Save $419.50 in under an hour...maybe

As someone who is constantly working on improving my cash flow and trying not to waste money, I can't help but like the idea behind the Motley Fool's four-week Fiscal Fitness challenge. It has a monthly series of articles by writers Dayana Yochim and Ellen Bowman, promising that they will "cut costs in the major areas of spending."

They're focusing on "workaday expenses (like that cable TV bill and the Incredible Disappearing ATM Withdrawal), big-ticket items (like travel, insurance premiums), irritating budget busters (groceries, gas) and finance-related fees (fund costs, brokerage charges)."

This week, they're focusing on workaday expenses. They think they've figured out how to save $419.50 in less than an hour.

OK, I thought. I'll bite. Let's try it. And so I read this week's article.