The true cost of coffee and lunch on the go

I talk a lot on my show about big expenses like housing and cars. But how much do those little expenses -- such as getting coffee or lunch on the go -- cost you per year?

The Denver Post ran some numbers and found that drinking coffee away from home on a daily basis costs nearly $1,100 annually. Eating lunch out during the week costs $2,500.

Add those two up and that's $3,600 a year for two things that just kinda happen in life. We don't really gauge the long-term financial impact of them in the moment.

But consider this: If you go to a fancy coffee place everyday, what if you skip it one day a week?  That means a few hundred dollars back in your pocket every year. Same thing with lunch. If you eat out four days instead of five, you'll have an extra $500.

Between the two, that could be $700 or $800 back in your pocket annually. Once you get used to brownbagging lunch or brewing coffee at home one day a week, maybe you do it twice a week and then you're up to over $1,000.

As you make those little changes, as you "deprive" yourself of those little things, suddenly you now have $3,600 to put in a Roth account or for a nice vacation.

Would you rather have the nice coffee or be on a beach somewhere, or touring Europe or skiing out West? It's your choice.