How Much Can You Really Save From Giving Up Coffee & Other Luxuries?
We’re all well aware that how much we spend on a daily basis affects what’s left in our bank account at the end of the month or the year. But just how much can you really save from making small changes like ditching your daily coffee or making your own lunch instead of buying it?
We did the sums on 5 simple changes to your lifestyle and you might be shocked at the savings!
Ditch The Coffee
Buying a $4 coffee 5 days a week will be setting you back $20 per week (and that’s pretty conservative at Perth prices!).
Times that by 48 weeks a year (because everyone has holidays right?) and that’s a cost of $960.
If you and your partner both have a daily coffee, switch to a travel mug and make your own at home, and you can save $1920 between you.
Total Family Saving = $1,920
Eat Out Less
If you eat out once a week, as a family in Perth this could easily be costing you up to $100 (or more depending where you go!) each time.
Over a year that’s $5200!
Going out for dinner just once a month instead will cost you $1200 – a massive saving of $4000.
Total Family Saving = $4,000
Give Up One Entertainment Subscription
How many entertainment subscriptions do you have? Foxtel, Spotify, Netflix, Stan, iTunes, Fetch TV…there are so many options these days.
If you’ve got more than one, look through the ones you use the least and consider cancelling it.
Saving $10 per month on cutting just one subscription will save you $120 per year.
Total Family Saving = $120
Make Your Own Lunch
If you don’t think you have the time to make your own lunch, perhaps the amount you can save will make you find the time.
Buying lunch every work day can easily cost $10 per day. Make your own lunch instead for around $5 a day and you’re saving $25 per week.
That’s an annual saving of $1200 based on 48 working weeks a year.
Times that by two if you have a partner and that’s $2400.
If you’ve got kids and you give them lunch money every day, that could be costing you $5 a day per child. Over the school year that’s $1000 per child.
Switch to a packed lunch for 2 kids that costs half that to make and you’re saving another $500 per child per year.
Total Family Saving = $3,400
Ditch Bottled Water
If you need a quick drink of water when you’re out and about you’ll find that a simple bottle of water could cost you up to $3 at the shops.
If you buy one bottle of water a week at $3, that’s $156 a year you really don’t need to spend. If you apply this to you and your partner, that’s $312 per year.
Get into the habit of carrying a reusable water bottle with you whenever you head out and keep thirst at bay without the hefty price tag.
Total Family Saving = $312
Adding up all those savings over a year, for a family of 2 adults and 2 children, gives you a nice little sum of $9,752.
That’s almost $10,000! Imagine what you could do with that. Pay off your car loan, put it towards your mortgage or even go on a family holiday of a lifetime (and probably still have some leftover!).
If you just can’t see the wood for the trees when it comes to your budgeting and savings, speak to our financial advisor in Joondalup today. We can help you discover simple ways to cut back and start saving towards your financial goals, whether that’s a family holiday, paying off your car loan or saving for university fees. Contact us here for more information or to make an appointment now.