by Ronnee Ruselle

It's amazing how much money we can spend in our workday that we just can't track later on. The following tips will help you save hundreds of dollars each year and get you looking and feeling better too.

Food and drinks

The price of lunches is skyrocketing. If you compare the price of your fave sandwiches when you make them yourself to the shop cost you'll see that you can make them for a fraction of the cost. When I compared the price of a sandwich at a local sandwich shop to the cost of buying the ingredients at a supermarket and for the price of two sandwiches, I was able to make 12 lunches of a similar nature so that would give me more than 2 weeks of work lunches. Simply make them and freeze them. Pop a frozen sandwich in your bag in the morning. You can store it in the fridge at work and it's fresh, soft and ready to eat at lunchtime.

Alternatively, buy a range of fresh, healthy ingredients that you like to eat and put them in a lunchbox. You can buy one that holds a freezer block to keep them fresh for a small outlay. Fresh lettuce, tomato, cheese, deli meat, carrot and whatever else you like can be taken and you can add your favourite salad dressing which can be kept at work. It's much cheaper than the store bought alternative and most workplaces have a refrigerator where you can keep the ingredients there for each day and make up a fresh salad.

Bring your own drinks to work. Buying a coffee from a specialty coffee shop can cost the same as a small tin of coffee which would make you 30-60 cups of coffee depending upon the size of the tin and how you have it. If you're buying it for the froth on top, then even buying the pre-made cappuccino satchels in about 10 per pack will save you money.

Water is the same. If you don't have a water machine at work, then purchasing bottled water from a delicatessen, take away food bar or coffee shop can be very costly when compared to purchasing the same bottles from a supermarket. Planning ahead and purchasing a week's worth of water will save you money and even better, using a drink bottle and filling it with bulk bottled water each day will save you even more.

Avoiding chocolate bars and other treats that you normally spend money on will save an incredible amount of money when you think about how much each one costs and add up your weekly expenditure on them timed by the number of weeks you work each year, you will see that you can save quite a lot of money and that's a few more pounds in weight gain that you don't need to worry about. Find healthy alternatives that you can take to work with you if you have a sweet tooth.

Travel

Assuming it's safe to, you could take public transport instead of driving. At first it may seem more expensive, but if you add up the cost of fuel along with maintenance, wear and tear on your car etc. it can save you quite a bit of money plus add anywhere up to a year or more onto the life of your car giving you an extra year to save up for the next one. The money you save in running costs on the car can go towards a new and better car.

Changing the way you go to work can be good for you too. If you live within 30 minutes of work, you could cycle. It's great exercise and helps cut down on pollution. Also, walking of course is good for you and if you buy your bus ticket to one stop sooner it may cost less and give you exercise too.

Shopping

Personally I think window shopping is torture, but if you're into it, make sure that you leave the wallet at the office. The point is to look only and it prevents impulse buying.

If you have to fit in shopping during your lunch hour, then make sure that you decide in advance exactly what it is that you need to buy. For example, when shopping for clothes, be sure of the size, colour and style of clothing and know what it is to match in your wardrobe. Don't rush the shopping in one lunchtime. Start shopping a few days at least before you need it if possible so that you can take your time. Stick to your budget. Be firm with yourself. Even if it's on special, it isn't a bargain if you don't absolutely need it.

Special work deals and offers

Some workplaces have a social club where they offer cheaper prices on a variety of goods and services. It can also help to create a new social group for you.

Clothing and cleaning

Good quality work clothing can be purchased cheaply through warehouses, second hand clothing stores (some specialize in workwear), online and even through friends. Be careful when purchasing online. Ensure that you stick to good quality labels that you're familiar with, follow the rules and tips of the site you're purchasing from to avoid a bad purchase and if a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Doing your homework can bag you a bargain.

Drycleaning costs can really add up so it's worth checking out your local drycleaners and finding out what their specials are. Often having more items cleaned at once can save you money so if you don't have enough to take advantage of the specials, ask around at work. Perhaps one of your associates has a suit or two that he/she would like cleaned and you can take advantage of the good savings. Also, some drycleaners have books of discount tickets or monthly specials on some items. This can save you money on the homefront too. Of course another alternative is to buy items that can be washed normally by hand or machine wash. Ensuring that you follow the cleaning and drying instructions will increase the life of the article. Ironing instructions are normally available as well and will prevent having to unnecessarily throw away your favourite blouse due to iron burns. Buying iron-free clothes will save you a lot of extra time.

Stationery

If you need to supply your own stationery for work, settling for a packet of ordinary biros instead of an expensive brand of pen that will most likely be pinched, will last you longer and save you a ton of money. The same applies with stationery as with other shopping - look for a bargain. Sometimes an employer will allow you to order stationery when they order their business stationery, letting you take advantage of their business discount. Don't forget to find out about what you can claim on your income tax and keep receipts of your stationery and other work expenses. It will add up to an even bigger saving at tax time.