Don’t go to your job and spend all the money your making. Take more money home by eliminating unnecessary spending with these 4 simple ideas for saving money work:

1) Bring a Lunch (and snacks)
Bringing food with you is the easiest way to easily save money on the job. Packing a lunch will not only save you cash, but also preserve time and keep your body full of nutritious food throughout the day. The average price of lunch is around $10 per person. If you’re a full-time employee, that’s over $200 per month your spending on 1 meal per day. If you chose to spend that same $200 at the grocery store, you can most likely have food for the whole month.

2) Carpool
According to CNN Money, the average family was spending roughly $370 per month on gasoline in 2011, up from $281 in 2010. At $3.50 or more per gallon in many places in the US, limiting gasoline usage is becoming more and more important for many households. A great way to reduce gas usage is by carpooling to work. Just by carpooling with one other person you can immediately cut your gas expense in half. If you’re really looking to maximize gas savings, incorporate a few other co-workers in the carpool. This will not only significantly reduce your gas spending, but it will give you more time to bond with co-workers and will save you the hassle of driving every morning.

3) Ask About Employee Discounts
Many restaurants and cafes will offer discounts to employees of neighboring corporations in order to build a repeat customer base. Talk to your boss or upper management about any partnerships they may have secured with local businesses, and talk with the managers and owners of the shops near your office. If there are not already discounts in place, do everyone in your office a favor and see if you can get local shops to reduce prices for employees of your corporation.

4) Skip the Coffee Shop
Let’s face it, coffee isn’t cheap. Well actually, coffee is a relatively cheap commodity, but once it’s brewed and cupped by a Starbucks say sayonara to affordability. At $2.50 for a basic cup and over $5 for a specialty concoction, you can see how the spending adds up fast. The easiest way to divorce Starbucks is to keep a coffee machine in your office or cubicle. If your office doesn’t have a coffee machine, talk to management and get one. Another alternative is to switch to tea. Tea is cheaper than coffee, easier to prepare (no grinding, no brewing), and the health benefits are off the charts.

These are just 4 simple ideas for saving money at work. If you enjoyed this, share it with friends and co-workers!