Surely at some point, when you see your card statement at the end of the month, you have asked yourself: Where did I spend so much money? It’s the question we ask ourselves over and over again when checking our checking account balance.
The truth is that on many occasions It is not large expenses that reduce our income And it prevents us Memorizes, but it is a series of small payments that we make every day. Many of them deal with basic daily purchases. Others, on the other hand, are whims that seem insignificant, but over the course of an entire year end up taking up a larger chunk of our budget than we think. Among those known asAnt expenses“.
According to the National Institute of Statistics, an average rescue of Spanish households amounted to 5.7% in 2017 as a whole of disposable income, two points below fiscal 2016 income and the lowest number in ten years.
According to a Fintonic study published in 2017, 58% of Spaniards go into debt to make ends meet And only 42% managed to save.
Another calculation for the app, also from last year, shows each person’s average expenditure by item. According to these data, each Spaniard will spend more than a year 1,383.27 euros on clothing, 683.11 euros on transportation, not counting fuel, which will amount to 1,372 euros, or 1,656.33 euros on restaurants.
It is not about a monastic life, but if what we want is salvation We have to review part of these payments, “ant expenses” that reduce our personal finances. Therefore, we must review some of our spending habits in different areas:
Food and whims
In terms of food, it is also necessary to pay attention to what to buy every day. Compare institutions and take advantage of offers It could save us a significant amount at the end of the year.
Likewise, correctly calculating the amount of food we buy is essential. Spanish families threw 604 million kilograms of food into the trash in 2017, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, which gives an idea of the savings possibilities that each of us has in our homes.
Small bank fee
Bank commissions are Another small expense that we often don’t give much importance to. The strategy of entities with transfers, debit or credit cards, and other services is often based on the hope that the customer will not complain. However, as far as possible, it does not hurt to ask for the abolition or reduction of these types of expenses, which, if added over the course of the year, represent another important point in our pockets.
bars and restaurants
Having a coffee or a few beers at the bar is totally normal, however Not all economies can do this on a daily basis Because these seemingly innocent expenses can end up weighing down our finances. Therefore, if what we want is to save, we must choose better when we go out for a drink. The same thing will happen on the occasions when we eat out, other decisions that can mean a huge drop in our income, and our parties into the night.
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We also have to be careful with the frequency of buying snacks, appetizers or pastries, decisions that are often made on a whim.
Public transport
Using public transportation for our regular trips is almost always a necessity, but there are cases that we can think of. If walking or using a bike, for example, is not a better alternative. Although it seems obvious, we will avoid other “ant expenses” while also gaining health.
