Is Your Workplace Affecting Your Wallet?

Let me start off by saying I am absolutely grateful to have a job, but I can't help but notice how the office is affecting my budget, and I'm not even considering transportation and costs to maintain a professional wardrobe.  First there is the pressure to go out on group lunches, which are much more expensive than my homemade or frozen lunches.  Then there is the office party.  At my office, we celebrate birthdays, holidays,  weddings, boss's day, employee appreciation week, and I'm probably forgetting some other party occasions.  We take up a small monthly collections to help with the costs of parties and for office supplies like napkins and cleaning supplies, but each party requires that we either make a potluck dish or pay for catering, and contribute money for gifts.  Each party may call for a small donation, but these $5-$10 add up!

I have to admit, I do love the parties so I always choose to take part in them, but I have come up with a few ways to keep work spending in check:

Office Parties
Suggest a breakfast or afternoon snack party instead of one where the party food is serving as lunch.  This limits the amount of food everyone needs to bring, and everyone can contribute to cheaper food items than  meat items or large sandwich platters.
Offer non-monetary donations.  Bring in decorations, handmade gifts, or games you already own to serve as entertainment.
Suggest consolidating parties.  Instead of celebrating several birthdays individually, have a joint birthday party for co-worker's whose birthdays are in the same month or season.  Likewise, have one big holiday party instead of having back-to-back parties for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.

Group Lunches
Take advantage of lunch specials offered during the day to get menu items for a cheaper price.
Split an entree with a coworker to save on costs and keep you both from over-eating :)
Swap a  restaurant meal for B.Y.O.L (bring your own lunch) get-together in the break room or at a nearby park.

So, is your workplace affecting your wallet? How much do you spend on average each month for work related expenses? Feel free to share!

Guest Post: How I saved over $18K in 2011

Meet Randy, author of the lifestyle blog YoungNEducated.  Covering  everything from fitness and finances to relationships and careers, his blog is the perfect blend of intelligence, wit, and cultural commentary.   He's here to share how, in a matter of weeks, he found simple ways to save himself over $18,000 this year!

Extra income without work?

I ran across this article on Yahoo about Ways to Make Extra Income Without Much Work (link to article).

Now I can see why someone would rent out a portion of their home as a source of income.  I'm a huge HGTV fan and I love the show Income Property, which shows homeowners converting part of their homes into apartments and often earning enough rent money each month to cover their mortgage.  The idea of living rent/mortgage free is very appealing, and could make up for having to give up some my living space (that is, if I had a basement or 2nd floor, don't think I'm ready to go back to roommate living for a while lol).

source

But one thing the article mentions that I had never heard of is rent out your car.  From liability issues, to maintenance costs, and even the stress of wondering where my car is while I'm not using it, I just don't think the benefit could be worth the  risks.  The article mentions car owners earning about $200 a month and can set their own rates, but it seems like they wouldn't be able to set their rates too high (otherwise people would just rent  from a regular rental agency).  Maybe I should research into this a little more, but for now, I'm not sold on the idea.

Source 

Would you consider renting out your car? What are some other ways to make money without much work or effort? Let me know :)

Savings Sunday 6/19/11

Every Sunday, I will feature one easy, painless, money saving tip. 

Today's Tip: Save money on phone calls.  If you use a cell phone, avoid going over on your monthly minutes (and avoid overage costs) by signing up for free nights and/or weekends and make the bulk of your calls during those times.  Also, use free online services like Skype which provides free audio and video chats to your friends using a computer, smartphone, or tablet device.  You can also use Skype to make calls to a phone line and even make international calls for a small fee.  

Hope you find a way to incorporate today's tip into your routine this week!

Savings Sunday 5/29/11

Every Sunday, I will feature one easy, painless, money saving tip. 

Today's Tip:  Try cooking most of your meals at home.  Home made meals are usually cheaper than at a restaurant or pre-packaged meal, you know exactly what you're eating (which helps if you are trying to watch calories), and you can make as little or as much as you like.  If you're short on meal ideas or short on time, there a number of cookbooks out there just for you.  Check out Best Ever Three & Four Ingredient Cookbook and Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats--A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners (A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook).

Hope you find a way to incorporate today's tip into your routine this week

Savings Sunday 5/22/11

Every Sunday, I will feature one easy, painless, money saving tip. 

Today's Tip: Always have a shopping list.  If you're like me (well the old me lol), you find yourself in the grocery store starting at one end and going up and down every aisle making sure you don't forget anything...and along the way discovering more items that you need/want/crave :)  Have a plan and stick to it to keep your shopping budget under control.

Hope you find a way to incorporate today's tip into your routine this week

Meal Planning for Savings

Man it feels good to enjoy my weekend without spending all day in the grocery store.  Better yet, it feels good to have spent 3 weekends without having to haul in bags and bags of grocery.

A few weeks ago, an impromptu money conversation with the boyfriend turned into a commitment to seriously decrease our food costs.  We started planning our meals in advance and are trying to eat what we already have in the freezer and pantry instead of doing more shopping.

Spring Cleaning: Getting Rid of Little Financial Roadblocks

Some of the clutter and distractions in your life may be impacting your finances in ways you don’t even realize.  Here are some tips to keep those little road blocks in check: