Little Things I Do To Save Money

Posted By Paul

If you've read my earlier post:

Financial Choices, Good vs Better

Then you know that I try to focus on the things that save the dollars, not pennies. Of course crazy economic times always make me look for new ways to be frugal. There are a few things I do to save a penny here and there, and I finally decided to share them.

So here goes:

Bring snacks in to work:
I sometimes find myself getting hungry in the mid-morning or afternoon and needing a snack. I used to run to the vending machine to grab something, but now I go to CostCo and stock up on snacks and I keep them in my desk. Not only is it MUCH cheaper, but I've found that it's easier for me to avoid the unhealthy snacks using this system. I have the discipline to eat a healthy granola bar when it's in my desk drawer, but it's a whole different story when I'm faced with the granola bar from the vending machine with the peanut butter cups right next to it.

Keep ready lunches in my desk:
Related to the above, I also keep stuff I can eat for lunch in my desk (usually cans of soup). This is especially nice for those days when I'm really busy and don't want to go out to lunch. Instead I can just grab a can of soup and save a few bucks and a few minutes.

Ordering less food at lunch:
Matt and I meet for lunch every week or so, and one of the places we go pretty often is Panda Express. Matt and I used to always get the two item combo, but at one point I decided to try the one item rice bowl. At first I wasn't sure if it would be enough food, but it ended up being plenty. Now every time I go to Panda Express I get the single item rice bowl. I get enough to eat, I don't end up eating a bunch of food that I don't really need, and I save a little money each time. Also if I get hungry in the afternoon I still have those snacks ready to go.

Just a few little things I'm trying to keep an eye on as a way to save a buck here and there.