Andy Knows How To Save

The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

I do know I have to be careful though, so I'm trying to save in little ways.

For instance, I make my own coffee in the office every morning. I do it because downstairs, in the CBS cafeteria, one cup of coffee costs $1.50.

This morning on my way to work I bought gas. I got eight gallons of regular 87 octane and eight gallons of premium 91 octane and it cost me a total of $36.80. If I'd bought 16 gallons of 89 octane it would have cost me $38.40, so by mixing the regular with the premium, I saved $1.60 and got 89 octane gas. My car doesn't seem to know the difference.

I go to every New York Giants home game, which are, ironically, played in New Jersey. I take the bus from New York because if I drive it costs me $8 to go through the Lincoln Tunnel and $20 to park my car at the stadium.

The bus tickets cost $2.20 each way. The game ticket costs $80 including tax. Don't ask me why I don't just watch the game home on television. At home I don't even have to pay $4 for a Coke.

I take my shirts to the laundry. I used to wear them once, then I started wearing my shirts for two days. Now sometimes I wear them three times before I have them washed. You may have noticed.

There's a shoeshine parlor downstairs at CBS but I don't have my shoes shined there because it costs $3.00. I bought a brush and some polish and I do my own. And it's very satisfying.

When I go to a good restaurant here in New York for dinner I often slip a roll in my pocket for breakfast the next morning. Taking a roll at a restaurant, that's not stealing, is it?

There's no doubt about it though. We're using up all the good things on Earth and if we don't start saving more, we're going to run out of everything.

Written by Andy Rooney