Save $988/year by bringing your lunch

February 27 by | 13 comments | Lifestyle, Money | Tags: , ,

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]

  • jstell
  • http://mydaddidntliketheurl.blogspot.com/ David

    and theres the money for cable!

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  • http://godsh.blogspot.com/ BlueNight

    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…

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  • Don

    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

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  • hew

    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

    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)

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  • jax

    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!

  • http://asphalteden.blogspot.com/2009/01/top-5-things-to-do-january-5-2009.html Stephanie

    Thanks for this info! I blogged about the money-saving tip here:

    http://asphalteden.blogspot.com/2009/01/top-5-things-to-do-january-5-2009.html