Phil's Personal Finance Tip of the Day:
6 Money-Saving Strategies That May Cost You in the Long Run
By Geoff Williams | U.S.News & World Report LP
Not everything we do to save money really saves us money. For instance, as all savvy shoppers know, if you clip coupons when grocery shopping, sometimes you're still better off buying a cheaper brand elsewhere on the shelf. If you buy something cheap that breaks soon after, and you have to replace it with something more expensive, you clearly haven't saved any money. You could also spend the rest of your days debating with friends about whether $50 memberships to discount bulk stores are really saving you any money in the long run.
Of course, sometimes things work out fine. You buy something cheap, and you still have it 20 years later. You not only have one of those memberships but the receipts to prove your savings. Still, if you're about to attempt something you think will save money, especially if we're talking big money, it's always a good idea to consider whether your strategy truly makes sense. Otherwise, you may wind up spending far more. Here are a few examples of what we mean.
1. Skipping annual physicals and not going to a doctor when you're sick.
How it can cost you: This one is a classic money (and health) mistake. You may have an easily treatable problem that goes undiagnosed and eventually becomes not so treatable. And it isn't just appointments with your general practitioner. Regular eye exams and dental checkups also exist for a reason.
[Read: When Frugality Goes Too Far.]
"Over the past few years, we've seen an increase of 16 percent in the number of [emergency room] visits nationwide due to dental problems," says Mitch Rothschild, CEO of Vitals, a website that helps consumers find doctors, review them and make appointments.
Skipping the dentist, adds Rothschild, "leads to a tenfold increase in costs for the consumer." Numbers -- granted, from the year 2000 -- bear him out. According to a Pediatrics Dentistry report from that year, the cost for ER treatment for dental visits averaged $6,498 per person. Meanwhile, the average cost of preventative treatment was $660 per person.
2. Leasing a car.
How it can cost you: Nothing at all wrong with leasing, but David Kiley, editor-in-chief of AOL Autos and auto industry editor for The Huffington Post, warns that lease payments that are really low often have low mileage limits of 10,000 or 12,000. "That may suit some," he says, "but not if your life or job changes in the three years you are making lease payments. Then you're looking at 10 cents or more per mile over your limit, and you feel like you are driving a taxi on the meter."
To read the entire article from Geoff Williams | U.S.News & World Report LP :http://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-money-saving-strategies-may-205104370.html
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