Save A Little Money...
The last few posts have been focused more on the job search (networking, resumes, etc…). I wanted to take minute to share a few money saving ideas I have successfully implemented that you may want to consider. Here are three areas to save some money:
Coffee
It always surprises me when I walk into a career event and people are walking around with Starbucks. That stuff is expensive! The first thing I decided to eliminate was Starbucks. No more $4 cup of coffee. I am not even a big coffee drinker - it had just become a habit. So I came up with a solution - buy a coffee maker. I bought a $30 Mr. Coffee. Now I just buy some coffee grounds at the store, and every morning I can cook up my own fresh cup of coffee. About $.15 a cup instead of $4.
Entertainment
When you are out of work, you can’t spend all of you time job-searching. In fact, that wouldn’t be very healthy. But entertainment can be expensive depending on what you like to do. Eating out, going to movies, bars, sporting events. None are great when you are on a budget. I may be late on this one, but Netflix is a great option for home entertainment. I started using Netflix and it’s fantastic. For a little over $10 a month, I get tons of evening entertainment. Instead of going out, I can have friends over for a movie night. (And now I can download movies and watch them on my computer - even more convenient!)
Transportation
The feasibility of this one is dependent on where you live. How much do you drive right now? A car carries a lot of costs. Maintenance, insurance, gas. Wouldn’t it be nice to cut back on some of those expenses? There are a few good ways to do that.
- Bike: Get a bike. Ride it for local errands and trips. You get exercise and save money.
- Bus: Take the bus. The bus system in your city may surprise you. Perhaps you have never explored this option before. But the bus is a cheap, efficient, and economical way to travel. In my town, the bus can actually get places faster than a car (at rush hour).
- Scooter: This may sound funny, but several good friends have changed their transportation to a scooter. It gets something crazy like 70mpg. It’s easy to park. Insurance costs are lower. If this is feasible in your area it may be something worth looking into!
Submit your own money saving idea!
