The surprising total of our daily "expenses"

[Shut Up Legs]

I've been thinking lately that I should try to cut down on my daily expenses, and it's surprising how much these add up!


For example, when I get to work each day, I buy a large coffee and a container of muesli and yoghurt, then about 1.5 hours later another large coffee, and these together cost me $13.70 each work day. Multiply that by the 240 or so work days per year, and it's $3288, money that would do far more good if just added to my super or even just my savings account. There are coffee machines free for use where I work, so buying them isn't really necessary, and as for the yoghurt, I'm sure I could do without that too.

It's easy to get caught up in these spending habits, particularly if (like me) you're single and with a reasonably high income, but I'm feeling increasingly guilty about all these incidental daily purchases. Now to find a way to cut down on my lunch costs, which is probably also over $3000 a year...

 

[buggi]

I have the same problem. I'm inherently lazy when it comes to making my own sarnies, mostly coz i can't be arsed in the moring but don't do them the night before coz i like them fresh.
I'm single too, but not rich. I don't buy coffee tho.. I drink the free stuff. But i do buy chocolate...

 

[vernon]

Expenses. How about this claim for $185,000 dollars?

More money than sense.

 

[ColinJ]

I have no idea what I used to spend all my money on when I had my last reasonably well paid job. That was about 10 years ago and I had nearly three times the money to live on that I do now, but I didn't feel especially well off at the time. Easy come, easy go, I reckon!

 

[slowmotion]

Eating porridge for breakfast at home solves a lot of snacking expenditure.

This is a Viz Top Tip and ICMFP.

 

[Accy cyclist]

If i gave up drinking beer at home and in the pub,i'd be able to buy something like this every year! http://www.dalescycles.com/2014-scott-foil-10-22-p8079 Trouble is i like beer a touch more than cycling!

 

[ColinJ]

If i gave up drinking beer at home and in the pub,i'd be able to buy something like this every year! http://www.dalescycles.com/2014-scott-foil-10-22-p8079 Trouble is i like beer a touch more than cycling!

I have probably saved about that amount since giving up beer nearly 2 years ago! I sometimes miss it, but not as much as I expected to ...

 

[BAtoo]

I've stopped the visit to Tesco's each lunchtime for the proverbial "meal deal" which I reckon saves £500 + a year, and quite a few calories as I don't have crisps with my sarnies. The coffee's free at work, also usually some fruit.

But we do have a "tuck-shop" selling choccy bars that I sometimes succumb too - 50p a pop & tooo many calories .

 

[screenman]

 

[sazzaa]

Nespresso machine at my work is saving me buying coffee, and lunches are either leftovers from tea the night before or made from the shopping I do on a Monday... taking a loaf of bread, salad and sandwich fillers is much cheaper than buying sandwiches every day.

 

[vernon]

Mega saving tip.

If you walk instead of getting a taxi you'll save a lot more money than if you walk instead of catching a bus.

 

[screenman]

Also if you save hard and go without all your life your kids will spend it when you are gone.

 

[sazzaa]

Sack saving for the sake of saving, my saved cash usually goes on holidays!

 

[Brandane]

Also if you save hard and go without all your life your kids will spend it when you are gone.

Or you could buy a nice house that the Government will take from you to pay for your care in old age, while you sit dribbling in a home somewhere wishing that you had blown it all on coffee and sandwiches.

 

[Leaway2]

It does mount up, but the muesli and yoghurt are brekkie, so unless you can buy them cheaper at the local super market and bring them in, it is not really a frivolity. Also if you deduct the price of the supermarket "stuff" from the work bought stuff, the difference is not that much. I am astounded by how much people pay for coffee though. Working at an airport, buying any food is pretty much a no no.