On Monday I received my black, leather, basketweave Bianchi Triple Threat open-top mag pouch (Product # 29, size 03) and man, what an item. Probably the best $40 from my uniform allowance I've ever spent. Mags are very accessible and seem secure at the same time. I carry a personal RRA 9mm carbine in the squad with me on duty and the Triple Threat holds 9mm SMG mags perfectly should the need arise to carry an extra. Definitely something you folks might want to look into if you've got the itch for something new to buy that's actually useful. Just beware, Bianchi makes one in Pleather that isn't exactly the same animal, doesn't look as good and the back comes up higher than leather one making the mags a bit more difficult to grip.
On another topic, if you snack at work, what do you choose to consume? Do you buy food on the road (fast-food), at convenience stores, bring stuff along from home, etc?
If you're looking for something that's not loaded with fat, eats like a candy bar, and actually tastes good, I've found the Snickers Marathon Energy Bar. I've only tried the Chewy Chocolate Peanut variety but it tastes close enough to a regular Snickers that I really don't want to venture into new flavors. 7 grams of fat and it's actually substantial. They cost about $.82 per bar if you buy a box of six at Wally World and can be found in the supplement section of the pharmacy.
What about beverages, do you drink free fountain pop/ coffee only on breaks, buy bottled pop at gas stations, bring your drink from home?
One suggestion that may be obvious for bottled pop, buy the 24 oz. 6-packs at Wal-Mart or your local grocery store for $.50 a piece, sometimes cheaper if you can find a sale, instead of $1.25+ 20 oz'ers from the local convenience store, your wallet will thank you.
Finally, I seem to really be cheerleading for Wal-Mart but I'm in no way affiliated with them, they just happen have some good deals on things. I may also seem to be drunk as goofy as this post is, however I'm stone sober and actually at work getting ready to go home. I thought I'd stop in, make a comment and ask a couple of questions that have been on my mind for no particular reason.
Thanks for reading and if you've got some money saving tips to share, please do,
Scott