The first thing I did when I received my first paycheck was pick my jaw up off the floor. Sure, I have had jobs before. But never have I had to pay taxes like I am now. I viewed this as a massive pay decrease and decided to find ways to cut my spending.

Below are a few of the very easy and very rewarding ways in which I did so. As promised, I did all of these without subtracting any value from my life. In fact, many of these increases in savings also increased my quality of life and happiness. However, our situations may be different so adjust accordingly!

1. Call your Internet Service Provider and get a promotional rate.

I did this as soon as I moved in and got my monthly rate lowered from $59 to $25. I left out the modem rental because that remained constant between the two plans. This is just for internet, but you can get different promotions even if you have TV. Do a search on slickdeals forums for your provider.

Approximate time: 20 minutes (Comcast Phone Call). Annual savings: $408.

2.  Cancel your TV subscription.

How much TV do you watch? If it isn’t a lot, is the cable really worth an extra $60/mo? If it is a lot, do you really need to be watching that much TV from a pure health and happiness perspective? If you MUST watch certain shows… stream it online. If you have a sweet TV buy a HDMI cable, if your computer supports it, from monoprice for $6 and just stream the shows from your computer to your TV (will be posting a tutorial). If you have an Xbox 360 or PS3 I will be posting an article on a cheap alternative to TV, as well. If you do not want to do any of these options at least do #1 and get a discount on your cable bill as well.

Approximate time: 20 minutes (Comcast Phone Call and Monoprice Web Purchase). Annual savings: $714. Plus more time than I can count from not watching TV!

3.  Check to see if your employer offers a cell phone service discount program.

My past three employers have all offered discounts. FedEx offered 20%, UPS offered 22%, and my current employer offers 20%. All I had to do was fax in a paystub (which I did from work). I have relatives that work for the government who also get discounts… CHECK! The below balance is for 500 minutes, free network calling, 500 text messages, and free network text messaging… more than enough for me.

Approximate time: 5 minutes (Verizon Fax). Annual savings: $144.

4.   Bring your lunch.

I personally like knowing what is going into my meals from a health perspective. I also like saving the money. I bring my lunch 99% of the time. I usually just cook a little extra of what I am making for dinner and put it in Tupperware for later in the week. (Thanks Earl Tupper!) This is a lot easier if you already cook for dinner. I have based the calculation off of approximately 48 weeks of work days (after holidays and vacations), 5 days a week, and $5 per lunch (which is pretty conservative).

Approximate time: 60 hours/year. Annual savings: $1,200. That’s $20/hour!

5.  Cook dinner at home.

IF you take the last one further and eat out for dinner a lot less… you can save a significant amount of money and doctor visits from not having Chicken Nugget cholesterol build up. Let’s assume the average person eats out at either a restaurant or fast food 6 times a month for dinner… that is probably at least $70/month. This number is most likely higher for the younger crowed. Cook. You save $840/yr and pay an extra $200/yr for groceries to make up for that lost food.

Approximate time: 40-60 hours/year. Annual savings: $640.

6.   Pre-game.

Just because you have a full-time job does not mean you can’t enjoy a few drinks at home anymore! Seriously. What better way to just relax and hang out with your friends? Not only will you save a lot of money but you will get some healthy social interaction. Drink a few drinks at home before going out to the bar or club. This adds up if you go out at least once a week. I have based the calculation off of going out once a week, drinking three drinks at home, and the average drink being $4. I have also calculated twice a week because as a man still in my 20’s… I still like to go out!

Approximate time: 0 minutes. Annual savings: $624. Go out twice a week? Annual savings: $1,248!

7.   Use the library.

We pay taxes. Get your money’s worth. Also, what’s better than knowing you have any book you want at your fingertips? If you absolutely MUST have your own copy buy your books used from half.com or amazon.com for deeply discounted prices. There is NO reason to buy a new book.

Approximate time: Variable. Annual savings: Depends on your reading habits. For me, Annual Savings: $200.

8.   Decrease fuel consumption.

There are a plethora of things you can do for this. Mass transit. Ride a bike. Watch your driving habits (do you routinely keep on the gas until you reach the red light? That makes a difference!). I LOVE riding my bike and walking around the city. If I just need to grab something from the store I choose one of those two options. To be honest, money is my last concern. I do it for the enjoyment.

Approximate time: Variable. Annual savings: Who cares! Get some fresh air!

9.   What do I still need to look at?

I, personally, need to examine my car insurance plan. I need to call around and try to get a better rate. I have no accidents or tickets on my record and am at an age the rate SHOULD be lower but GEICO has me by the wallet!

Approximate time: Variable. Annual savings: Depends on driving record. TBD for me.

If you have any more suggestions that you would like to throw out there go ahead! Give us your suggestion, the time it takes to complete, what you need to do (ie fax company, call company, etc) and what your annual savings is! I think that it is easier to convince ourselves to make a change when we see how easy it is.