Wake up and smell the coffee. That you made yourself. At great savings.
Inhale the aroma. Take a sip. Now imagine the clink of coins dropping into your piggy bank. Lots of coins if you have been dropping several bucks at Starbucks or other coffee joints. You’ve probably heard it before, but your daily coffee habit is one of the easiest ways to pay off those Christmas credit card bills. If you spend $15 to $20 a week on take-out coffee, invest $20 in a pot.
But coffee is just one drop in the bucket. Because most people eat and drink many times a day, the food and beverage category is a worthy one in which to trim costs. Let us help get you started:
– Look at the food in your pantry and fridge. Are you paying for freshness, convenience or packaging? You probably don’t benefit from the latter. Make changes accordingly.
– Don’t grocery shop when hungry. You will overbuy because everything looks good.
More Top Picks Skullcandy Crusher Anc 2
– Try house brands, which usually cost less, of foods you use often.
– Realize that protein foods–meats, poultry, fish–tend to be costlier than other foods. Reduce the number or size of proteins on your plates. Or switch to less expensive ones such as beans, peanut butter and eggs.
– Cook; you generally save money. And if you double the recipe, you can freeze half for another meal, saving time and labor too.
– Manage your fridge contents better by keeping a mini inventory list on the door. Date items, rotating and using oldest (but not too old) first. This method reduces spoiled leftovers that end up in trash.
– Pick up your own pizza. You will save both the delivery charge and the tip.
– Buy small scoops of dried herbs and spices from bulk bins. The amount needed for several recipes often adds up to a few pennies, and you won’t have to throw away the rest of a jar when it loses its flavor.
– From specials at Mexican restaurants to Chinese buffets to personal pizzas, look for bargain lunches to reduce eating-out costs.
– Share dishes with a dining companion or spouse, but keep in mind that some restaurants have an extra charge for sharing a plate or dividing an entree.
– Take home a doggy bag. The cost of an entree can be spread over two meals if you eat half in the restaurant and take half home.