A month without restaurants leads to $500 in savings

Eating out can add up in a hurry. A dollar for a soda at a vending machine, $8 for a sandwich and chips at lunch. But it’s hard to know exactly how much you’ve spent when it’s spread out over small purchases.

As Time magazine reports, one couple decided to find out exactly how much they could save if they stopped eating out. Brad Chaffee and his wife documented their month without restaurants and vending machines, over on his blog, Enemy of Debt. Their grand savings total? $524.25.