The Need To Save More: Your Discretionary Expenses
BOSTON (CBS) - Today it's about your discretionary expenses. This is stuff you have more control over than a fixed mortgage payment.
You still have to eat and for many of us drive a car, but you can do it cheaper. And when you save money you will need to spend your time.
Grocery shopping: make it a family project and get the kids to clip the coupons and plan the menus. Cook at home more. When my kids were younger I would cook extra on weekends so we had a couple of quick dinners ready during the week. Microwaves make leftovers easy!
Use a shopping list whenever you go shopping and don't go food shopping on an empty stomach. That advice has been around forever.
Instead of a dinner out consider picking up one of the store's rotisserie chickens which for the most part are quite cheap. Many stores have them for under $5 and they can easily serve a family of four. Add vegetables and a loaf of bread and for a special treat pick up some ice cream and you can serve 4-6 people for under $10. A lot cheaper than eating out. One listener told me she makes soup with the leftovers for a quick lunch the next day.
Cars:
- When shopping for a new consider buying a used car. One or two years' old
- Don't buy more car than you need
- Drive sensibly and observe the speed limit
- Use cruise control
- Remove excess weight like that 50-pound bag of dog food in the trunk. No junk in your trunk!
- Do not idle your car. Consider parking the car and going inside for your cup of coffee. If there are three cars in the drive thru at Dunkin Donuts' park and go in for your order.
- Carpool: most cars in the morning rush hour have one occupant; the driver. Even if you can only carpool a couple of days a week it could save big bucks.
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You can hear Dee Lee's expert financial advice on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 each weekday at 1:55 p.m., 3:55 p.m., and 7:55 p.m.
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