Making small changes in your everyday spending habits can really lead to big savings. Every day you may be spending more money than you have to or can afford. We comfort our selves with the mantra, "it's only a dollar, or five, or ten." Do you ever stop to add up all those extra dollars you are spending? In many places gas has reached over four dollars a gallon, making prices for other things go up higher as well. Now everyone is looking for simple ways to save money.

Now is the time to get rid of bad spending habits. Stop impulse buying, especially at places like the gas station. You may never think twice about getting a soda when you stop to fill up gas. Every time I go it seems the price of a bottle of soda goes up a little more. The cheapest I have seen them lately is $1.28 plus tax. In ten trips you spend $12.80. Instead of spending almost $13 on 10 sodas buy them in bulk. I spend around $11 on a case of 16.9 ounce sodas at my local Sam‘s Club. I get almost twice as much for the same price. We keep them refrigerated and grab one before we leave. If you absolutely have to get a drink while your out opt for a fountain drink they are usually cheaper. Plus you get more for your money.

Take your lunch to work instead of eating out. If you are not picky you can eat for a week on what you spend on one or two meals. My husband's work place has a microwave in the break room. Many days he takes leftovers, which saves us even more. When he isn't taking leftovers he takes sandwiches. It cost between $5 and $8 per week for him to take sandwiches. Compare that to around $35 a week to eat fast food.

Shop around and compare prices for what you buy on a regular basis. Sales are great, but what you need isn't always on sale. I buy certain products at certain stores because I know they almost always have it cheaper. Don't pay more than you have to for things you use everyday. I make sure I buy enough till I am going to come back to that particular store.

Don't buy things you don't need or will not use just because they are on sale. I love a good bargain as much as the next person, but when you buy something you don't need you are just wasting money. My husband is so bad about this type of buying. He will buy more than we could ever use just because it is cheap. We have 3 bay cooler fans for cooling your computer because he needed one and they were only two dollars. So he bought four, now three of the four are taking up space in our garage.

It is not hard to save money. It is only a matter of being smart with your money and making better choices. Cutting ten dollars out of you daily spending will save you thirty six hundred dollars a year. I don't know about you, but to me that is a lot of money that can be better spent.