10 Simple Ways to Save Money at Work

We work to be able to earn money, but, if we are not careful, work can be a place to unnecessarily spend alot of our hard earned cash. These are some tips to make sure that we keep more of what we earn rather than wasting it unnecessarily.

1. Drink Tap Water

Water from a subway station or canteen can easily cost £1 ($2) If we take our own tap water, we can make significant savings over the week. It only takes a little preparation, but in the long run it is no more time consuming than having to queue up and buy it in a shop. If you use filtered tap water, the quality will be just as good as bottled water; it is also good for the environment saving plastic and unnecessary transport.

2. Take Packed Lunch To Work

Lunch can be expensive, especially if you get in the habit of eating out. In some places, even a simple sandwich and pastry can add upto over £4 ($8). By making your own lunch, you can save money and get to eat what you want. If you are always rushed in the morning, prepare food the night before. You could also plan ahead and make enough for a few days and freeze it. Although it takes some time in preparation, it can also be very time consuming to queue up during your lunch break. Through taking your own food, you will not only save money, but, also have more of your lunch hour to yourself.

3. Walk or Cycle to Work

Driving to work can be very expensive, with both petrol and parking costs. In addition there are hidden costs such as running repairs, insurance and MOT. Driving can also be a stressful experience because of heavy congestion. If possible walk or cycle to work; this has the added bonus of being good for the environment and good for your health. Don’t be frightened by the dangers of cycling; after trying you will find it is not so bad as you might expect. If you do need to use public transport, make sure you take advantage of any season tickets which can save significant sums in the long run.

4. Avoid Shopping in Your Lunch Hour

From personal experience, I know how easy it is to spend your lunch hour, browsing shops aimlessly. The result is invariably that we will end up spending more than we intended. Rather than wasting time looking through shops, try to do something useful and use your lunch hour productively; if you have something specific to do, you will not get sucked into comfort shopping. It is better to only go shopping when you have a clear purpose of what we need. To save money, we need to be careful with our environment; if we spend time around shops we will tend to part with money. Instead, see a lunch hour as a great opportunity to learn some new skill or relax from the commercial pressures of work.

5. Give Up One Bad Habit

We all have one expensive habit. If we can give it up, we will make cumulative savings. Smoking is the most expensive habit and can easily cost £30 a week. If we are clear about how much we spend, then it is a great motivation to change a habit that also harms our health. As an added incentive we should use the savings to make a specific investment. For example, if we are going to save £30 a week because we stop smoking; why not set up a direct debt savings account of £30 a week. At the end of the year, the savings account will have grown giving us an even more significant return on our initial savings. With £2,000 extra in a savings account at the end of the year, we will really appreciate our decision and we can use it to buy something of real long term value. If you are not a smoker, perhaps you could give up your addiction to starbucks.

6. Make Use of Free Papers / Internet Paper

Daily Newspapers can be a way to pass the time on the way to work on in our lunch break; however, they are expensive. We can make use of free papers, read a communal paper or just use the internet for reading the specific articles that appeal to us. Also don’t restrict your reading to just daily newspapers - we invariably hear the news repeated elsewhere in the day. Start reading books which offer a greater literary diversity than just the endless daily splurge of scandals and financial crisis.

7. Don’t Leave things on standby

When out at work, make sure you are not wasting electricity at home. Make sure electrical appliances are not left on standby. Don’t leave the heating or air conditioner on all day, just so the temperature will be right when you get home. There is no harm from taking a little while for the house to get to the desired temperature.

8. Use Library for Reading Material

If we like to read on the train or in lunch break take advantage of libraries or cheap ways to buy books. If we buy from bookstores it can be expensive; but borrowing from the local library can save significant sums. If we do buy books, look at selling them back to Amazon or through ebay; with internet selling, you can get a good % of the original price

9. Work Flexitime to avoid congestion

If possible look for opportunites to work from home or commute at opportune and cheaper moments. This can save you both time and money on commuting. More bosses are realising the benefits of flexible working - it leads to a more motivated and happy workforce, try to suggest the positive aspects of working from home.

10. It is not a Fashion Parade

Work is not a fashion parade so don’t feel obliged to buy a new outfit every week to try and impress others. Work clothes should give you self confidence, but, at the same time you don’t have to spend excessive amounts on clothes. Impress others by being a good worker, not by being the best dressed every day.

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