Guest Post: How to Waste Less Money in 2014 • Erica Finds...

I have written a few articles recently for Manilla’s blog Manilla Folder (get it?)

I got an email from Maitland Greer from Manilla asking if she could use one of my tips from 5 Steps for Finding Best Prices Online in a piece she was writing for Redbook. She attributes it to me and calls me a “frugal living expert.” Ha! I guess in some respects I am, but the husband is probably rolling his eyes right now! That said, the piece is a great one so I am re-blogging it here with Maitland’s permission.

This Is How You’ll Waste Less Money in 2014

Sure, you realize that your daily lattes aren’t exactly necessities. But once you discover what they, and other regular purchases, add up to, you’ll realize it’s time to think twice about shelling out. Trim the fat from your budget with these expert tips for saving big.

By Maitland Greer

Eating out

Restaurant dinners are fun, convenient, and way more relaxing than worrying about whipping up a home-cooked meal that will satisfy your whole family. But they’re also costly. “If you spend $300 a month eating out and switch to a packed lunch or dinner at home once or twice a week, you’ll save around $75 each month, or $900 a year,” says Clare Levison, CPA, and author of Frugal Isn’t Cheap.

Not ready to give up dining out? Take advantage of early-bird, mid-week, prix-fix, or late-night specials, purchase discounted gift cards from Restaurants.com, skip bottled water, BYOB, or try eating at the bar or having lunch instead of dinner at high-end restaurants. And if you make reservations through OpenTable, you’ll automatically will earn points that you can “spend” at the participating restaurants.

Coffee

As much as you might need your morning latte to even turn on your computer—and trust us, we’re with you—you’re likely spending almost $115 a month on your java habit. If you’re a Starbucks fanatic ($4 for a grande latte), download its app to get daily deals, rewards, and coupons. Or consider switching to a cheaper alternative, like McDonald’s ($2.99) or Dunkin Donuts ($3.59), or make a latte at home (65 cents). After taking into account the cost of an espresso machine and beans, a daily home-brewed latte will save you almost $100 per month, whereas opting for one of the cheaper alternatives will keep an extra $11 to $28 in your wallet.

Shopping

Agreeing to stop shopping is like setting yourself up for failure, so instead of making promises you can’t keep, buy smart. “Thanks to all the apps and tools now out there, you can basically avoid paying full price for anything,” says Carrie Smith, the founder of carefulcents.com.

Another way to get discounts? Cart abandonment, suggests frugal living expert and author Erica Agran. When you set up an account, put items in your cart, then click off the website—thus abandoning your cart—websites will sometimes email you a reminder with a discount code, or one will pop up on your social media.

Entertainment

The key to big savings is to find less expensive ways to get the things you want, says Levison, and entertainment expenses are an easy place to start. She suggests purchasing a streaming system, the least expensive of which is Google Chromecast ($35), which allows you to watch unlimited shows and movies on your TV via a computer or tablet. Pair it with Amazon Prime ($79 per year, including free two-day shipping on most of the site’s offerings) or Netflix ($95.88 per year), and you won’t find yourself buying $10-plus-per-person movie tickets nearly as often. If you replace your cable subscription (about $100 per month) with a Chromecast, Apple TV, or Roku, all of which carry a one-time fee rather than a monthly cost, you’ll save at least $1100 over the first year.

That doesn’t mean you should give up date night, though. HowAboutWe for Couples provides up to 75-percent discounts on sometimes quirky, sometimes romantic pre-planned experiences for two. Or make it a bigger, more special affair with a (affordable!) romantic night at a nearby hotel via deals from Lastminute.com.

Gas

With a monthly cost of around $150, it really does sometimes feel like you’re throwing money away at the pump. Cut down on the expense by joining a wholesale club, like Costco or Sam’s Club. Although you have to pay a membership fee to join, doing so will save you 6 to 12 cents a gallon over competitors’ prices.

Then download the GasBuddy app to find the lowest prices at gas stations in your area. Several brands offer rewards cards that help you save, like Shell’s Fuel Rewards card, which automatically cuts prices back 3 cents per gallon. That’s about 48 cents per tank, for a monthly savings of $1.44 in each of your cars.

Groceries

Besides being aware of weekly sales, cash-back credit cards are among the best ways to save when food shopping. The BankAmericard Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 2 percent back on all grocery purchases, so if you spend a modest $200 on groceries a month, you’ll earn $4.

The number-one way to overspend is to wing your supermarket trip, since studies show that 60 to 70 percent of grocery purchases are unplanned. With the memo-pad list a relic of the past, try the ZipList app (free). It lets you build and store lists as well as save recipes, and purchasing only things you intend to buy could cut your bill by $120 per month.

Maitland Greer is a money-saving contributor to the Manilla Folder and senior marketing manager of Manilla.com, a platform that helps you manage your finances, utilities, daily deals, travel and rewards programs, and subscriptions—all in one place. Maitland is also a regular contributor to Yahoo! Finance, Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, and other major sites.

What are your plans for saving more in 2014?

PS. There is still time to win a December double stuff gift from Yumvelope (I won November!!), my Betty Lou’s giveaway and the Blog Hop Health and Fitness Giveaway, too!