Saving On Dinner Out
BOSTON (CBS ) - This is America Saves Week. All week we have been looking at small changes you can make to save big. Nothing dramatic but you will need to have discipline to be consistent over time.
Saving On Dinner Out
Yesterday we talked about take-out food for a family of four for the week and how expensive it can be. What if there is just the two of you and you like to eat out several times a week. You figure there is just two of you and you are both working so you can afford to splurge and spoil yourselves.
You go to a nice place, maybe not too expensive but the bill with a couple of drinks still comes in at $75. That's $150 or more if you do it twice a week. Easiest thing to do is cut it back to once a week, immediately saving $75 a week.
If you are a couple of foodies and eating is out your thing try a lunch date on Saturday or brunch on Sunday. If it's lunch, you may not be too tempted to have several drinks.
How about dinner out with friends? We go out with friends more for the company than the food so to save, invite them to your place before dinner for drinks and munchies or invite them back for dessert afterwards.
If they're not interested in that have your drinks at home and be sure to get separate checks at dinner so you are not paying for their drinks.
Splitting checks down the middle is always controversial. If everyone orders the same dinner and drinks then it's fair, but there is always someone who feels they were taken advantage of.
You could save over $100 a week. That's an easy number, over $5,000 a year. Stick that in your retirement plan and figure an 8% return you could have close to a quarter of a $1 million ($245,000) in 20 years. Do that over 40 years and you have $1.5 million.
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
