Is a penny earned, according to the old saying. Saving money is not always easy and sometimes, all we can save are pennies. But each penny saved is one less penny being spent and, over time, those saved pennies add up.
I have lived fairly frugally most of my life and, as such, I do many frugal things as a matter of course over the week, each week, which save money. Some things have become such habits that I don't even think about them, but they all contribute towards saving money on a weekly basis. I think a periodic review will be helpful to see what I already do and what else I can do.
So, here is a review of my penny saving activities this past week:
- I had my morning coffee and evening tea at home; I know some of my office colleagues buy a daily coffee or tea which, at minimum, costs $1a cup.
- I took breakfasts from home; some colleagues buy muffins or bagels for breakfast, which cost $2 or more.
- I took lunch from home every day to the office; again, some colleagues buy lunch daily, which usually costs around $7.
Just those 3 things save me $10 per day, or $50 per work week.
- I used coupons to get good bargains when I grocery shopped, including two cans of tuna for $.02 per can, a box of free cereal, and a dozen free eggs.
- I picked oranges and lemons from the garden, which I shared with a friend, as well.
- I hung up all laundry to air dry, instead of using the dryer.
- I used material I had on hand to make a thank you card, instead of buying a card.
- I took my reusable bags when I went shopping for groceries, etc., and avoided paying $.10 per bag for paper bags.
- I stayed behind in daughter's apartment, instead of accompanying daughter when she went grocery shopping, and saved $2.10 bus fare each way (she has a bus pass, the cost of which is included in her tuition and fees).
Of course, I had quite a few expenses, too, last week. But what is important is to remember that my expenses would have been greater if I hadn't saved a few pennies by doing a few frugal things during the week. A penny saved is a penny gained.
Do you regularly do things that save you money? Did you do any penny saving things last week? Please share what you did.
My top money saving habit is staying away from buying any "drink to go". I have a stainless steel thermos that has served me well for years. The inner and outer layers are steel, no glass, so rude treatment is fine.
ReplyDeleteI also have a water bottle. If I want something other than water, I use a small bottle that used to hold sparkling water. I use it a couple of times before I don't trust the cleanliness anymore and get a new one. I have drunk countless liters of homemade iced tea from those bottles instead of the sugar loaded industrial versions.
With my own "drinks to go" I can actually have finer products for a lot less money than whatever is available along the way.
Jazz
A very good money saving habit! I, too, usually carry a bottle of water with me, one that I refill and reuse.
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