In this economy everyone is looking to save money.  That means not only us, but the companies that we work for as well.  Being able to save your company some money while still getting everything done properly, shows that you care about more than just yourself.  It also shows that you have an interest in helping the company.  That makes you more valuable in your boss’s eyes.

Here are two things that I’ve done recently that helped my company save money.

Rent a car for business trips.

Civil engineers sometimes have to travel for projects.  We can’t always work on projects just down the street.  One place I have to travel to occasionally takes about 4 hours to drive to.  Because of time at the airport, flight time, luggage, car rental, etc. it takes about 4 hours to fly there as well.

The company reimburses me for those costs.  So to drive the company spends about $250 in mileage.  A little more than that to fly with the plane ticket and rental car.  However, I’ve learned that if I rent a car and drive the rental instead of my own car, then the company pays for the rental and gas instead of mileage.  That comes to about half the price of me driving my own car.

Granted, I don’t get that $250 mileage reimbursement, but the company still pays for the gas and I don’t put hundreds of extra miles on my own car.  It saves money for both of us in the long run.

Become a member.

Civil engineers have to constantly take classes.  We have to keep up with the latest laws, technologies, and standards, not to mention learning new areas of civil engineering.  Most companies see the value of taking these classes and are willing to pay for them.

If the class is offered by an association, the association will usually give a discount to its members.  Frequently, the discount is more than the price of membership.  This is especially true if you take more than one class.  Your company may be willing to pay for the membership if you can show them how much it will save them in the long run.

These membership can also connect you with other professionals to help you network.  The organizations also provide a lot of resources to its member that you wouldn’t have otherwise.  Those are side benefits that can help both you personally and your company.

Has anybody else used these methods?  What are some ways that you have saved money at work?  Both for you or your company?