Bring lunch from home or buy?

[bubba]

Bring breakfast, lunch and soft drinks everyday unless I know about a lunch meeting I'm supposed to attend. I eat at my desk and then go out for a few minutes just to get away.

[Buckeye]

I bring breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack every day. I don't think it's cheaper than going out, but it is definitely worth the shopping and prep time time and cost of the food because I bring healthy things to eat. I actually see bringing my lunch as investing in my future. It has been key to me losing 35 pounds on Weight Watchers and keeping it off for 18 months.

[simple girl]

I'd say 90% of the time used to bring my lunch (previous job). Now, in my new job...a great bennie...I get lunch free from the cafeteria. I love not having to plan out what I'll be eating, and the food is actually quite good!

[VoyT]

Usually just bring my own ... don't have a lot of affordable options in the area anyway, most of it fast food, which I don't need.

[REWahoo]

I used to bring my lunch, now I walk to school.

[DangerMouse]

I have to confess both DH and I buy lunch every day. However, my lunch normally consists of some kind of take out salad so it is relatively healthy. I was eating burritos for a while until I took the time to research their calorie content, and that made me realise why I gaining weight.

[Dawg52]

Most of the time I would go out and buy something. Being single, I tried to find a balanced lunch with a meat and a couple of veggies. At night I would get by with a sandwich or a salad.

Now that I'm retired, I simply walk a couple of blocks to mom's house and sponge off her. If I'm on the golf course around lunch time, I get by on a granola bar. Life is so simple now.

[Eagle43]

When I was employed, I would bring my lunch, except on Thursdays. That was my day to "splurge" and eat out. Now, I eat lunch at home, and nap.... almost everyday. Life is good.

[Darryl]

I buy lunch but I keep it cheap. A couple of years ago when I stopped using the credit card for the bonus points and we converted to an all cash budget (well almost all cash) I had a very ugly surprise when we implemented the new budget.
I was averaging about $100 a week for lunch, snacks, coffee etc... The new budget allotted me $23 a week. When I had three days to go and only $5 panic was one option.
I have had a few years and a few raises and now get to eat like a king on $44 a week.

[Dude]

I usually go home for lunch.....from my desk to my door in 5 minutes

[Jeb-NY]

I didn't vote, since I know longer have to work. But when I did, I brought my lunch and had one of those small solid state fridges under the desk for the lunch and afternoon refreshment. I should figure out how much I saved over all those years. Figure lunch was probably around $2 a day and the afternoon can of pop cost about 20 cents instead of $1. Probably saved $5/day.

Jeb

[Enuff2Eat]

i eat out almost everyday at lunch. spend about $5-$8 a lunch, it's basic a neccessity for me mentally. i just can NOT stand hanging out in the cubicle 8-9 hrs in a row to save lunch money.

and i also believe saving money by bring lunch is NOT worth the effort. Most of the people stay in and brought lunch are the ones spent too much on the weekend ( i guess). Lunch time is MY time, no boss, no wife, no kids, no obligation.

enuff

[JustCurious]

I go to lunch with my colleagues (and the ocassional client) on a regular basis. If I didn't, I would be considered anti-social, and it would hurt my career. I would save $6-10 dollars per workday, but I would lose much more than that in lost career opportunities and lost opportunities to be "in the know" regarding what's going on in my small company and with our clients. Going out to lunch is an almost daily opportunity to network, socialize, keep up to speed on internal issues, keep my finger on the pulse of the company, and keep my interpersonal relationships current. For me to stop going to lunch would be almost like committing career suicide.

[Calgary_Girl]

Most of the time I brown bag my lunch except for Fridays...kind of my treat day for making it through the work week

You can't buy lunch here for under $6 anymore so the savings really add up by brown bagging it. I figure for every day that I brown bag it, I can retire one day earlier!!!!!!

[Telly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgary_Girl Most of the time I brown bag my lunch except for Fridays...kind of my treat day for making it through the work week You can't buy lunch here for under $6 anymore so the savings really add up by brown bagging it. I figure for every day that I brown bag it, I can retire one day earlier!!!!!!

Hey, that's what I did for years and years, and I did ER! All those lunches "in" were worth it, payback is mine! I never ate at the mega-corp cafeteria, either. Choices were spicy grease, greasy grease, or greasy spice :P Just the smell was enough to put me off the idea of eating there.

What many forget to add into the cost of lunch out every day is the transportation cost to do so.

[skyline]

I'm hardcore LBYM, but lunch out during work is well worth the money spent...

[teejayevans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyline I'm hardcore LBYM, but lunch out during work is well worth the money spent...

You just can't buy a good PB&J sandwich anywhere, I'm not kidding, that's what I'm
eating for lunch, guess I never grew up

[saluki9]

Quote:

Originally Posted by teejayevans You just can't buy a good PB&J sandwich anywhere, I'm not kidding, that's what I'm eating for lunch, guess I never grew up

Do you have a Potbelly's sandwich works near you? They have awesome PB&J sandwiches

[OKLibrarian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyline I'm hardcore LBYM, but lunch out during work is well worth the money spent...

not the solution for everyone as I work out in the 'burbs, but while I eat at work, I don't eat at my desk--I wander out to the coffee bar or student union to eat, people watch or browse the stacks for an interesting book, or if the weather's fine I'll go down the street to the golf course, get a range token or two and whack some balls into submission. mental health and frugality! :-) I expect that when I move up in the world a bit I'll need to do a few more networking lunches, but at this point I'm pretty much waiting for people to retire for a slot to open up above me.

[Moemg]

I brought lunch at my last job .Besides saving money and it being more healthy I was afraid if I left the building I'd never return.