Cutting Expenses

[neatdesign]

If it's only one thing, for me it would be eating out. A dinner for two at, say, Chili's or Ruby Tuesday's (hardly 5-star restaurants!) costs minimum $25 when tip is included -- even more if alcohol and appetizers are included. If you eat out once a week for $25/meal, that's $1300 per year.

The thing to remember is that eating out is basically the same thing as hiring a personal cook, maid and butler. They make what you want, how you want it, serve it to you, refill your drinks, then clear your plates and clean them for you. All you do is show up and eat. When you look at it as the luxury that it really is, it's easy to want to cut it out.

~ Jenney

[disneysteve]

eating out is basically the same thing as hiring a personal cook, maid and butler. They make what you want, how you want it,

Not at Chili's or Ruby Tuesday's they don't.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

It would be easiest for me to cut out cable. Uh, I don't have it and don't miss it now, so if I did have it I presume I would not miss giving it up. Maybe it's cheating to say I'd cut out something I don't even have.

[anonymous_saver]

I was suprised that I was the only one who would get rid of the car payment!!! Getting rid of cable/internet/etc. are also good ways to lower costs but getting rid of a car would be a much larger chunk of change.

I currently take public transit and walk everywhere and cannot personally rationalize getting a car at all since it costs so much and I live 2 blocks away from a bus that takes me about 35 min. to and from work each day. I spend a total of $62 (pre-tax) each month on a bus pass. I can't imagine wasting so much money on a car!

[The Budget Man]

Actually since you only get to pick one, surprisingly most people would cut groceries! I was like a little stunned? For me eating out or fun money.

Groceries can be cut short term as we could run down the stocks of food in the freezer and substitute cheaper foods. In the longer term the eating out and cable would dissapear as well.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I'd cut eating out so easily.

[Fern]

If you work outside the home, i would cut Internet, as you can go online at work and/or your local library.

Cable would go too