My work had a 401k meeting today and I know it may be weird to reference this online, but I wanted to share something with you that I thought was pretty interesting. Couponing is GREAT and FUN and helps save money, but it’s just a small piece of the BIG budgeting and saving puzzle.
This was referenced in the handout that the company we deal with gave us. It is a chart that gives a certain expense you may have and how much you could have invested and/or saved if you didn’t have that particular expense over a period of 25 yrs
Say you purchase a bagel and coffee twice a week regularly. The overall cost for the month would be around $20 bucks. If you had invested/saved that money, you could potentially have earned $19,147!!!
Or instead of eating out at lunch twice a week (that costs around $50 bucks) you could potentially invest/save over $47,868 over 25 yrs!
Or say you get a vending machine soda every single day and it cost you $12 bucks a month. 25 yrs later you could have $11,488 invested/saved!!!
It also mentions that “the average couple will spend $350,400 just on food during the time they are retired….This doesn’t include living expenses such as electricity, heat, hot water, gasoline, traveling, and spending money.”
The key, hopefully obviously, is to take a look at what you are spending your money on. See where you may need to cut back or could cut back on certain spending habits and realize how much you could be saving or investing over that time instead of spending it!!!
It gives some suggestions to help alter your spending habits:
Buy a frozen pizza instead of eating out
Exercise at home instead of at the gym
Cancel call waiting/DVR on the cable box/special channels
Shop for clothes on SALE
Take your lunch to work
Shop for groceries with coupons and a list (MY FAVORITE!)
Return videos on time
Avoid beverages at restaurants (order water instead) —-The lady giving us the info said she has a family of 5 and it costs them $10 JUST to get drinks! Think of how much that adds up with all of the entree’s they order too!
The booklet suggest making a Spending Journal to monitor your purchases for the month to get a better view of where your money may be going.
I just thought this was interesting information! I know sometimes these booklets can come across as a “scare tactic” but I see it as more motivation to spend smart, save smart, and live smart!!! 
(taken from: Navigate Your Way: The Search for Your Retirement Treasure; Regions: Morgan Keegan Trust REG 044-0709 2008 Kmotion, Inc.)
