Today, the majority of us spend much more than we need to on essentially useless items. Items that seen inexpensive and insignificant at the time can quite quickly add up to large sums of money when placed over the long term. In this article, we will look at ways to cut costs without having to deny yourself completely of those small treats you allow yourself throughout the day.
Most of us likely start our day off with coffee. When consumed at home this isn’t a problem however, the majority of us will stop off at a local coffee shop on our way to work. For many professionals this is a ritual for starting and getting through the day.
Although delicious, specialty coffees bought from the large chains can cost anywhere from 3-5 dollars per day. When multiplied over the space of a year, this can result in expenditure anywhere between 1000-1600 dollars. This money could be put too much better use. If there is no way on earth you can fathom the idea of going without your morning coffee then the good news is, you don’t have to. Make time for yourself in the morning to brew your own coffee. You might even save a large cup or two from one of the coffee retailers. Place your home brewed coffee in this and you will hardly notice the difference. Brewing your own coffee will cost you a fraction over the year than purchasing specialty drinks from retailers.
Chances are your place of work has a cafeteria for you to eat in. Although this food is much more economical that eating out for lunch, choosing to dine in them everyday can soon add up to serious money spent. The average cafeteria lunch costs about 5 dollars per day. If you consider 250 workdays exist in a calendar year, your are looking at an expenditure of 1250 dollars. Again, this money could be put too much better use.
While it is true that a good lunch is needed, you can save a substantial amount of money by taking your own lunch in. for approximately one tenth the cost of your cafeteria food, you could prepare a good lunch for yourself. It takes only minutes to prepare and will likely be a much healthier option as well.
Of course, we all are entitled to treat ourselves every now and again. It is when the treats are purchased on a daily basis that they start to become costly. By eliminating some of these expenditures and preparing items yourself, you could realize substantial savings at the end of the year.