The Latte Factor: Small Savings Add Up

Think those small purchases don't really affect your savings? If you make small changes in your life, you could save big in a year. Take a look at some of these money-saving measures that take minimum effort!



Weekday Latte

Think those small purchases don't really affect your savings? If you make small changes in your life, you could save big in a year. Take a look at some of these money-saving measures that take minimum effort!

Switch from an expensive latte ($4.25) to regular coffee ($1.15) once every weekday and you'll save over $800 in a year!



BYOB

Bring your own bags. Tote three reusable bags to a grocery store that offers an incentive program (5 cents back per bag) twice a week. Your savings will add up to over $15 by the end of the year.



Movie Night

If a family of four trades their bi-monthly night at the movies ($64/month) for a Netflix account ($16.99 for three DVDs at a time), the savings is big: $564.12 to be exact. Switch to using the library (FREE) and you'll save even more-another $200 per year!



Watchful Withdrawals

If you only used your bank's ATMs to avoid fees ($2 per week), the savings adds up to $104 per year.



The 411

Dialing 411 to get phone numbers costs about $1 per usage. Get out your sturdy yellow pages or look up phone numbers online four times per month for a savings of $48 annually.



Borrowing for Bookworms

Like to read? You'll save about $720 every year if you get three new releases from the library instead of the book store ($60).



Water Weight

You're diligent about drinking your 8 cups a day, but are you still drinking from single use (disposable) bottles? Invest in a sturdy reusable bottle ($20 or less) instead of two 20-ounce water bottles per day ($1.10 each) and your savings will get an $800 boost after 12 months.



Kick the Habit

Need more reasons to quit that pack-a-day ($4) smoking habit? How about 1,460 reasons. That's how many dollars you'll save after one year of going smoke free.



Mad about Magazines?

By cancelling two magazine subscriptions and borrowing them from a friend or the library, you'll save $40 a year.



Brown Bag It

Eating out is expensive. Bag up your leftovers for half the cost of a deli sandwich ($6). That daily savings of $3 adds up fast: $720 each year.



Eat Your Veggies

With food and gas prices rising, meat is becoming more expensive. If you opt for just ONE meatless meal a week, you'll save over $300 per year.

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About The Author

Stepfanie Romine A former newspaper reporter, Stepfanie now writes about nutrition, health and fitness, with an emphasis on whole foods and from-scratch cooking. She is a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher who enjoys Spinning, international travel and vegetables of all kinds. See all of Stepfanie's articles.