By Todd H
Something as simple as making your lunch for work can save you a considerable amount of money. When it is broken down into a day by day figure, let’s say on average you spend $8 per day on lunch and a drink, this equates to $40 per week, and on a bigger scale over $2000 per year just on lunches alone you could indulge yourself with:
• A nice holiday perhaps?
• Cheap second hand car? (makes getting to and from the station a breeze)
• New home appliances such as large screen TV, computer or entertainment system
• A tonne of new clothes and accessories!!
• Or house cleaning each week for a year!
Just think how you could treat yourself, if you just took lunch from home!
There are many benefits to taking lunch to work each day, the most obvious being the financial benefits, though why aren’t more people doing it? In our busy day to day lives the easiest option is usually the most well worn path. Though, with a little organisation and effort, the rewards speak for themselves
1. Reusable containers such as Chinese or Indian take way are a perfect, inexpensive way to make taking your lunch to work an easy one. Invest in plastic utensils as if these get lost, you will not be out of pocket, especially if your taking your best silverware to work!!
2. When you do your grocery shopping for the week, consider getting things you may take for work such as cheese, salads, bread, wraps or tortillas, sandwich fillings, fruits, vegetables and snacks. Avoid frozen pre-made meals as they can be quite expensive.
3. During weekends make one of your favourite meals. Something you don’t mind having again during the week and freeze it. Taking leftovers to work is an easy and great way to save time and most important put more cash into your back pocket where its needed.
4. The trick to taking your lunch to work is to prepare it the evening before. The last thing anyone wants to do is to have the stress of getting up to prepare lunch for that day, whilst watching the clock to avoid being late. Avoid the hassle and get everything ready the night before, one of the easiest ways to do this is to prepare it while you prepare dinner. You’re already in the kitchen, all the ingredients are out – this kills two birds with one stone.
5. Self moderate, whilst eating take away lunches each day are a huge waste of money, taking your own lunch each and every day can also make you feel like Scrooge. Make sure that you treat yourself occasionally we all know that self denial is the quickest way to fail at any plan and especially to fall off the savings wagon. For example, treat yourself on the last Friday of the month, or some arbitrary day. This way you can stick to your plan, and join your co-workers and not feel that you are missing out.
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