I've tried a lot of things in my quest to lower my monthly expenses, including driving less and lowering the thermostat. (One victory: my electric bill last month was half what it normally is. My goal had been to lower it 30%.)

I didn't expect that getting a job would help, but apparently it did. Since the bank offers free checking, savings and reward credit cards to team members, I set that all up today. I'll save on my checking account (which I've had for ten years, so didn't get a good deal on) and on my savings. Plus, I'll earn more in rewards on the card.

In addition, they have a commuter benefit which will let me save a substantial amount on my bus pass. I was saving money taking the bus over my old commute to WM even without the discount, so this is just icing on the cake.

So, all told, my new job will shave an average of $40-50 a month off my expenses. Not too shabby.