money wasters

At this time of economic recession keeping your budget in line isn’t measured by the amount you spend, but by how much you save. Here's a list of 7 money wasters that you should be aware of: Courtesy of (Yahoo Finance)

Cut back on these seven items could help you save roughly $1,000 a year.

1) Bottled Water

Getting your recommended eight glasses of water a day by bottle instead of tap is a huge waste of cash. That buck-a-bottle water you down on a regular basis can really add up.

Potential Savings: Spend $37 to buy a 40-ounce Brita pitcher and filter ($13 at Bed, Bath and Beyond), plus a four-pack of replacement filters ($24), and you'll be able to filter 200 gallons of water. Buy that much water in 24-packs of 16.9-ounce Aquafina bottles at Shop Rite instead, and you’d spend $283.50. Your total savings: $246.50.

2) Extended Warranties

Think twice before you shell out $10 a month for a two-year protection plan on your pricey new BlackBerry. New products tend to malfunction within the manufacturer’s initial warranty period, or well after any extended warranty has expired, says Michael Gartenberg, vice president of strategy and analysis for Interpret LLC, a market researcher. (Most extended warranties exclude accidental damage, too, so you’d still be out of luck if you drop that Blackberry and crack the screen.) To protect yourself, pay with the right credit card. Many credit cards -- including most American Express and MasterCard cards -- double the manufacturer’s warranty on purchases, adding up to another year of free protection.

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