Not Going Broke 9-5

Work is a major money suck for me. When you think about how much time you spend at work, it's no surprise - eating at least one meal, maybe some snacks or after-work drinks...it definitely all starts to add up. I've gotten better more recently, but I used to go out for lunch at least twice a week, and I'd get a latte almost every single morning. I probably spent at least $30 extra dollars a week, or $120 a month! That's half my car payment on stuff that I could probably do for much cheaper. Here are some things I'm starting to incorporate in my routine to stop bleeding money instead of making it:

SNACKS

*I use snack time as a quick break for me, and nothing feels more luxurious than going for a quick walk or drive (or maybe down some stairs if you are lucky enough to have a cafe on site) to get a coffee. The soothing music, the change of scenary, the wasted $15 every week...oh wait! Bring your coffee from home and pack your shoes to go for a walk instead on your breaks. That will rejuvenate you so much more than sitting in a stuffed chair drinking your latte. It's also better for you and your budget!

*Keep snacks on hand - when you're hungry, it's easy to run and raid the vending machine, and most likely, it would not be something good for you (I'm totally guilty of getting two packages of Reese's Cups - the peanut butter has protein, duh!) and you'll probably pay a premium for them. Try shopping the bulk bins in your grocery store for oatmeal, nuts, or dried fruit. These are great and easy things to keep in your desk that don't require refrigeration, are easy to eat and are healthy!

*Eat popcorn. Popcorn is a great snack that's quick and somewhat portable. If you don't put loads of butter and salt on it, it can also be quite healthy. You can get a box of microwavable popcorn for a couple of bucks, or you can make your own in a lunch sack! Here's a great recipe from Alton Brown at Food Network that would be super cheap and easy to make. You could also find an air popper and put it on your desk if you wanted to make your office mates envious. You can find them reasonably priced ($15-$20 at Target) or scope out Craig's List.

*Pencil in snacking - the more you snack and keep the stomach grumbling at bay, the more likely you will be to eat a normal-sized lunch and avoid dialing your favorite Thai takeout and getting the extra large Phad Thai (not that I've done that before or anything...). I don't know about you but I usually make irrational decisions when I'm famished which could be bad for my budget, waistline, AND my job! No bueno.

MEALS

*Clearly, you know bringing lunch to work is going to save you a ton over going out every afternoon (by most accounts at least $20/week) Check out our previous post on ways to spice up your lunch box if you're having trouble breaking out of the PBJ rut. Not that there's anything wrong with that....

*Hot pot it up! A hot pot was my go-to tool in my tiny dorm room. For those of you who don't know the joy of a hot pot, it's basically a kettle of sorts. They are electric (some are cordless) and you can heat just about any liquid up even faster than microwaves. It is a great option and makes bringing soup for lunch a little more desirable than just getting a can of Campbell's and nuking it. I like this Rival hot pot at Target - 32 oz, temperature controls, and under $15!

*If you're going out to dinner with your work buddies, try leaving a little early to score a nearby happy hour. Drinks and appetizers will be much cheaper, and if this is a work expense, your boss will be stoked for a smaller tab. To save even more, try checking out Groupon or other coupon sites and keep an eye out for restaurants or bars near your workplace.

How do you keep spending in check when you're working? I'd love to hear ideas of how you all keep your budget in check at work, especially when it comes to brown-bag ideas!

No Such Thing as a Free Lunch...

But bringing your lunch from home will save beaucoup bucks! I've read quite a few articles lately about how much bringing your own lunch will save THOUSANDS of dollars a year! Really! The Millionaire Mommy Next Door has a great post on how you can really have a million dollars by saving your lunch money! Seriously! And over at Wise Bread, contributor WC Porter wrote about how eating the same lunch for 3 years saved $2,000! Now, as I've mentioned in our first lunch post, I wouldn't be good at eating the same thing for 3 years in my lunch. But it definitely inspired me to figure out how much I spent per day packing my lunch this week. Here's my menu for the next four days:

Monday:
Can of chicken noodle soup - $1.00/serving
Apple - 85 cents/serving
(that's it because I was feeling terrible)
Total - $1.85 lunch

Tuesday:
Dinner leftovers (Trader Joe's phad thai with prawns) - $2.70/serving
Nonfat yogurt - 50 cents/serving
Homemade fruit salad - 80 cents/serving
Total - $4 lunch


Wednesday:
Tuna sandwich with horseradish mayo - 65 cents/serving
Carrot sticks with hummus - 55 cents/serving
Nonfat yogurt - 50 cents/serving
Almonds - 25 cents/serving
Blackberries - free (from my backyard!!!)
Total - $1.95 lunch


Thursday:
Dinner leftovers (falafel sandwich and Greek salad) - $1.80/serving
Apple - 85 cents/serving
Cheese and crackers - 70 cents/serving
Total - $2.35 lunch


Friday:
Peanut butter and sliced apple sandwich - $1.30/serving
Blackberries - free!
Carrots and cucumbers with hummus - 70 cents/serving
Nonfat yogurt - 50 cents/serving
Total - $2.50 lunch

If we estimate that people spend $7 for a takeout lunch (and that's cheap!), that would mean spending $35 every week. By eating leftovers and using things I have around the house, I'd spend under $13 every week, saving $22. When you think about that money over course of the year, that's a few car payments, a weekend away, some extra contributions to your savings account....it really adds up.

How much are you spending on lunch? Does the time and energy of planning and making your lunch outweigh the savings? Any other good ideas for cheap lunches?

Lunch!

We all know that eating lunch out every day is equivalent to taking money out of your wallet and lighting it on fire. Typical lunches out usually cost at least $7 - multiply that by 20 days a month to make math easy...that's $140 just on lunch! The cost to your wallet is not all to think about - there's also a health cost. Eating in restaurants gives you less control of what you're putting in your body, and most of the time (depending on the establishment), restaurant food is less healthy, too.

Solution: BYOL (bring your own lunch). I have a really hard time getting psyched about eating a brown-bag lunch. PB&J...boring. Leftovers...gross. But I've been trying really hard lately to put an emphasis on bringing my lunch to work. Here's some of what I've put in my lunch this week, and maybe it will inspire you!

*Lowfat cream cheese and sliced strawberry sandwich

*Celery with hummus

*DIY trail mix of almonds, dried cranberries and dark chocolate M&Ms

*Fresh fruit (on sale) like cherries, bananas, and raspberries

*Nonfat or Greek yogurt

*Tuna with mayo/horseradish on a French roll

*Pretzels and peanut butter

*Slices of lemon (for my ice water)

*Babybel cheese with whole wheat crackers

*On Friday, I'm going a little crazy and making a Thai wrap (on pita bread with grilled chicken, cabbage, green onions and a peanut sauce - I'll let you know how it goes)

Packing lunch definitely takes some getting used to and planning ahead. Here are some suggestions I have for making things easier and cheaper:

1) I like to use multipurpose condiments, like hummus, peanut butter and cream cheese. Not only are these good to put on sandwiches, but they are also good to dip veggies, fruit, and crackers in. More bang for your buck!

2) Make lunch the night before. This is so much better than racing around the next morning. Then you can't use the age-old excuse "I didn't have time" and go get a Big Mac. Nope. Not this time.

3) Don't fall for the easy lunch "snack size" stuff at stores. You're paying more for someone to put things in bags for you. Do it yourself - get some reusable containers at places like Target or the Container Store (I heart their lunch storage stuff), go green and save money.

4) When you get bored of the standards, try some new recipes. I like to search for "easy lunch recipes for lunchboxes" or "back to school lunch recipes". If they have to get past a picky kid, I'm sure it'll pass your standards.

5) Get a cool lunchbag so it'll make you feel slightly less dorky. I have repurposed a shopping bag I got at Lululemon Athletica last January. It's perfect for the amount of food I bring and it's washable. Plus this is what it looks like:

Cute, functional, free (with purchase, in my case socks and a headband) and motivational? Bringing lunch is more fun than I thought!

Who brings their lunch to work? Any suggestions for good stuff to put in your lunchbox?