Pack your lunch. Sounds dumb right? But seriously I lid you not most of my stay at home mom's working husband's eat lunch out everyday. Most of my Dr coworkers buy lunch daily. Many of my sahp buy lunches when we go out. Yep eating out is prevalent and honestly easier.
But with a little planning you can save a lot of money. Assume a $5 foot long from subway is all you have or a six inch sub with chips and a drink. Want to do that for less than $110/month? 22 working days on average or 176 hours a month is normal payroll. Buy a big bag of chips, loaf of bread, and luncheon meat and cheese and throw it in office fridge for week and you are set. Even better put in five sodas and you are having a full meal. Seriously my DH did this throughout graduate school including the soda. Always brought in five on Monday for the week and 12 packs were $2 a case. His meals for the week were maybe $10? I did the same or if I didn't have a fridge I'd make a sandwich.
I also usually cook enough for dinner and lunch the next day or two. Leftovers are great. No microwave? But a thermos and it'll keep. Buy a lunch bag and ice pack. And chill your soda the night before in the lunch bag in the fridge.
I can't take credit for this behavior. But our parents behaved this way and we grew up only knowing you always pack your lunch even the soda you'd want but couldn't fathom paying vending machine prices.
But seriously I doubt most people only spend $5 a day on lunch if they are eating out. More like $20 after the morning breakfast, Starbucks Coffee in morning and afternoon. And it does add up fast.
Do you buy or bag it?
Simple Money Saver 1
May 25th, 2014 at 03:23 am
May 25th, 2014 at 04:50 am 1400993404
Tax-free thousands at that.
May 25th, 2014 at 12:07 pm 1401019647
May 25th, 2014 at 02:02 pm 1401026556
May 25th, 2014 at 05:00 pm 1401037250
May 25th, 2014 at 06:33 pm 1401042783
Joan that is very sad about how many workers would be spending so much of their income on lunch!
CC very funny too bad I hear from too many other people they can't train their spouses.
May 27th, 2014 at 04:17 pm 1401207454
Now, if these people are going to Subway and getting the same pre-processed nitrate-laden deli meats for more money, they are getting the same poor nutrition. Luckily, in Manhattan there are plenty of lunch places where fresh food can be cooked to order in a healthy way.
Plus, there is a social aspect to eating out, so I would not want to limit that for DH.
May 29th, 2014 at 05:41 pm 1401385284
Today we made whole wheat mac and cheese for kids with smoked sausage. We smoked the sausage. We smoke ribs, chicken, pork, etc. We also make stick rice wrapped in lotus leaf, home made dumpling, and fresh vietnamese spring rolls for lunch.
When I make sandwiches it's usually freshly made meat. We've made smoked turkey and chicken. We also buy them fresh off the bone. We also do roast beef for sanwiches off the bone. I know we spend an absurb amount on food, but we cook A LOT.
I've made your kale salad, I have kale right now in the fridge. I also make rotisserie chicken salad with fresh grapes, apples, light mayo, nuts, etc. It's just a matter of cooking. Fresh fruit? Tons in my house. Bananas, strawberries right now and I'm going to get kiwi and grapes.
Pretty much anything I make is leftovers for lunch the next day. Kids love curries I make japanese, indian, and thai. tomorrow I'm thinking indian butter chicken with basmati rice. Maybe some risotto the next day with homemade chicken stock made earlier in the week.
Trust me most people who cook but can afford not too, aren't doing so because it's all money savings. Sometimes it's knowing what goes in the food and doing it better than what you can buy
May 29th, 2014 at 06:20 pm 1401387648
May 29th, 2014 at 07:38 pm 1401392320
I do stay at home, but you make more money than DH and I because I don't work. You choose to have a long commute and full time jobs. I chose to economize because I'm not bringing home $75k/year or more (likely more) and instead work at maximizing our income and minimizing our lifestyle.
You'd better read Mr Money Mustache about commutes that are 1 hour. Write to him be a case study. I think he'd take you on. He took me on.
Everytime someone says enviously that I stay at home I'm offended. You chose to work, I chose to stay at home for less money. It's the trade off families make. No one is forcing anyone to do anything they don't want to do. I have to say that's sort of a pet peeve of mine.
I know how much more we'd be making and how much YEARS of compounding lost income we are doing right now. But we've chosen consciously to do it. Like MonkeyMama, the CPA always says, people don't get how when two people make $50k each and gives up half salary they end up coming out ahead? It just does with taxes and everything else.
I say it all the time to friends who make dual six figure incomes. They can choose to give up one 6 figure income instead of hiring a nanny, full time daycare, etc. It costs more for them to work. BUT NO ONE LISTENS.
May 29th, 2014 at 11:25 pm 1401405902
It takes 2 of us just to make income close to your DH's.
I make just about as much as DH, so if I did not work, our income would be halved. We could not own an apartment on one income. Not to mention that our excellent health and dental come from my job, and other benefits such as a pension. And the fact that our childcare is subsidized by DH's employer and we are paying below market rate until DS goes to school. And no, we would not save anything at all in taxes if I did not work.