With school back in session, it’s time to turn your attention back to packing lunches.
I don’t mean your kids’ lunches. I’m talking about bringing your own lunch, especially if you’re spending money every day on food you’re not enjoying.
Years ago, I happily ate lunch every day at the office cafeteria. The $5 price per meal was more than I would have spent brown-bagging it, but it saved me from cooking and gave me a lot more variety.
As time passed, the quality of the food declined and the price rose, meaning I often paid $7 for a meal I found barely edible. Ordering out was another option, but that cost $9 or $10 with tip. The quality was better, but it didn’t seem worth the expense.
Martha Stewart would have made up nice, economical lunches the night before, but she gets paid for cooking, and I don’t. Instead, I started bringing frozen dinners and heating them in the office microwave. I don’t really like frozen dinners, but they were better than the cafeteria food and half the price — $3.50 for a mediocre meal rather than $7 for a bad one. Plus, the food I brought was healthier and lower in calories.
Then I looked at drinks and snacks from vending machines, other items I didn’t particularly like but that easily cost me several dollars a day. I brought in a mug, a plastic glass and a big box of tea bags (buy one, get one free at Publix). I brought in granola bars and microwave popcorn. I brought my second cup of coffee to work every day in an insulated cup.
That cut the $10 or so a day I had been spending for lunch, coffee, soft drinks and snacks to about $4 — a savings of $30 a week or $1,500 a year.
If you pack your family delicious, economical lunches and snacks every day, I salute you. Maybe someday I’ll get there.
In the meantime, I apply a cost-benefit test every time I think about grabbing a fast meal or snack out. Can I bring something from home that costs less and tastes better with a minimal amount of time invested? If so, that’s painless saving.
