09 Aug 10 Tightening The Belt
Many people are looking for ways to save money in this lousy economy.
There are a few quite simple ways to do it.
- Walk to the store. If it’s within a mile or two, consider walking in fine weather, or riding a bike. You’ll save gas, and wear and tear on the car, and you’ll burn some extra calories too. Most of us don’t get enough exercise!
- Continuing with cars, why not organize a carpool with some of your fellow workers? Again, you’ll save gas, and wear and tear on your car, and you get to relax a little instead of doing all the driving every day. Another point to think of – if more people carpooled, there would be fewer cars on the road, which means less pollution, so that’s a health benefit too.
- While we’re talking about work, why not pack a lunch, instead of eating fast food every day? That burger and fries can be 1,000 – 1,500 calories a day, and a sandwich made at home can be less than a third of that. Also, even that fast food lunch can be $7 $10 a day, and for Around $10-$12 you can easily buy enough for that homemade lunch to last a whole week.
- What do you drink with that lunch, or indeed throughout the day? Do you really need those expensive lattes, that can come in around 600 calories, and up to $4 each? Why not invest in a thermal mug, and make coffee at home, drink one before you leave, and take another one with you to the office, or drink in the car on the way there, if that’s what you usually drop into the coffee shop for. That alone can save you $15-$20 a week. Even better drink tap water! It’s better for you, has no calories, and doesn’t contain that dehydrating caffeine that 90% of Americans consume each day in either coffee, tea, or soda.
These few simple things can save you up to $50 or $60 a week, which is $250 a month or $3,000 a year! Heck, you could get that new car sooner, move to a bigger house, or have a great vacation instead!
Tags: burger and fries, calories, carpool, coffee shop, fast food, fellow workers, great vacation, health benefit, heck, new car, pollution, sandwich, soda, tap water, ways to save money, wear and tear
29 May 08 Coffee
Now, if you’re a regular reader here at The Eye, you’ll know I love my morning coffee. However, I almost always make that coffee in my own kitchen, even on the days when I’m working away from home.
Unlike me, many people get their daily fix from the local coffee shop, and it’s costing them thousands. If you’re one of those people, then read on.
Here’s the math: someone spending $1.80 on a regular coffee every day (let alone the fancy cappuccinos) is handing over $468 for the luxury every year. When compound interest of 7% is taken into account, this would amount to a total of $8,648 over 10 years, $25,661 over 20 years and $59,127 over 30 years.
If a 35-year-old were to put all the money they spend on coffee into their pension fund instead, at 65 they would receive $3,843 more in their pension every year for the rest of their life.
Now, are you still going to Starbucks for another cup?
Tags: 10 years, cappuccinos, coffee shop, compound interest, math, money, morning coffee, pension growth, pension pot, price of coffee, retirement fund, starbucks
02 Apr 08 Strange Choices – Relatively Speaking
For most of us, drinking our favorite drink in a pleasant relaxing place makes it taste better than somewhere that isn’t. Think about it for a moment. Doesn’t that $4 latte taste better, sitting inside the coffee shop, rather than drinking it in the car while driving. In the coffee shop, yu’re more likely to be relaxing than you are doing 70mph on the interstate, or winding your way through the morning rush hour traffic downtown.
Now, take your mind back to the coffee shop again. A person that seems somewhat attractive walks in. Then someone else who is more attractive comes in a few minutes later, and the first person doesn’t seem that good looking after all.
By the way, we’re talking about strangers here, not comparing your spouse to the good-looking neighbor you secretly lust after!
The human mind works in strange ways, when you stop and think about it!
Tags: choices, coffee shop, few minutes, first person, irrational, morning rush hour, neighbor, relativity, rush hour traffic, walks
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