The 5 Stupidest Things Americans Overspend On (Hint: Coffee Isn’t One of Them).
By Ben F. | 11/9/2026
Advertiser Disclosure
Last updated July 17, 2025
I’m a massive coupon/savings nerd, and an embarrassing amount of my time is spent talking to people to find out how much they’re spending.
In my experience, the average American is overpaying for things on an almost daily basis.
Here are the worst culprits for overspending (and how you can save money by avoiding them):
1. Auto insurance.
Believe it or not, the average American family still overspends by $461/year¹ on car insurance.
Sometimes it’s even worse: I switched carriers last year and saved literally $1,300/year.
Here’s how to quickly see how much you’re being overcharged (takes maybe a couple of minutes):
Pull up StopOverpaying.org – it’s a free site that will compare offers for you
Answer the questions on the page
It’ll spit out a bunch of insurance options
That’s literally it. You’ll likely save yourself a bunch of money.
Here’s a link to StopOverpaying.org
2. Not tapping into your home’s equity.
If you own your home but are low on funds, you might want to look into a HELOC (home equity line of credit). Instead of borrowing from your bank, you can essentially borrow from yourself (by tapping into your home's equity).
They may have lower interest rates and more flexible terms that a typical loan would.
Here’s a free page you can use to see how much you could access: link.
3. Overpaying for expensive hearing aids
The new Horizon IX hearing aids from Hear.com are designed to make everyday conversations easier to follow (especially in noisy situations).
They use dual processing technology developed in Germany to help speech stand out, while reducing background noise. Which means voices come through more clearly without everything else getting louder.
It’s a practical option for people who want clearer conversations to feel easier and less tiring. Head to their site here: link.
4. Credit card debt (when some companies are willing to help pay it off for you).
If you’ve got $10k+ in unsecured debt (think credit cards, medical bills, etc), you could use a debt relief program and potentially save up to 45%.
Here’s how to quickly see if you qualify for debt relief:
Head to the National Debt Relief's site here
See what debt relief options are available
Find out if you qualify
Simple as that. You could end up paying less than you owed and be debt-free in 24-48 months.
Here’s a link to National Debt Relief.
5. Home repair bills (let a company pay them for you instead).
Picture this: your trusty furnace suddenly throws a tantrum in the dead of winter, leaving you shivering and facing a repair bill that could cost you way more than you anticipated.
If you had a home warranty, you could be covered the next time something breaks down. It’s like having a safety net for your home (think plumbing, electrical, appliances, etc).
If you don’t have one yet, Choice Home Warranty is one of the bigger companies out there.
Bonus: home warranty companies usually have qualified, pre-vetted maintenance and repair workers ready to get the job done (which is one less thing to worry about).
If you’re interested just enter your zip code here to find a home warranty plan. It could save you a bunch of money the next time something breaks down.
6. Not getting a financial advisor.
Most people don’t have one, and it’s typically a huge mistake.
Sure, you can manage things on your own if you want to, but most people don’t have the time to actually do things right. There are huge benefits to having somebody pay attention to your money all the time.
People with financial advisors tend to beat the market by ~3%/year (according to a 2019 Vanguard Study). That can make a huge difference over time.
But more important: a good advisor will handle ALL of the annoying retirement stuff & bizarro tax implications you would have never thought of
If you don’t know a financial advisor personally, use a comparison site (like SmartAsset) and find somebody near you that has good reviews.
Or if you want something easier, fill out this quiz and schedule a call with them.
7. Not protecting yourself from a huge car repair bill.
If your manufacturer’s warranty has expired, one unexpected repair can get expensive fast.
A vehicle service contract can help with the cost of certain covered repairs, instead of leaving you to deal with the whole bill yourself.
Endurance has different protection plans depending on your vehicle and the level of coverage you’re looking for.
Here’s a page you can use to see what options are available for your car: link
8. Overpaying on home insurance.
Switching home insurance will often save you more than switching auto policies (I’ve heard of people saving $1k per year by switching).
Here’s the home insurance comparison site I typically use: link.
9. Credit card interest payments.
You could be paying $0 in interest on your credit card until 2028.
One of the best low intro APR cards right now also comes with a generous bonus, up to 5% cash back on everyday spending, and no annual fee — and our experts just picked it as a top card worth checking out.
If you're still paying interest every month, this is your sign. Click here to learn more.
10. Paying for subscriptions you don’t even use.
We’ve all signed up for free trials and forgotten to cancel them. Stop paying for services you aren’t using!
Take a minute and get yourself a good cancellation app: I like Rocket Money (link here).
It’s an app that will put together a list of your subscriptions so you can pick/choose which ones to cancel.
They also have a premium service that will cancel them for you, if you’d like.
Here’s a link (it’s free).
11. Stop paying your credit card company.
If you’re stuck with credit card debt, you feel it. The high interest, the endless payments, the sinking feeling that you’re never getting ahead.
And let’s be honest—your credit card company isn’t on your side. It’s making a fortune off you with interest rates that can hit 36%.
So how do you get out of it? If you owe less than $100k, you can likely pay it off in one fell swoop using a debt consolidation loan.
Here’s how it works:
Use a site like AmOne to look at consolidation options (many loans offer far, far lower interest rates than your credit card company does)
Pick one that works for you
Use that loan to pay off your credit cards
Then, slowly pay off the debt consolidation loan over time
The upside: you’ll have just one monthly payment. And because personal loans typically come with lower rates (AmOne lenders offer options as low as 6.40% APR), you’ll get out of debt sooner. Plus, no credit card bill this month.
It takes less than 2 minutes to compare your options. No Social Security number required, just a real phone number (but don’t worry—they won’t spam you), and it won’t affect your credit score.
Here’s a link to AmOne’s site.
That’s all (for now).
Those are my top savings tips for the time being, but I’ll keep adding to this article as I find new tips for you.
Thanks for reading!
StopOverpaying.org
- Compare car insurance rates fast
- Check multiple providers in minutes
- No spam calls
