I think we all have a problem. I am not sure what to call it, I think it is the gradual and slow inflation of subscriptions against automatic pay accounts that we get signed up for. It starts to add up, seemingly innocuous at first and the next thing you know you money is leaving your pocket and feeding some subscription service almost without you even knowing. Funny really. For example, I remember that I use to whine about my cable bill. 200 channels of crap being streamed to my house and I am paying $60 per month / $720 annually for the privilege. I canceled that! I cut the cord! Wohoo! I saved money right? Well, I added up all the Amazon, Google, Netflix, Disney, and several others and I am WAY above that $60 a month now! This line of thinking started me down this path to actually balance my checking account. When was the last time you did that? I have not done that since I was in my early 20s. I realized after several years of balancing the check book and not finding one mistake that it was a waste of effort. However, what I discovered is a lot of stuff coming out that I had just forgot about! This new social media society is killing us with subscriptions! They are coming from everywhere!
So instead of getting stressed about this, I decided to use my newly found habit formation skills to start a 30 day, everyday process. Starting today, I need to identify one area that I can save money in and record it down. When I am done with the 30 days, I am going to calculate how much I save in a total year from this effort and I am going to figure out something cool I can do with that money instead. So instead of letting the SAAS companies drain my bank account with small debits every month, I am going to reverse the trend! Ha! So I found one today. Unbelievable. $150 per month, $1800 per year. I did not even notice it coming out of my account. I feel completely stupid, and humiliated that I was letting someone take $150 out of my account a month and had not even noticed it! The problem is that I am just too busy to realize it, and I had thought it was something else. Crazy. Well, I am off to a good start. I have saved $1800 per year already! 29 more days to go!
Where else can I save?
Guy Reams
