Atlanta City Councilman Alex Wan is thrifty at work and at home

Working in the nonprofit sector brings a unique appreciation for every dollar.

Atlanta City Council member Alex Wan.

Alex Wan knows this as well as anyone. In June he walked away from his 20-year career as an industrial engineer to become the director of development for the Jerusalem House, which assists homeless and low income families affected by HIV and AIDS. Seven years ago, he started another nonprofit, For The Kid In All Of Us, which collects school supplies and toys for children.

“You really appreciate the value of money and resources,” said Wan. “It’s amazing the impact you can have making a small effort.”

It’s not a stretch, then, to see this awareness weave its way through his personal life also. While his fellow Atlanta City Council members are not yet privy to his money-minding behavior, those who know Wan best are up-close witnesses to the extents he’ll go to save a dollar.

Here’s a look at his spreadsheet, tracking grocery spending:

2007: $4,192 spent; $2,637 saved.

2008: $4,100 spent; $2,648 saved.

2009: (The year he ran for the District 6 seat): $3,274 spent; $1,874 saved.

As of March 4: $601 spent; $440 saved.

“What I tell myself is the money I save pays for the big trip I take each year,” Wan said. “I go with a group of friends, generally overseas. It usually works out to the same amount of money I’ve saved.”

Wan, 42, said he was bitten with the frugal bug years ago. What started as a game turned into something more serious when he saw the bottom line. He applied the same principles he used as an engineer to make himself a successful coupon clipper.

“It’s all about efficiency. I guess that’s the industrial engineer in me,” he said. “I always ask if there is a better way or more efficient way to do something. When I quantify it and see how much impact it can have, it’s a motivator.”

Friends know not to disturb him on a Sunday morning. It’s when he reads the Sunday newspaper, drinks coffee and goes to work mixing and matching sales with coupons. He doesn’t mind postponing a purchase until it makes more sense financially to buy it. And when he and friends take trips, they hand the shopping list to Wan.

“All my friends laugh at me, but I don’t care,” he said.

He’ll likely get some ribbing from council members once they know of his frugal habits. Don’t be surprised if they begin leaning on him for tips, too.

“Once you see the numbers moving, why not do it?” he said.

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