Eat At Home More Often
BOSTON (CBS) - This is America Saves Week. All week we will be looking at small changes you can make to save big. Nothing dramatic but you will need to have discipline to be consistent over time.
Eat At Home More Often
Earlier this week we discussed saving money by eating breakfast at home and packing lunches. How about the biggest meal of the day? Dinner.
I often say the best thing I make for dinner is reservations and that is very true for I do like to eat out. It's easy, fun and no clean up. But if you are doing it several times a week or doing take out on your way home from work it really adds up.
Saving money does mean you will be spending your time and you will need to get the whole family on board to make this work.
You are on your way home from work and the kids need to be picked up after basketball practice and you are running late so you pull in to pick up some supper. The kids have long ago outgrew the kid's meals so you are picking up 4 Big Mac meals which costs about $30.
You are doing this every Monday and Wednesday because there is late practice.
Friday nights the kids have a game and it's so easy to go out to supper afterward or if the restaurant is busy, you order Chinese take-out. It's $50 on average, but you do have leftovers for lunch on Saturday.
Saturday is busy with chores and running errands so it's definitely a take-out night. A couple of pizzas, a salad and sodas cost $40.
$150 a week for take-out dinners. You can eat at home for about a third of that. But we can't take away all of your dinner outs so let's do just one a week. That's still a savings of about $2,500 a year. Now let's put that money in your retirement fund earning 8% and it could amount to close $125,000 in 20 years.
Military Saves week
Massachusetts State Treasurer's Office will be co-sponsoring an all-day free seminar for the military.
OPERATION MONEY WISE
A FREE financial empowerment conference open to veterans, service members and their families.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Mass Bay Community College
McKenzie Auditorium
50 Oakland Street, Wellesley MA
REGISTER TODAY: www.mass.gov/treasury/operationmoneywise
If you are a service member, veteran, or are related to one, join us to sharpen your financial skills and better understand your military benefits at the Operation Money Wise conference! This FREE, first-ever event is geared toward military and their families and will feature dynamic keynote speaker, Dick Power, CFP and retired Army Colonel.
The day will also include over a dozen other expert speakers on a variety of diverse financial topics, as well as an interactive learning lunch with local celebrity radio personality Dee Lee, CFP. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a Certified Financial Planner, Credit Counselor and/or Career Counselor.
Breakout sessions provide lessons and materials in:
- Budgeting & Setting Financial Goals
- Dealing with Debt
- Retirement Readiness
- Money & Disability
- Basics of Investing
- Home Ownership 101
- Using Your Education Benefits
- Bridging The Financial Gap to College
Complimentary continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
We hope to see you there!
A Joint project of:
Massachusetts State Treasurer's Office
Massachusetts National Guard and Reserve
Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services
Massachusetts Financial Literacy Trust Fund
Inter-Service Family Assistance Committee
