Another comment on the Coffee versus Comcast theme of the author of the original article and one of the earlier comments about doing the "big" things:
I'm a backpacker and there's a lot of similarity to optimizing ones pack weight and optimizing finances. Yes, by focusing on the "big" things, you can get the biggest payoff in absolute terms. Switching out a 2 person "traditional" tent for a cottage industry single wall will save 2-3 pounds, which is huge. Likewise, getting a smaller apartment, closer to work, will save lots of money in absolute dollar terms.
The thing in both cases however is that often times those big changes take a lot of effort (or in backpacking, buying replacement pieces of gear). Moving to a smaller apartment, closer to work takes a lot of effort to find a suitable place, that's actually lower cost, actually moving, etc, etc, etc.
Doing the small things however often times takes practically no effort. On the hiking thing, leaving unnecessary / excess items at home is the cheapest, easiest way to reduce pack weight. Effort? Nadda, other than a touch of thinking. Cost? Free. The same applies here with the small things - it takes practically no effort to NOT go to Starbucks and NOT spend the money (and brewing a cup at home instead). It takes practically no effort to NOT go out for drinks with the friends after work, picking up a 6 pack or bottle of wine on the way home instead. Etc, etc, etc.
The dollars saved per unit of effort expended is high. And since the barriers to implementing these multiple small changes are so low, there's no excuse to avoid doing them. Also, if one DOESN'T do these easy things (or backslides on the small things), it can largely negate the benefit of what one does do on the bigger things. "Hey, I'm saving $200 / month on the lower commuting and rent with the new place, I can afford to go out for dinner more often now!"....and there goes the savings right out the window.