You go to work to make money, right? Of course you do! But if you’re not careful, incidental costs in the workplace can add up tremendously, reducing your paycheck little by little. Get the most money you can out of your job by following some simple tips for saving at work.

1.  Drink Up

Most employers offer coffee makers and water coolers, and you should use them if you want to save money. Bringing your own bottled water is a waste of money. So is that $5.00 daily frappu-cappu-macchichino; reserve the fancy drinks for a special treat. If you don’t like the water cooler, bring your own jug of filtered water from home. Frugal living doesn’t have to be bland; try the myriad of flavor add-ins available for some variety.

2.  Lunch

You hear it all the time: take your lunch to work. When I worked outside the home, I got into the habit of eating out for lunch nearly every day of the week. It took adding up how much I was actually spending ($150 a month!) to kick the habit. Seeing what it did to my waistline helped, too. Make it easy on yourself by:

• Packing a lunch for yourself when packing lunches for the kids
• Getting leftovers ready for work right after supper
• Buying convenient, healthy frozen meals
• Making foods like salads and sandwiches for the entire week at one time

3.  Benefits

Make sure you’re taking advantage of all the perks that come along with your job. Does your employer offer a flexible savings program, health savings account or commuter reimbursement? You can take money out of your paycheck for some necessities like prescriptions, day care and parking fees before taxes are deducted. Do everything you can to maximize your take-home pay.

Photo courtesy of Phil Monger.