When money is tight, it can feel like your salary disappears before you have even had a chance to enjoy it.
There are rent or bond payments, groceries, electricity, transport, school expenses, debt repayments and all the other costs that come with running a household. By the time everything is paid, there may be very little left.
But when you are trying to save money, it is not always the big expenses that need attention. Sometimes, it is the smaller payments that quietly leave your bank account every month.
A subscription you forgot about. A gym membership you no longer use. Bank fees you never really looked at. Those small amounts can add up over time.
If you are trying to cut costs and make your money stretch further, here are 10 expenses worth looking at.
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Subscriptions you hardly use
It is easy to sign up for a streaming service, music app or another online subscription and forget about it.
You might have started using it regularly, but months later you could be paying for something you barely open.
Check your bank statement and look at all your monthly subscriptions. If you are paying for three streaming services but only regularly use one, consider cancelling the others.
You can always subscribe again when your budget has more room.
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Unnecessary bank fees
Bank charges may only be a few rand at a time, but they can become a noticeable expense over a year.
Look at your bank statement and see what you are being charged for monthly transactions, ATM withdrawals and other banking services.
You may find that you are paying for an account or services that you do not really need.
It is worth comparing your current bank account with other options available to you before making a change.
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Insurance you may be paying for twice
Insurance is important, particularly when it comes to protecting your family, home, car and belongings.
But it is also worth checking exactly what you are paying for.
You may have different policies that provide similar cover, or additional insurance that you no longer need.
Do not cancel important insurance simply because you are trying to save money. Instead, review your policies and make sure you understand what each one covers. If there is unnecessary or duplicate cover, you could potentially reduce your monthly premiums.
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A gym membership you don’t use
There is nothing wrong with wanting to get fit. The problem comes when you are paying for a gym every month and hardly ever going.
If you have not been to the gym in months, ask yourself whether the membership still makes sense for your current budget.
You can exercise without an expensive membership. Walking, running and home workouts are options that can cost little or nothing.
When your finances improve, you can reconsider the gym.
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Paying extra for convenience
Convenience can quietly become expensive.
Think about food delivery, delivery fees, express services and other charges that you pay simply because something is easier.
Ordering food occasionally is not necessarily a problem. But if delivery fees and convenience charges have become a regular part of your spending, they are worth looking at.
Sometimes spending a little more time preparing something yourself can save you money.
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Memberships you forgot about
Your forgotten monthly payments may go beyond streaming services.
You could be paying for an app, online platform, membership or service that you signed up for months ago and no longer use.
Take a look through your bank transactions and identify payments that happen regularly.
If you see something you do not recognise, find out what it is before assuming it is legitimate. And if you know what it is but no longer use it, consider cancelling it.
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Extended warranties you don’t really need
When buying a phone, appliance or electronic product, you may be offered an extended warranty or additional protection.
Sometimes this can be useful, but it is worth understanding exactly what you are paying for.
Before taking the additional cover, check what protection already comes with the product and whether you have any other cover that may apply.
The point is not to avoid warranties altogether. It is to make sure you are paying for something that actually gives you useful protection.
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More cellphone data than you need
Your cellphone can take up a bigger portion of your monthly budget than you realise.
If you regularly buy a large data bundle but still have plenty left when the month ends, you may be paying for more data than you actually need.
Check your usage and see whether a cheaper package would be enough.
The same applies to cellphone contracts and additional services. Before automatically renewing or upgrading, ask whether you really need the extra features.
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Small purchases that happen all the time
A R30 or R50 purchase does not seem like a big deal.
The problem is when that R30 or R50 becomes a regular expense.
A snack on the way to work, takeaway coffee, an unplanned lunch, or a small online purchase can easily become hundreds of rand over a month.
You do not have to stop enjoying these things completely. Try tracking them for a month first.
You may be surprised by how much those “small” purchases are actually costing you.
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Late fees and unnecessary interest
When money is already tight, paying extra because a bill was late can make the situation worse.
Late fees, penalties and interest charges can take money that could have gone towards groceries, savings or another important expense.
Keep track of your payment dates where possible. If you know you are going to struggle to make a payment, contact the company or financial institution instead of simply ignoring the bill.
The sooner you deal with a money problem, the more options you may have.
You don’t have to cut everything
Saving money does not mean you have to stop enjoying your life.
The point is to look at your spending and decide what is actually worth paying for.
You might discover that you are spending money on things you no longer use, services you forgot about or costs that could easily be reduced.
A good place to start is your bank statement.
Go through the last 30 days and look at where your money went. Then ask yourself one simple question: “Would I choose to spend this money again today?”
If the answer is no, that could be your first opportunity to save.
When the cost of living is putting pressure on South African households, small changes can make a difference. You may not be able to reduce your rent or grocery bill overnight, but you can often take control of some of the money leaving your account every month.
