How To Brown Bag For Saving, Cost-Cutting, and Making Ends Meet In An Economy Crisis
This economy crisis is putting a financial strain on just about everything in our lives, and that includes on our basic daily needs. One of those basics is the quintessential LUNCH. But that daily meal break has, over time, become an extremely expensive part of working outside of the home.
You can keep your family’s budget in check and still make ends meet by taking your lunch into work instead of buying lunch on a daily basis. Just think, you probably spend up to $8 or $10 per day for those delicious lunches, but for just pennies a day you could eat just as well. Here’s how to buy for cheap or make the most of what you have when it comes to your lunch:
Buy for cheap some of your favorite lunchmeats by using coupons. You can make fabulous sandwiches just by having the right meat and bread. Add in some veggies and a bag salad that you can buy for cheap and use for a couple of days, and your lunch will be a very enjoyable meal.
Before you buy that expensive specialty bread, check in your supermarkets bakery section to see if they have any breads on markdown or clearance. Many supermarket bakeries will usually will discount breads that are close to the expiration date. You can expect to buy for cheap some of the most delicious breads that they offer. Don’t be surprised if you get a $5 loaf of bread for 50-cents. These stores would rather sell the bread than simply discard it. So, take advantage.
When you make dinner, put a few portions aside for your lunch. Freeze them individually and then you can eat them over a period of time. You can buy for cheap plastic, microwavable containers that you can just pop in the microwave at your job. By freezing them, you don’t have to have the same thing for dinner and then turn around and have it for lunch. But…a week later, it could be a great lunch dish to enjoy.
Make pasta your lunchtime specialty. You can usually buy for cheap pasta by using coupons and maxing out the savings by catching a store sale. The great thing about pasta is that it can be eaten hot or cold, as a cold salad with vegetables or served hot with sauces. It’s also very versatile and filling, and if you don’t load it down with meat and cheese, it can be fairly healthy for you. But, above all it’s inexpensive. Buy for cheap a pound of pasta for about 70-cents or get it practically free with coupons. Use it as you need it. No need to make it all at one time.
Make a lunch calendar that helps you to figure out how many days that you will need to provide your own lunch. Remember, you can save by taking full advantage of company sponsored lunch events and business lunches that you get reimbursed for. So, expect not to have to bring your lunch every single day. Plus, when you do have a lunch time meeting, make the most of it by splitting your meal so that you can have some for the next day. All that you have to do is request a little “to go” container! Simple and free.
These are just a few basic ways to save that lunch money that you could potentially use for more exciting things, like a family vacation. Imagine the hundreds of dollars that you will save by simply rediscovering the joy of bringing a bagged lunch in to work. During this economy crisis, one thing you can be sure of…you definitely won’t be the only one in the office doing it!
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