Top 10 Money Wasters

Top 10 Money Wasters

January 19, 2003
Parade Magazine

Want to hang on to more of your money? You can, if you avoid making the following common financial mistakes:

• Buying from a TV ad with a credit card.
• Leaving appliances on when you're not at home.
• Buying extended warranties on appliances.
• Buying additional dealer-protection packages on a new car.
• Leasing your phone from the phone company instead of buying a phone.
• Dry cleaning clothing you could handwash.
• Joining a book, video or CD club.
• Paying for premium grade gasoline.
• Eating out more than five meals a week.
• Carrying more than $100 cash in your wallet; it burns a hole until you spend it.

Source: The Rookie's Guide to Money Management, by Carolina Edwards and Ray Martin (1997, The Princeton Review)

For more money-saving tips, visit www.americasaves.org.