耗盡你的預算的無用支出
Paying for necessities such as rent and health insurance aren't exactly glamorous ways to spend your hard-earned dollars, but they are essential to everyday living. On the other hand, there are plenty of items, perks and services you may spend money on, but get no real value from. Oftentimes, these minimal and irksome charges may not seem to amount to much, but collectively add up quickly. With that in mind, here are annoying fees to look out for, and tips for eliminating them from your budget, so you can put your dollars where they truly matter.
付房租和醫(yī)療保險等生活必需品并不是花血汗錢的好辦法,但它們對日常生活是必不可少的。另一方面,有很多項目,你可能花了錢,但沒有得到真正的價值,比如津貼和服務。通常情況下,這些微不足道且令人生厭的費用似乎并不多,但加在一起很快就會增加??紤]到這一點,這里有煩人的費用,以及從預算中剔除它們的建議,這樣你就可以把錢花在真正重要的地方。
Extra data fees
額外的數據費用
A 2015 survey on smartphone use in the U.S. from the Pew Research Center found that 37 percent of mobile users max out their monthly data occasionally, while 15 percent do so frequently. Many mobile carriers will slow down data speed when customers exceed their monthly allotment, enticing many users to purchase extra data. Verizon, for example, offers an optional 1 gigabyte of data for $10 for when users meet their data limits for the billing cycle, while T-Mobile offers on-demand data passes, such as a one-week pass with 1 gigabyte of data for $10. Use free tracking apps like My Data Manager to be more mindful of wasteful data use. Also consider turning off push notifications to reduce your data usage.
皮尤研究中心(Pew Research Center) 2015年對美國智能手機使用情況進行的一項調查發(fā)現,37%的手機用戶偶爾會最大化他們的月度數據,而15%的人則經常這樣做。許多移動運營商會在用戶超過月流量時降低數據傳輸速度,從而吸引許多用戶購買額外的數據。舉例來說,Verizon提供了一個可選的1g數據服務,當用戶達到計費周期的數據限制時,收費10美元,而T-Mobile提供按需數據傳輸服務,比如1g數據的一周傳輸服務,收費10美元。使用免費的跟蹤應用程序,如我的數據管理器,以更注意浪費數據的使用。還可以考慮關閉推送通知,以減少數據使用。
Bank fees
銀行費用
A 2017 Bank Fee Summary Report , found that U.S. consumers are currently paying $329 in fees annually for services such as checking account maintenance, out-of-network ATM use and overdraft charges. If you tend to reduce bank fees, consider moving accounts to a local credit union or online bank. "Most online-only banks waive cash withdrawal fees so you can use almost any ATM and the bank will reimburse you at the end of the month," says Kristin Wong, author of "Get Money: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford." You may even be able to negotiate the removal of some fees.
2017年銀行費用總結報告,發(fā)現目前美國消費者每年支付329美元的費用等服務檢查帳戶維護,使用網外自動取款機和透支費用。如果你想減少銀行費用,考慮將賬戶轉到當地的信用社或網上銀行。《賺錢:過你想要的生活,而不是你能負擔得起的生活》一書的作者Kristin Wong說:“大多數網上銀行都免收提現費,所以你幾乎可以使用任何一臺ATM機,而銀行會在月底把錢還給你。”你甚至可以協商取消一些費用。
Airline fees
航空公司的費用
If you thought checked baggage fees were a pain, think again. These days, airlines tack on extra charges for basic travel amenities, such as carry-on bags, seat selection, priority check-in and even boarding passes. You may not realize just how much these costs that were once complimentary can add to your trip cost. The 2017 CarTrawler Yearbook of Ancillary Revenue report by IdeaWorksCompany, a consulting firm, found that the top 10 airlines have raked in more than $28 billion from such extra charges. A travel fees vary widely between airlines, making it tricky to compare the ticket prices between carriers. If you travel often, consider opening a cobranded airline credit card, which comes with perks like free checked bags, complimentary upgrades, priority boarding and more.
如果你認為托運行李費很麻煩,那你就大錯特錯了。如今,航空公司對基本的旅行設施加收額外費用,比如隨身行李、座位選擇、優(yōu)先辦理登機手續(xù),甚至還有登機牌。你可能沒有意識到這些曾經免費的費用會增加你的旅行成本。咨詢公司IdeaWorksCompany發(fā)布的2017 CarTrawler年鑒《輔助收入報告》(CarTrawler Yearbook of Revenue report)發(fā)現,排名前十的航空公司從這些額外收費(即輔助費用)中賺取了逾280億美元。航空公司之間的收費差別很大,這使得比較不同航空公司之間的機票價格變得很棘手。如果你經常旅行,可以考慮使用聯合品牌的航空公司信用卡,它提供免費托運行李、免費升級、優(yōu)先登機等額外服務。