The things you consume daily, without even thinking about, could be impacting your budget in a big way. If you smoke, drink soda or bottled water, these habits can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year to your annual food costs. If you do have one or more of these habits, reviewing the true cost can help you save – or at least give you an idea of where your money is going.

Habits Ruining Your Budget

Soda

Whether you go for the full sugar stuff or opt for a diet, if you indulge in more than an occasional soda, you could be spending too much. A single large convenience store soda costing under $2.00 a day equates to hundreds of dollars per year. Even canned or bottled sodas at the grocery store add to your budget – they may be better than heading to the drive-through, but not by much. If you go through a $5.00 pack of soda a week, you’re spending almost $200 per year on a beverage that offers no other benefits beyond satisfying your sweet tooth.

Speaking of teeth, your soda habit could impact your dental and health care bills too. Whether you need to have more cavities filled because of the sugar or end up struggling with very common obesity-related health conditions, those extra calories will cost you in more ways than one.

Bottled Water

Opting for bottled water over tap water may be more convenient and is certainly healthier than soda, but if could be damaging your budget. Depending on where you live and the brand you buy, you could save several hundreds of dollars a year by drinking tap water instead. If you opt for bottled water while you are out, the cost goes even higher—according to Consumer Reports, the average cost of a bottle of water at a Major League ball game is about $5.00. It’s not just the sports fans who suffer,  a bottle of plain water in a Disney theme park will set you back at least $3.75, as of December 2022.

Some bottled water companies are under fire for actually using tap water – so that “healthy” water could be the same stuff that flows from your home tap!  Using tap water at home, purchasing a reusable bottle and heading for the free drinking fountain while you are out can help you save.

Cigarettes

By far the most expensive habit to indulge in, smoking could cost you thousands of dollars per year. Since prices start at a whopping $9.00 per pack in Minnesota, even a single pack-a-week habit can cost you big time. Most smokers go through a pack a DAY, not a week, so the costs add up exponentially – go through a single pack a day and you’ll pay about $3285 per year just to light up.

In addition to the high annual cost of lighting up, smokers experience higher overall costs in other areas, too. If you purchase life insurance, home insurance or even some health insurance products, you’ll pay a higher rate for being a smoker. The CDC also estimates that your lifetime health costs will be higher, thanks to smoking-related illnesses and issues. Cutting a smoking habit may be better than getting a raise in terms of improving your bottom line.

Looking for more ways to find extra money in your budget in the new year? We’re covering some of the most commonly overlooked money issues and how to fix them all week long.