Most of the tips on saving money are obvious, such as not flying first class, eating fewer meals in restaurants, or quitting bad habits like alcohol smoking. At other times, there are savings opportunities that are sporadic and don’t save much money such as choosing the cheapest hotels for vacation or buying a used car instead of a new one. No doubt these are great tips, but they won’t help lower the monthly expenses much.

However, sometimes we don’t realize that there are savings opportunities in everyday activities.

Here’s a list of 10 savings tips you probably didn’t know about:

Not buying branded products always

Buy generic brands as long as it does not significantly affect the quality of the product. When checking labels, in most cases, the ingredients of two products may be identical or nearly identical, but have significantly different prices. For example, it is now very common to find generic medicines from brand name; they have the same ingredients and composition but are sold at a lower price. So before buying anything ask yourself 3 things.

Courier service

Anticipate the need to send and receive letters and packages by courier so that when the time comes you do not have to pay the extra express delivery fee to arrive overnight. The express service can cost up to 10 times more than the normal service.

Paying a mechanic every time something goes wrong with the car

Basic car maintenance is something everyone should know. And the reason why we don’t pay attention to this is our busy lifestyle and preferring someone else to do the maintenance work without even thinking of the solution on our own. Money flees out of the wallet, when taking car to a garage for every small complication.

Many of the problems with cars are simple and don’t need a professional mechanic to fix. Even many of the routine maintenance tasks can be done at home. Check online videos on Youtube and try to learn maintenance yourself before going to the mechanic.

Go shopping for food when you’re hungry

Shopping at supermarket every time you’re hungry, will make you buy unwanted food which may not even be consumed. This also happens while shopping during too much of free time and without a predefined shopping list.

Visiting the supermarket with a defined list of products, when you have only a certain amount of time, you are less likely to spend time exploring the ocean of the products and picking up more food than required.

Buying snack at the “once in a while” store

Not keeping a track of all the small snack purchases made on the go, affects finances significantly. All those bottles of soda and bags of chips purchased when refilling gas or stopping at a convenience store, makes a difference not only in the budget but also in the diet.

Allocate a small defined budget for snack consumption which will save a significant amount per month. Also buy such items in bulk from supermarkets at a lower cost. In turn, to avoid visiting convenience stores, make it a habit to carry plenty of liquids (preferably natural water) and sufficient snacks every time you leave the house.

Banking transactions

Being careless when it comes to banking related matters will wipe of money like a vacuum cleaner does with dust. For example, whenever possible try using own bank’s ATMs to avoid paying cash withdrawal fees.

Take a look at the bank accounts and review the annual charges, interest rates and additional benefits of the credit cards/insurance/loans, and see if there is a better cost effective alternative in the market.

Not keeping car tyres inflated

When tires don’t have the right air pressure, they can increase car’s fuel consumption. Keeping tires properly inflated will save money on gas that has gone unnoticed till now. Set up an alert on mobile phone to schedule a regular check-up.

Buying coffee

Individuals spend a large amount of money buying coffee in expensive cafes or restaurants. Buying a good coffee machine for self can save a lot of money in the short term. Carrying a thermos will not only save money but also help the environment.

Preparing a $10 latte at home which costs double in a cafeteria can save $300 a month.

Not maintaining health and hygiene

When it comes to health, prevention is the best ally of the wallet. For example, we have heard dentists recommending proper dental health care to avoid cavities. And if proper care is taken, it is not only painful but treating them can be very expensive. Not washing hands, consuming too much alcohol and junk food, and simply not taking care of the overall health will cost a lot of money in the future, no matter how healthy you are at present.

Compare the possible medical expenses and inconvenience of having an illness against the temporary effort of adapting to new habits and make the smart decision.

Disorganized

Being disorganized costs us money at some point. The cost is high when cables, cell phones, watches and expensive jewelry are lost, as well as when you forget where the keys were left and have to pay for a locksmith to get into house or car. Just think how many times you’ve lost something and ended up finding it later, realizing that money was spent for nothing.

Author Bio:

Hi, I am Nikesh Mehta owner and writer of this site.

I’m an analytics professional and also love writing on finance and related industry. I’ve done online course in Financial Markets and Investment Strategy from Indian School of Business.

I can be reached at nikeshmehta@allonmoney.com. You may also visit my LinkedIn profile.