by Laurie Childree

Created on: August 03, 2009   Last Updated: June 22, 2010

Spending less and increasing savings is something that everyone can benefit from regardless of how much money that have. When less money is spent not only are you increasing the amount savings that is had but you can meet financial goals faster. Reducing spending by just a few dollars a week is easy but there are some that want to save a lot more than a few dollars. It's just as easy to cut your spending by as much as $100 a week. All you have to do is figure out how you spend money and make the decision to make a change that increases savings while cutting your spending.

Start by asking  yourself a few questions. Do I know where my money is going? How much do I spend on groceries? Am I eating out even with a full refrigerator and leftovers that I could eat instead? Am I paying for things I don't use? The questions continue along these lines until you find all of those items that you've tricked yourself into believing that you need but could actually do without.

Eat at Home

Do you buy a cup of coffee on the way to work? Are you eating out for breakfast and lunch? These things can add up quickly. Even if you just stop for coffee in the mornings you can be spending $5 a week easily, provided you stop at the first cup. Stopping for breakfast after the coffee stop cost you as much as $10 for one person depending on where you stop. That comes to $50 at the end of the week. Cutting out breakfast is half of the $100 that you are trying not to spend. Eat breakfast and drink your coffee at home for a savings of $60 if you buy them at two different places. (Usually you buy them at the same place so we're gonna leave it that way.)

Pack a lunch

Even spending $5 for lunch at a fast food restaurant adds up to $25 at the end of the week. When you take your own lunch you can save that money. So far you've stopped spending $75 this week by making two simple changes. Now what about those vending machines you keep putting a $1 in every few hours? Even if you only buy one or two drinks a day that's $2 you don't have to spend. Drink water and save $10 a week. Most of us buy snacks too. Even at just 60 cents a snack if you buy three a day that's $1.80. When the end of the week gets here you have spent $9 in vending machines just on snacks even if you made the change to water and taking your own drinks to work. Take your snacks with you when you go to work.

So far you've found $94 less that you can spend each week. Now you just need to find $6 that you can save to spend $100 less

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