Effortless Savings Part I: Tips at Work

One of the biggest pitfalls at work is the money you spent on getting to and from work. Think about it for a second. How much money do you spend per day just to be at work?

I'll use a co-worker and good friend of mine as an example. We have a fully staffed cafeteria at work along with vending machines, and even a coffee shop.  Each day, like clock work, my co-worker does the following transactions (am I weird for knowing all of this)?

Breakfast at the Cafeteria: Approximately $5.00 per day

Lunch at the Cafeteria: Around $7.00 per day

Delicious Latte/Coffee: $3.50 per latte

If you do the math, that's $15.50 per day, $77.50 per week, and $310.00 PER MONTH. Yes, some days are less than others, perhaps skipping a latte or having a less expensive lunch, but man that's got to cause a dent in the old budget.

Let's get down to the basics of just getting to/fro to work: Gas is currently at approximately 3.20/gallon for regular. Let's say for a small car you'll fill up once a week for a 10 gallon tank (super conservative estimate). That's 32.00/week for gas and $128/month. The parking garage pass at work costs $70/month (thus why I park on the street and walk 12 minutes a day for free). So transportation costs, around 198.00 per month. Adding that total to our food budget, that would be approximately $508.00 per month spent for work. Wowza.

Here are some great tips on how to save at work:
  1. Pack your lunch- You already spend massive amounts of money on groceries per month. Why not use some of those groceries for lunch? Pack your leftover dinner and try to pack lunches that are delicious and appealing. If your lunch sucks, you are not going to eat it and you're going to start spending money on lunch again. Try out new recipies the night before work and pack them the next day to enjoy. Lunch doesn't have to be a boring sandwich and a stale cookie. Get creative!
  2. Always have healthy snacks at your desk- You know you like to make a trip to the vending machine. Think about how much that snack costs in the machine vs. buying a box at the grocery store. For example, I have a major weakness for cheetos. One small bag in the vending machine costs me a dollar and it's only good for one sitting. I can snag a much larger bag at the grocery store for around the same price during a sale. Try buying fruits and snacks you can keep at your desk so those mid-day cravings can be satsified at a much lower cost.
  3. Try walking/biking/carpooling to work- The best part about a carpool is that it forces you to be on time. You don't want to hold up your fellow carpoolers, so you're more likely to be prepared to leave the house in a timely manner. Did I mention you could put a dent in parking costs if you work downtown?
  4. Cut down on the lattes and frou frou drinks- Starbucks is a major budget killer. Try to limit your favorite treat to once a week or find ways to make your own latte at home. I've bought a few coffee creamers that taste just as good as the real McCoy and I take them to work with me each day to resist a run to the coffee shop.
  5. Resist the charity drives- Man, this sounds harsh but let me tell you, a day doesn't go by at work until some sort of charity event with food/snacks/casual work day stickers doesn't go buy. If they can't provide you a receipt for your taxes, then try to resist donating. If you know what cause they are working for, go online and do some research on ways you can donate and get a tax ride off. Otherwise, charity should start at home and you'll be in a much better position to help others if you donate your time instead of your wallet.

 "I've got a head for business and a body for sin"- Working Girl, one of my favorite movies.

P. Manolos

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