Expanding on one of the topics I mentioned in my New Years post, I’ve recently been looking for more ways to save money. Many people focus on trying to make more money (usually so they can buy more things), and while I am definitely interested in that, I am currently more focused on saving more money since the overall result ends up being about the same, anyway. Plus, I probably spend too much money on stuff I don’t really needy, anyway As I mentioned, I’ve already canceled my cable service which was around $80/mo. I don’t really miss TV as much as I thought I would, although I am not going to cancel my internet service. But here are some other things I’ve done to try and save money.
For starters, I’ve stopped eating out so much. It is kind of hard when there are a bunch of good restaurants nearby, but they’re just so expensive. Of course the foodies would disagree with me, but let’s look at it like this. I can go to a restaurant and get a strip steak (which is the best cut, by the way) and it will be like $35. Yes, it will be pretty good, but $35 is a lot of money for me. I can go to the grocery store and get a strip steak of the same size for about $10. But sometimes even $10 is a lot to spend on just part of a meal, because don’t forget you also need a side dish, some veggies, maybe a salad, etc. With all those things added in, it’s probably about $15 for the same meal, so more than 50% savings from the restaurant (not including tip!). Ok, but really, $15 is still a lot of money for one meal. I don’t eat steak that much anymore for just that reason, and instead eat more chicken and fish (when it’s on sale). I try to buy food in bulk, too. Frozen chicken breasts can be had for around $8 for 3 pounds, and that makes at least 3 or 4 meals (depending on how much you eat). I know it sounds simple and it’s not fancy like eating out at restaurants, but it helps me save a lot of money.
I also am considering cheap car insurance from Washington DC Agents options. I think I’m paying too much right now and I’m seeing it as another monthly expense that I can cut down on. My car is in good condition but it is old so it’s not like I have a brand new car or something, and I don’t think my insurance should really be that much. I see ads all over the place though and it makes me wonder if I can really find a better deal somewhere else, so that is the next thing I’m going to look into.
I figure, the more I can save, the better off I will be, because like Ben Franklin said, “a penny saved is a penny earned.”