Save $988/year by bringing your lunch
Bringing your lunch everyday instead of eating out will save money — that’s a common known fact. However, Clever Dude took the analysis one step further and broke down the cost of each portion of a lunch for a week. The total cost savings extrapolated for a year is very impressive:
Monday Lunch
PBJ sandwich on wheat bread, raw carrots, baked chips and an apple:
- Peanut butter ($0.11)
- jelly($0.07)
- wheat bread ($0.30)
- raw carrots ($0.12)
- bag of baked chips ($0.28)
- apple ($0.50)
- water from the fountain (free). It’s safe, except where the Dude works, but they provide water coolers.
Cost: $1.38
Tuesday Lunch
Turkey sandwich on wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, light mayo, carrot sticks, canned pears in light syrup and a snack pack of Oreos (the Dude’s favorite):
- turkey sandwich on wheat bread ($1.30)
- lettuce ($0.25)
- tomato ($0.25)
- light mayo ($0.14)
- carrot sticks ($0.12)
- canned pears in light syrup ($0.69)
- snack pack of Oreos ($0.41)
- fountain or cooler water again (still free)
Cost: $3.16
Cost of eating out (average $6 a day) = $30.00
Cost of packing a lunch for 5 days = $11.00
Total savings = $19.00/week * 52 weeks = $988.00
Frugal Lunch by Clever Dudette - [Clever Dude]
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Comments
jstell says on February 27th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Salmonella from Peanut Butter: $priceless
David says on February 27th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
and theres the money for cable!
BlueNight says on March 1st, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Having just spent eleven dollars on a single lunch, I’m inclined to take this advice to heart. The thing that always bites me back is not packing enough snacks…
Don says on March 23rd, 2007 at 11:21 am
I have found the cheapest lunch is to eat in the office. I purchase the 55 pack of instant oatmeal from costco for about $10.00. Then a pack of 48 green tea bags for about $3.00. So you just need to add hot water to both. Oat meal is about 20 cents per package and I use two with each lunch. One tea bag in a hot mug of water for about 7 cents. This brings my lunch total to $00.47
Thank you
hew says on May 25th, 2007 at 6:14 am
Wow Don! That’s amazing. I eat baked beans sandwiches (1/2 a $1 can + 4 slices of bread) ~ $1.40 a day. Or just noodles ~ 40c a pkt for lunch. Or a can of flavoured tuna $1/can which is slightly dearer but also healthier.
I liked the article, thanks.
hew says on May 25th, 2007 at 6:17 am
Bad maths skills - 50c for the beans, 40c for the bread = 90c. Also, I meant a can of tuna on 2 sandwiches which is about $1.40 overall. (In Australia)
jax says on April 9th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Ramen noodles in bulk.
10 centers per package * 3 meals a day * 365 days = 110 dollars to feed yourself for a year.
In theory, it could work!