8 ways to save money that will eventually make you spend more

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The cheapest options are not always good for your budget.

1. Buy a ticket for a low-cost airline without counting all expenses

It is usually cheaper to travel with the help of low-cost airlines - they have low ticket prices. Companies offer this value because they provide a minimal set of services. Usually this is the actual flight without any amenities and the ability to carry a small hand luggage on board.

But there are nuances here that can turn a low-cost flight into a not-so-cheap event. Some points are on the surface. For example, if you want to take luggage with you or choose a seat, you will have to pay for it. Moreover, the cost of services can significantly increase if you made a decision right at the airport.

Other additional costs are not as obvious because it is not the airline that will have to pay. Often, low-cost airlines do not arrive at the main airport of the city - the destination, but somewhere nearby. And the cost of the road from there often outweighs the benefit from a low-cost flight.

For example, from Barcelona airport to Barcelona itself - 13 kilometers. You can get to the center by almost all types of ground transport and even by metro. The trip on the latter will cost 5, 15 euros, that is, about 450 rubles. Girona Airport, which is often chosen by low-cost airlines for arrival, is already 93 kilometers from Barcelona. A direct bus can be reached for 16 euros, which is more expensive by as much as 10 euros. Sometimes it's better to add them to the ticket to get right where you want to go.

2. Unauthorized to buy a cheap analogue of the medicine

It is tempting to save on medicines. Moreover, lists of cheap analogues of expensive drugs are actively circulating on the Internet. The authors assure that the active substance is the same, which means there is no point in overpaying.

However, if the prescribed drug is not affordable, it is better to ask your doctor if it is possible to replace the drug with a cheaper analogue. You definitely shouldn't do it yourself. It is not only the active substance that matters, but also other components. The doctor proceeds from the symptoms, contraindications and other nuances. Unauthorized substitutions can hinder treatment and lead to even greater health problems.

3. Do not go to the dentist

Healthy teeth are not only about aesthetics. The absence of one of them can accelerate the destruction of neighboring ones, lead to an incorrect bite and entail many other problems. And it's easy to guess that inserting an implant is much more expensive than installing a filling on time. For example, in one of the state polyclinics of St. Petersburg, restoration of a tooth with a filling does not exceed 5 thousand rubles (excluding related services). With implantation, the prices are higher by an order of magnitude.

4. Buy insurance for a tick

There are times when you cannot do without a policy. For example, it is imperative to insure a mortgage housing against damage or to issue a MTPL for a car. Visa is not usually issued without travel insurance.

Some choose to save money and pay for an option with conditions such that there is practically no chance of getting a refund in the event of an accident. But it's cheaper. But since you still have to buy a policy, it is better to overpay a little and get a working tool.

Insurance looks like a waste of money when the insured event does not occur. But troubles don't come on schedule. One force majeure is enough to understand how useful a policy can be. For example, if you go to a hospital abroad without insurance, even with some trifle, you can get a bill for thousands of dollars.

If the mortgage house collapses due to the fact that they decided to dig a pit for a high-rise building nearby, but there is no policy, the owner will be left with a loan, but without housing. There are many examples, and they all look worse than the extra several thousand rubles a year paid for insurance.

5. Save money on plumbing or electrician services

You can invite specialists for finishing, but this is not necessary. The worst that can happen is not the most aesthetic look or inaccurate shade matching. But for rough repairs and all kinds of communications, it is better to attract specialists.

Amateur performance is fraught with consequences. For example, a poorly installed heating system can leak and flood neighbors. Poor wiring sometimes leads to fires. And just the inconvenient location of the switches and the lack of sockets can significantly complicate life. Therefore, it is better to allocate a budget for at least a consultation with a specialist.

6. Choose the cheapest windows and doors

Obviously, windows exist not only in order to look through them, but the door - in order to enter through it. They have an important function of keeping warm. And the door must still be reliable and protect from the visits of uninvited guests.

Very cheap doors are usually thin - even open with a can opener. But worse is that budget options often have poor thermal insulation. This means that you have to spend more money on heating. And if gas can still be called an affordable option, then heating with electricity will cost a pretty penny.

7. Refuel with cheap gasoline at incomprehensible gas stations

Gasoline may cost slightly differently at different filling stations. Somewhere it is a few rubles cheaper than the average. And the idea of saving money, of course, looks tempting. There is nothing wrong with this if you are confident in the quality of the fuel. If not, the savings can go badly.

Poor gasoline damages the internal combustion engine with prolonged use. But even if everything goes well, low-quality fuel will affect the car's behavior, more precisely, its traction and speed characteristics.

8. Save on equipment that is often used

Sometimes they say that you only need to buy expensive high-quality equipment. But this is not always true. For example, you can get the simplest waffle iron that you will get on the great holidays. And sometimes it is more economical to constantly change the deteriorated device. Let's say that buying a device for a thousand every year is more profitable than taking for 10 thousand something that will last seven years.

But if you intend to use the thing often and therefore require a high degree of reliability, it is better to choose a better quality device. For example, if a laptop that you need to earn money breaks down, it is easy to undergo a paycheck. But you could buy a new computer with it.