1. Brew Coffee At Home
Before my husband and I got married, I was a Starbucks
fiend. Every morning, I stopped & purchased a Grande Nonfat Caramel Machiatto on my way to work, at the tune of about $4 each. And some time around 2 or 3pm each day, I'd step out & order a second one! So each day, I was automatically $8 poorer. Multiply that by 5 or 6 days a week plus the random drinks I'd order on Sundays & I was easily spending
$250-$300 per month on coffee (or $3600 per year)!
These days, I indulge my coffee habit by making
Hills Bros. French Vanilla Cappuccino at home. It's super delicious & only costs about $4 for a container that lasts me about 5 days, meaning I only spend approximately
$24 per month on coffee (or $288 per year) versus the ridiculously high $250-$300 I was wasting before!
That's a savings of $3312 or 92%!
2. Brown Bag It/Eat Lunch At Home
When I was still working outside of the home & before I got married, I often ate out for lunch at least 3 days per week! Each time, I spent about $6-$10, meaning I was spending about $30 per week or
$120 per month (or $1440 per year)!
Once my husband I started our
Total Money Makeover, we began taking our lunch to work everyday. We didn't make it fancy-sometimes just a sandwich & fruit, a salad, leftovers, etc. Now that I stay home with my daughter, I try to do the same. Even if I will be out of the house around lunch time, I try to eat before we leave. Of course, there are times that I meet others for lunch or it's simply impossible to avoid needing to eat out. But, overall, we keep it to a minimum. Even after the cost of groceries,
we save at least $90 per month (or $1080 per year)!
That's a savings of 75%!
3. Skip The Soda
This is a small, but super simple way to save a few dollars when you do go out to eat. I'll be honest. I.love.diet.coke. There are definitely times when I feel I just
have to have it. But once I realized that restaurants were sometimes charging over $2 for a soda, I started ordering water. And I never really missed it.
The pros? I save money AND I increase my water intake. It's a win/win situation. Sure, $2 doesn't seem like that much money. But let's say my husband & I go out to eat twice a week, that's about
$16 per month (or $192 per year) we could have used somewhere else.
This simple step is a savings of 100%!
4. The Frugal Friday Night
As parents of a young child, it's not often that we go out for dinner & a movie. But we definitely used to! Before we embarked on our quest for a debt free life, our typical date night included dinner
(average cost= $25) & a movie
(average cost= $35 for 2 tickets & concession stand snacks). On average, we did this about once a month, for a grand total of
$60 per month (or $720 per year)!
These days, our Friday night "dinner & a movie" looks a little bit different. Instead of dinner at a sit down restaurant, we've become fans of
Little Caesar's Hot-N-Ready $5 pizzas. Because let's be honest, come Friday, one of the last things we feel like doing is cooking. The $5 pizza is convenient yet cheap at the same time!
And as far as the movie goes, we take advantage of the free Redbox & Blockbuster rental codes to rent one or two movies we've been wanting to see. There are so many free codes available, you should never have to pay to rent a movie! Between the $5 pizza & the free movie rental,
we are saving about $55 per month (or $660 per year)!
That's a savings of 92%!
5. Wait Longer In Between Haircuts
I used to go to the salon every 6 weeks to get my hair cut & thinned out (I have
thick hair). Over time, my salon raised their prices & I was eventually spending
$70 for a haircut (or $630 per year)!
Once I had my daughter, I knew I couldn't keep it up, but I also still wanted to feel comfortable with the way my hair looks. That's when I purchased a pair of thinning shears & scissors. I learned to thin out my own hair & trim my bangs, which for me, extends the life of my haircut, increasing the amount of time in between professional haircuts. And when I do head to the salon, I no longer go to the $70/haircut shop. I usually head over to my local Hair Cuttery or Great Clips, which costs only $15. For me, I've realized that the simple style I'm looking for can easily be attained at a chain salon. And now, I usually wait 4 months between cuts!
I understand that not everyone will feel comfortable trimming their own hair. But either way, I would say that
everyone can at least increase the amount of time between haircuts, even if it's only by one week. By increasing the time in between professional haircuts plus visiting a chain salon rather than a local high end salon,
I only spend $45 per year on my haircuts, versus the $630 per year I used to waste!
That's a savings of $585 or 93%!
**Remember, these are the things that work for
our family. It may not work for you. However, the important thing is to really evaluate your budget. A $4 coffee may not seem too important but when you look at the big picture & you realize you are spending $3600 a year on coffee, you start to see things differently. Start small. Take baby steps. Don't refuse yourself everything all at once. And most of all, simply don't give up. If you're serious about changing your finances, you can do it. It may just take some time.
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