I hear many people complain about how hard it is to save money. If you find yourself trying to save but somehow still have a hole burning in your pocket, take a look at these points! These habits are wasting your money!

1. You pay almost 2 dollars for a miniature sized coke

Working in a grocery store, I can assure you that I see tons of people buying these tiny cokes for $1.79. Yes I know they're cold and you just want one, but you gotta resist the impulse buys and think ahead if you wish to save money. Buy the liters! When they're on sale, you can get a 2 liter coke for only a dollar. Then before you leave to go about your day, just pour it in a tumblr you kept in the freezer (that will make it stay cold). This also applies to the $1 candy bars in the check out lane that disguise themselves as good deals.

I promise they are not good deals.

2. You beat the heck out of your car

You can't prevent everything. There will be times where you accidentally hop a curb or don't see a speed bump until you've flown over it. However, in theory, the nicer you are to your car, the nicer it will be to your wallet. Whipping around turns and not taking care of your car will lead to more repairs and tire purchases. Additionally, having a lead foot in early morning traffic will seriously deduct from your gas mileage alongside increasing your chance for an accident. Accelerating abruptly and then hitting the brakes is wasting gas and, therefore, wasting money.

3. You make impulsive decisions using credit

I know that you really NEEED that pair of shoes, but it's better to plan out your purchases than act impulsively. If you want to purchase something but don't have the money on you or have enough sitting in your checking, the answer is not, "Ayeee I have this credit card for a reason!!" *SWIPE* I've said it before, but I have to repeat it- when you think of using credit, I want you to immediately think of paying interest. That dress you bought on your new Khol's credit card they talked you into getting? It might've only been for $40, but that new line is now dinging your credit and the interest is making that $40 purchase into $55 since you took so long to pay it.

4. You pay 5 bucks for coffee on a regular basis

If you're trying to ball on a budget I would like to introduce to you... ~water~

I love Starbucks as much as the next person, but I try to keep it my visits down to once or twice a month. This is soo hard considering that I walk past the one in the social science building every weekday.

If you are buying 5 dollar drinks two times a week, that adds up to at least $40 a month and $480 a year. That's a lot of money. I could have paid for my last laptop purchase with that. It takes a lot of self discipline to decline Starbucks, but saving money is worth it.

5. You leave all the lights on

My dad turns off the lights in the house constantly. If I wasn't around he would let the house stay dark forever. My dad is onto something. All of the utilities you usually take for granted- they cost money. The more electricity and water you waste, the higher your bills are.

6. You crank the air conditioning

Air conditioning is costly. In the car it costs you gas, and in your house it costs you electricity. Being mindful of how hot showers and baking are affecting the temperature in your house can help you cut down your electric bill. Riding with the windows down and choosing to sweat a little bit can save you money at the pump.

7. You buy everything new

Buying everything brand new is definitely burning a hole in your pocket. There is an entire world of used goods that can meet your needs at half the price! I'm all about thrift stores, refurbished phones, and used cars/calculators/textbooks etc. Along with saving money, buying used goods is eliminating waste too.

Adding to this, if you are looking to buy something- make sure you ask around and post on social media first. I was in need of a calculator for my algebra class this semester, and I posted on snapchat asking if anyone had one they would sell me. My friend Sarah messaged me saying she had one, and she lovingly gave it to me at no cost! It couldn't have worked out any better.

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Cutting down on your costs takes time and effort, but it pays off in the long run. I hope these points can help you extinguish what's burning a hole in your pocket!