to love your order or even get it in worst case scenarios. Yikes!
3. Pesky Auto-Renewals
Did you forget that you agreed to pay for an auto-renewal of a magazine you stopped reading? It happens to the best of us, and can be one of those hidden expenses that's easy to ignore. You think, "Oh, "$12.99 per year isn't bad," until you realize that the price somehow increased when you weren't looking. It's even worse if you're subscribed to more than one magazine that you no longer care about!
4. ATM Charges
There's a reason your bank highly recommends you use their ATM's to withdraw money because external sources usually charge a fee. It may seem small, but why should you be charged to get a little of your money?
If you can, skip the extra $2.99 charge for your transaction and find your bank's ATM.
5. Your Daily Coffee Shop Order
We've all told ourselves how essential our coffee shop orders are. They help us get through our work week and feel like one of the less expensive little treats we can indulge in. But, those daily orders are adding up.
For example, let's imagine someone named Ginny spends $10 per work day on her favorite drink and breakfast order. If she does this consistently for one month, she'll have spent an extra $200 per month on them!
TBH, this extra money could go towards savings, a bill, or an unexpected emergency.
6. Weekly Nail Salon Visits
We know getting your nails done counts as self-care, but it can be an expensive form of it. One of the things we've been relying on is giving ourselves at-home manicures or relying on press-on nails. They still fulfill our beauty needs without putting a dent in our bank accounts.
7. Credit Card Interest
If you think you're imagining an increase in your credit card interest, there's a good chance you're not. And it's worth looking into how much for the specific card(s) you have.
It's not as easy to tell you not to carry a balance every month because you may have had to pay for a surgery or emergency car repair, but this is how credit card companies get us. That interest can range from an extra $100 — $300 on top of your actual balance, meaning you're only paying a tiny portion of it each month.
Our advice is to pay more than your monthly fee so that you're able to put a dent in the interest as much as possible!
8. Leaving Lights On At Home Because You 'Can Do What You Want Now'
Most adults grew up hearing how leaving lights on at home was a cardinal sin, but there's a reason why parents fussed about it so much. It costs money that will show up on the next energy bill. Take it from one of our writers whose saw one of her bills skyrocket to almost $250 when she first moved out of her parents' home.
If you have to leave a light on, look into using energy saving light bulbs or burn a few candles for a dark romance vibe.
9. Splurging On Groceries Just Because
Say it with us: overconsumption isn't a goal this year! Usually we'd insert a little joke here, but buying a ton of groceries that'll likely go to waste just because you have the money for them isn't a flex. It's wasteful to your bank account and the environment.
Stick with the groceries you usually get or make a detailed list that includes items that you're going to meal prep instead of "winging it."
10. Daily Trips To The Gas Station
We're not talking about spending money on gas here. We know you might have a daily habit of stopping by the QT or BP near your house to get your favorite juice, Gatorade, or sunflower seeds pack. Although you can include them in your grocery trip, you've somehow convinced yourself that these items taste superior coming from the shiny convenience store.
We're here to gently burst your bubble by telling you they don't. The store's layout is just beckoning you to stop similar to the urge you get in Target.
In other words, you don't need to keep making daily trips there unless you want to keep pretending you're not sure where your money's going.
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