You know that feeling you get when you unexpectedly find a few extra bucks lying around? Well, imagine having an extra $500 to spare every single month.
One expert insists with a little sacrifice, you can watch your bank account grow by the hundreds every month and by the thousands every year.
"Definitely use the money," Dwayne Williams said.
Williams is like most people who say at times, unnecessary spending is a problem.
But when we told him there may be a way for him to save $500 a month, he and others were all ears.
That's where Leah Ingram, author and founder of the Suddenly Frugal Blog, comes in. Ingram says there are a few simple ways for people to save $500 each month.
"It is discipline," Ingram said.
And you'll need a lot of it, especially if you're a coffee lover.
She says Step 1: Stay away from coffee shops and brew it yourself.
"If you brew the coffee at home, you'll go from spending about $2 a cup to 13 cents a cup. That adds up to approximately $200 just from coffee alone that you'll put back in your budget," Ingram said.
Step 2: When it come to bottled water, only buy in bulk.
"Buying a refillable bottle, filling it with water can add up to a lot of savings; it's only about $100 a month," Ingram said.
Step 3: She says say "no" to take-out. Pack your lunch.
"The average American spends between $7 to $8 on lunch out everyday, but if you pack your lunch, you will put $150 back into your budget," Ingram said.
Step 4: Consider giving up your home phone land line and switch to a voice-over Internet protocol. Since you're likely already paying for Internet, you can use it, hook up to a modem and make calls for free.
"You'll save between $40 and $50 a month in phone charges," Ingram said.
Ingram says you'll have to pay about $200 up front but with savings, you'll get that money back in a few months.
Williams say he plans to make a few changes.
"Yes, absolutely, I will definitely use your advice and try to do things differently," he said.
And to round out that $500, Ingram says instead of throwing old ink cartridges away recycle them. Some office supply stores will give you a few bucks back per cartridge. That could save some of you about $20 a month.
