Step 26 in saving $10,000 a year.

Skip the 3D.

At Columbus’ Arena Grand Theatre an adult ticket for a normal movie is $9.50, but an adult ticket for a movie in 3D is $13.50.  That’s an extra $4.00 and if you are taking a family of 4 it’s a $16.00 savings.  If you go to the movies 4 times that’s $64.00.  It doesn’t sound like much,  but why throw it away or spend that bit of extra cash on popcorn.

Step 25 in saving $10,000 a year.

Waste less food = buy less food

These numbers are all over the board.  The USDA have done studies as well as various universities about the food that gets wasted in America every year.  I was looking at household waste and the numbers were hard to find, because usable food gets wasted at every stage of production starting at the farm. 

The best figures I could find said Americans throw out between 12% and 25% of food they purchase every year.  Let’s take the high end and say a family who has a food budge of $400 a month can save $100 a month by planning.  This means planning meals, splitting meals at restaurants,  freezing unused portions, taking leftovers for lunch, etc.  This is a savings of $1,200 a year.