Five Ways to Save Money During the Work Day
1. Bring food and beverages from home-while the simplest and most oft-touted way to save money during the work day is to “pack a lunch”-you can actually take things even further by keeping your desk stocked with snacks and bringing your own beverages from home. Having your own tea, juice or drink mix, or coffee can save you dollars each day that you would otherwise spend on the little extras. Consider drinking water (which is potentially free) instead of paying for beverages during the day.
2. Consider public transportation or car pooling-If you are commuting to work and then paying for parking, these do not have to be “necessary” expenses. Some companies will actually reimburse or pay for a bus pass and putting together a car pool with some other coworkers could save you money on gas, car maintenance and parking each day. This could add up to a substantial amount in one month. As an added bonus, you may be able to add productivity to your day by using the time you’re not driving to make cell phone calls, lists, do work, etc.
3. Consider free exercise instead of a gym membership-if you are able to get out and away from your desk during the work day, or before or after work, consider “free” exercise, instead of paying for that gym membership. Walking, jogging, yoga in the park or on the roof of your office building, riding a bike to and from work, or even walking the stairs in your building can give you good cardiovascular exercise without costing you a cent.
4. Turn off your heat, air conditioning and lights at home before heading to work-This might seem incredibly obvious, but taking the time to make sure you’ve turned off your heat, air conditioning and lights before heading out to work can save you a fair amount of money during each day and this adds up. Make sure you don’t leave a sprinkler running or water dripping either. If you have pets and are concerned about their well-being, you can leave heat or air conditioning on, but the thermostat may be adjusted without putting the pets at risk for the fact that there are no humans in the house.
5. Watch for duplications that you may be paying for-do you pay for a newspaper subscription at home when the paper is also delivered at your workplace? Are you paying for your own calendar or date book when one could be provided by your work or office? There are likely several places in your day where you might be duplicating services or items and you could shave even more off your expense budget by eliminating this repetition.
