Today with many families having two people working outside the home, it’s likely that between the two, $15-$20 may be spent daily eating lunch out….and that’s if you’re eating economically. Looking to save some money, perhaps to use for a summer vacation? Take your lunch to work!
When I suggest this to many people at my classes, I hear several responses. First, is that mornings are too hectic and they don’t have time to pack a lunch. When trying to get everyone up, dressed, fed and out the door in the mornings, it’s easy to forget about lunch. The best plan is to think about this the night before. Second, is that they are tired of sandwiches every day.
Personally, I’m not a fan of sandwiches either, but having a “sandwich center” in your refrigerator will make this easier and offer some variety. This is one place that has your meats, cheese, sprouts, or whatever else you like. The night before you can assemble a sandwich or a wrap with your favorite ingredients. The secret is to not add condiments like mustard, mayo or tomatoes. Instead, make individual containers to pack in your lunch and add before you eat. My favorite product for the sandwich center is the “Fridge Stackables” from Tupperware, 2 oz midgets for the condiments and 4 oz snack cups for things like tomatoes.
Salads are a great alternative for lunch. If you buy a pre-made salad at a grocery or restaurant, you will be spending close to $8 per day. Creating your own salads with fresh lettuce and other vegetables will allow you to do this for about $3 per day, for a savings of $5 per day. The 2 oz midgets mentioned above are great for salad dressing.
Another great way to save money is to cook double during the week and create your own meals for lunches. Whatever you eat at night, use to create a meal and store in airtight, freezable, microwavable containers. All you have to do is remove one from the freezer in the morning and by lunch it’s ready to re-heat. Tupperware has CrystalWave Containers and Vent’n Serve containers that are ideal for this use.
Truth in writing, I do represent Tupperware. But even if I didn’t, it just makes sense to invest in something permanent and avoid disposable containers that you have to buy over and over. The lifetime warranty of Tupperware makes it a permanent food storage container.
Aside from the environmental reasons, if you currently spend $8 a day on lunch eating out, and you bring it down to $3 per day with these tips, you’ll realize a savings of $5 per day, $100 per month. That’s an annual savings of $1200 per person/$2400 for two working adults in a family. Subtract an initial investment of $200 to get enough containers for lunches, and you will still have $2200 leftover. Now that’s the kind of leftovers anyone can get excited about!
