We all remember this quote from Ben Franklin. Of course, there has been quite a bit of inflation since his time, so let’s forget the pennies and think of how to save a few bucks during your work day.
As soon as you leave the house, you are already spending money. Minimize your expenses during the day and maximize your earnings!
Try to look at purchases as time spent working. For example, let’s say on Monday you spend $4 on coffee, $10 on lunch, $5 on snacks, and $3 on a couple of bottles of water. That’s $22 that you have purchased throughout the day. Hypothetically, let’s say you are making $14 an hour. That means that you are making about $11 an hour after taxes. You have just spent two hours of your day working hard just to eat and drink these items!! You have labored away a quarter of your day to buy these consumables that are now nowhere to be seen.
Here are some suggestions to help you get off the hamster wheel and hang on to your money!
Take public transportation.
- Avoid driving as much as possible. Parking and gas can start eating away at your paycheck before you even get it!
- Walk to the Metro.
- Parking at the Metro garage or lot can add up really fast. Consider parking (legally of course) away from the Metro and walking. It’s thrifty and a good chance to get some exercise! Just make sure to read the signs carefully wherever you park – many neighborhoods close to the stations only allow residents to park there.
- If you simply have to drive, put air in your tires!
- Check your tires every week or so. Your gas mileage can be destroyed by low tires.
- Pack your lunch.
- When you go out to eat, you are literally eating up the hard-earned money that you have been working for all day.
- Not only will packing a lunch save you money, but you have more control over the nutritional content of your meals.
- Take your own coffee or tea.
- Get yourself a good insulated travel mug or thermos and take your own home-brewed caffeinated refreshment in to work. Stay away from coffee shops.
- Bring a water bottle!
- Invest in a decent water bottle that won’t spill or leak. Paying for bottled water isn’t kind to your wallet.
These tips are just a few of the ways in which you can preserve your hard-earned paycheck and get ahead. Try to think of some of your own, and share them with us on our Facebook page!!
