Beyond Cutting Out the Latte

I have read a number of articles and blog posts advising readers to cut out trips to Starbucks or their favorite coffee shops to save money.  I agree that if you purchase a $5 cup of coffee every day five times a week, that's $25+ per week.  That's $100 per month.  No thank you.

To be honest, I don't go to Starbucks everyday. It's a special treat for me.  I have often wondered if I am doing enough to cut back and save money.  I take my lunch to work, I shop at discount grocery stores, use digital coupons, and I don't have cable.

I will admit that I haven't always made the best decisions when it comes to money management.  There was a time I use to spend money on books, music, decorative notebooks, fancy pens, etc.  I can also be an impulsive spender at times.  Below is a list of ways that my spending has changed over time.

• Music Subscriptions: I no longer buy CD's or download music.  I can't remember the last time I actually purchased an actual CD.  I downloaded a hard to find album from one of my favorite artists on iTunes.  I use the free versions of Spotify and Pandora.  I will admit that the ads are annoying at times, but I know that the money for these subscriptions can be better used somewhere else.  What's great about Spotify is that you can create your own playlists with all of your favorite songs.  So it is no longer necessary to go out and spend money on an album that you may or may not like.  
• Books: I love to read and at one point, I went through a phase where I was purchasing books regularly.  Some of those books I only read once.  There are at least two books that I never got around to reading.  When I took some of those books to a used bookstore to resell, the books were worth less than what I paid.  Instead of cash, they gave me a gift certificate to purchase more books or merchandise from the store.  It has almost been a year since I purchased a book.  I purchased it with Barnes N Noble gift card that I earned from Drop.  I haven't been reading a lot lately because of my busy schedule.  I try to check out books from the library when I can.  I also download sample books to see if I will like the book before I purchase it.
• Bring Your Own Lunch: I make it a habit to take my lunch to work.  I didn't always do this. One summer, I had a job working at an office that was down  the street from every restaurant that you can think of: Cook Out, Zaxby's, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, etc.  Those places became more appealing than my boring sandwich from home.  Looking back going to those places everyday added up over time.  I knew that I needed to add variety to my lunches and chose healthier options.  Sometimes I will take left overs from dinner, make a salad, or even a frozen meal.  While food delivery services like Bite Squad and Door Dash are great, they can add up especially with the delivery fees.  I would often cringe when I would see my workmates eating out everyday and or ordering from delivery services.  On the other hand, I would hear them complain about being broke.  I hope that I don't sound judgmental here.  I use these services myself but every once in awhile.  Occasionally, I will go out to lunch as a special treat.  
• Make Your Own Coffee:  I don't drink coffee everyday.  However, when I crave coffee, I make it at home.  Thanks to my Keurig, I can have the coffee shop experience at home without the coffee shop price.

I have been making it a habit to make a list when I go to store.   If I don't make a list, I always forget something and will have to go back again.  A list is crucial because since I don't drive, I would have to spend more money on Uber and Lyft.  For awhile, I stopped making a list. I was always forgetting something which meant multiple trips to the store.  There's a Dollar General store in my neighborhood that I can walk to.  When I made these multiple trips, I found myself buying things I don't necessarily need like junk food.

Yes, I am a still a work in progress, but I am making changes everyday.