The first thing you can do is to pass on that latte or scone all together. Instead, make yourself breakfast at home. Invest in a coffee maker if you don’t have one, and make your own coffee. Then make a nice meal of scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast, a cup of cottage cheese with fruit, or one of my favorites – a thick, mixed berry protein smoothie. It’s quick, easy and cheap – much better than the latte and scone. And trust me, if you work at a sit-down job, the protein in place of the simple carbohydrates will keep your energy level sustained, and your metabolism going fast. That’s very important if you’re stuck in a chair all day long.
Next, pocket the $2-$3 that you would have spent on the latte and scone. Put it in a jar, put it in the bank, put it anywhere you can save it. There’s a great start! Think about it. $2-$3 per day times an average of 30 days is an extra $60-$90 in your pocket every month!
Now, if you eat fast food at lunch or find yourself eating out a lot, make a commitment to pack your lunch. Resist the temptation to go to lunch with your office. If you go to lunch on a daily basis, that will average $5-$10 per lunch, at least. That’s an extra $100-$200 saved! Put them together and you’ve saved $160-$290 – in one month!
I’m not saying never go out to lunch. I have friends of mine that I meet for lunch every now and again. The point being that I don’t make a habit of it. On the other hand, once you have made a habit out of saving this extra money and have learned to discipline yourself to save, then it’s not going to hurt you to go out every once in a while.
