How to Save Money at Work and Play

You work hard for your money. Why spend so much of it at work? And, since you work hard, you are likely to want to play hard. But that adds up, too.

This article will provide tips on how to save money at work and play.

AT PLAY

Free events
There are probably tons of free events for all ages in your area. Check out free papers, happenings guides and community calendars for free admission events like shows, music, plays, demonstrations, classes and more.

Charity Dinners
Many times fire halls, church groups or other places will have fundraiser dinners. For less than $10, and sometimes even $5 you can get a ham dinner, chicken dinner, spaghetti dinner or fish fry. You eat some great homemade food for less than the price of a restaurant meal, plus help out a good cause.

Coupons
Look in the Sunday paper for restaurant coupons. There are often times meal deals, such as buy-on-get-one-free. The phone book is also a great place for pizza coupons.

Eat-In First
Instead of going out to dinner before your other plqans, why not have dinner at home and then go out for the second half of the night to a show, movie, etc. Or, just for coffee and dessert or, perhaps just drinks. Cut your weekend budget in half!

Netflix vs. movies or even Pay-Per-View
A night out at the movies can cost about $30 for two people and imagine what it is for a family? With tickets around $8 or $9 and a drink starting at $2.50, watching a movie at home is much cheaper. Netflix is a GREAT service, and plans start at around $10 per month. Also, on the surface ordering a pay-per-view movie sounds expensive, but $4.99 will cover as many people as you want for a newer movie!

AT WORK

Bring your lunch & snacks: If you eat out for lunch every day (or order in), or at least very frequently you could be wasting a lot of money. It's hard to fight the urge of that lunch menu going around, but stick to brown bagging it and see how much money you'll save.

EXAMPLE: Eating out 4 days a week at $6.00 a pop = $24/week $1248 per year! Brown Bagging it can cost much less than that!

Also, think about the money you spend in the vending machine for a snack? Perhaps $1.00/day? That's $300 a year!! Instead of spending $1.00 for a tiny bag of chips, but a whole bag at the grocery store for $2 and ration out for the week in snack bags!

Drink water out of your own cup or reuse bottle: Again, like above if you buy a drink from the machine a few times per day or stop on lunch to get a bottle of soda, you are wasting money!

INSTEAD: Bring a cup or bottle from home and refill at the office water cooler or fountain. You'll spend less and be healthier. They also sell those drink mix individual packets you can buy.

Brew coffee at home: If you brew coffee at home and bring it to work in a large thermos, you will have some to last throughout the day and save $1.75 a pop. Even if you need just one cup in the morning, have it at home-not on the way to work by going through the drive through or gas station.

IT ADDS UP: 5 coffees a week = $455 year

Carpool or take public transportation: To save on gas money, try carpooling with a coworker or carpool with a member of your family and take turns picking up or dropping off. Also, if you can walk to work or take the bus, that will save money on gas and parking, too!