I don’t know about you, but I’m sure not a morning people. I set my alarm at 7:20 AM, drag my self out of bed, use my car started to warm up my vehicle, go shave quick, throw on some nice clothes, and stumble into work at 8:00. After I get some caffeine in my body, I can do pretty well, but before that a whole lot doesn’t get done. Most of us wouldn’t think early in the morning as the time in the day when you can save a lot of money, but you’d be surprised what you can do before you roll into the office to save money. Here are some great ways to save money before 8:00 AM

Eat Breakfast – When you were little, your mom probably told you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day—and she was right. If you have breakfast at home, you’ll have more energy throughout the day, and be less tempted to go to the vending machine at work or go out quick for a morning bagel or quick trip to McDonalds.

Make Coffee at Home or Work – A lot of people stop by Star Bucks or a similar coffee shop on the way to work. This is the most expensive way to drink coffee. If you need a morning coffee, be sure to get it at work or home. You’ll save hundreds of dollars every year by doing so, and now you don’t have to wait in the drive through at the coffee shop!

Don’t Pre-Heat Your Vehicle – Like many Americans, I live in a very cold environment during the winter. I have one of those fancy automatic starters which allows me to warm my car up before I leave. Try to avoid this when all possible, you are just paying for wasted gasoline. Instead just bundle up a bit more and wait until your car warms up.

Carpool – If any of your coworkers live near you, consider carpooling to work together. This will let you drive in the carpool lane, and will save you money on gasoline and wear and tear on your vehicles.

Make Sure You’re Taking The Best Route to Work – When I first started my summer job, I was taking one of the busiest roads in the city to get to work. There were plenty of stoplights and a lot of traffic. One day I recognized that there was a more efficient way to get home and my commute time was cut in half. This caused there to be a lot less idle time on my engine and was actually a bit shorter! Look on Google Maps and make sure there’s not a quicker way to work.

No, you won’t become rich by doing these things, but they will help you in your lifestyle of frugality in furthering your quest to waste less money and become more financially savvy.