That means you can pare down your workweek lunch expense to less than $15 per week.
Here’s how:
Buy only what you’ll consume during the workweek to avoid wasting food by the weekend. In addition, select a variety of sandwich fixings, whole grain breads, and ready-to-go fresh fruit and vegetables to avoid boredom. Rinse and reuse sandwich bags to reduce waste and save even more. Alternately, tote your lunch in glass or reusable containers, whenever possible. Use a cloth bag or a shopping bag that’s easy to reuse.
4. Wake up, smell the coffee: Save $98
Wake up, smell the coffee and save almost $100. However, do it in your own kitchen. If you begin your daily grind by picking up your morning brew from a coffee shop, you’re spending about $2.45 per day for most foamy concoctions, more if you typically go for super-sized or signature varieties. The second cup to get you over the afternoon hump brings this spending figure up to $98 each month.
Making your coffee at home will run about $0.12-0.28 per cup, small beans compared to store bought. Assuming the higher end of that estimate calculates to just $1.40 per week, or $5.60 each month. For that sweet price, you can afford to take a refill to the office in a reusable travel mug ($11.20 per month) for a later pick-me-up.
Here’s how:
Invest in a no-frills coffeemaker ($15 and up), if you don’t already own one. Coffee prices vary, but even fair trade, organic coffee can be found for less than $15 a pound. The cost of a splash of milk or flavored creamer is minimal. Keeping the disposable coffee cup out of landfill: priceless.
5. Stay home for dinner: Save $252
Stay home for dinner and save $252. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American households spend an average of $3,034 a year on take out food and dining out. Curbing this habit will not only save you money, but will also reduce the amount of plastic and Styrofoam containers being tossed into the trash. ....read more
