Impact the bottom line

Some people (Tightwad maybe?) sometimes spend more time on choosing a wine for dinner than updating their cable bundles. But, as with any purchase, it’s important to scrutinize your budget and contain any possible financial leaks. Here are some common budget blowing items that you may consider reviewing.

Bank fees add up and you may be throwing away more money than you're saving. Transferring your chequing account to a local credit union will help wipe away useless fees.

Daily deals and flash sales prey on our fear of missing a good deal – their quick deadlines and urgent messaging make it nearly impossible to resist. Use coupons for an item or service you need when you need it by using sites such as couponsherpa.com.

Expired food Buying too much at the grocery store can be wasteful if your food goes bad before you have a chance to eat it. While planning meals for the week can be a useful budget tool, don't get hung up on expiration dates. There is some flexibility - the date printed on a product's container is not necessarily the expiration date, but may be the sell by date.

Gym memberships Over half of yearly gym memberships don’t get used. Oops! If you are considering joining a health club, inquire about a punch pass first so you can pay-as-you-go instead. Otherwise, mix things up and bounce between gyms and specialty exercise studios by taking advantage of free or nearly free introductory passes.

Home phone The landline is nearly obsolete, though many people like having one for emergencies. At an average of $40 per month, it's a lot for a phone you don't use. Switch to a free Internet home phone provider so you don't have to sacrifice security for savings.

Mobile data Over three quarters of mobile users are buying more data than they're using… and for those with multiple wireless devices that require WiFi, odds are they're paying much more. To figure out how much data you're wasting, monitor usage by reviewing third-party apps and adjust your bill accordingly.

Name brand medicine The FDA requires that both prescription and over-the-counter generics be identical in dose, strength, safety and efficacy so paying up to 50% more for name-brand meds when a less expensive generic is available is just plain cray-cray.