Today’s tip is a basic one, but one many people overlook. Don’t eat out as much as you are tempted to, and take a lunch with you to work. I see so many people eating out, or going through a drive through, pretty much every day. While no one loves to dine out more than I, I also realize how expensive it can really be. Even the most budget-conscious will spend $4-6 for lunch. That means that by simply eliminating buying two lunches per week, you will save a minimum of $416/year ($4 x 2 times per week x 52 weeks). If you usually spend closer to the national average of $8/lunch, bringing your lunch from home twice per week will save you $832/year.
And after a long day, it is always tempting to go out to eat or to grab some carry out, instead of going home and cooking. If you are disciplined enough to go home and make dinner, you will save money however. And you might just end up losing some weight also, as restaurant food is notorious for being high in sodium and fat. So do yourself a favor this weekend. Take a look at the grocery store sales online and plan a few meals off of those ingredients for next week. You might even want to buy enough to make double what you need so that you can freeze the extra for another week. Then when you have an especially busy day or week, you will have a meal already made for you.