Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Brown bag lunch ideas
Old 05-09-2015, 10:39 AM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Live And Learn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Tampa Bay Area
Posts: 1,866
Brown bag lunch ideas

I've always brown bagged my lunch, mostly because I was too busy to go out. When I did go out for lunch it was for a special event (co-workers new job, birthday, marriage, etc).

Inspired by threads on "how do I reduce my budget" I thought it might be nice to create a list of ideas for brown bagged lunches.

When I brown bagged it my typical lunch was:

* Canned soup (usually Progresso brand) with a few saltine crackers
* Leftovers - in generally I make about 30% more than needed for certain suppers and DH and I have the leftovers within the next few days
* Frozen veggies and a can of tuna. Nuke the veggies, drain and add the tuna.
* Chopped lettuce and a small can of chicken breast or tuna, with a couple of tablespoons of dressing brought in a separate deli cup. I tend to stay away from the premade salad bags since they are much more expensive per pound. It doesn't take long to run a knife through a head of romaine lettuce.
* Frozen meals (if they were on sale). This was actually a "treat" and used as a last resort when I didn't have any alternatives.

One of my desk drawers was kept as a pantry and contained a couple of cans of soup, a bottle of balsamic vinegar, a couple of cans of tuna and/or chicken breast. I was lucky to work at a place that had a small food area with a fridge/freezer and a microwave. I usually had one or two bags of frozen vegs in the freezer. I never kept frozen meals there since they usually ended up "accidentally" being eaten by a co-worker - never had that problem with the frozen veggies
__________________
"For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." ~
Hebrews 12:11

ER'd in June 2015 at age 52. Initial WR 3%. 50/40/10 (Equity/Bond/Short Term) AA.
Live And Learn is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 05-09-2015, 10:46 AM   #2
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 731
Similar situation for me when I was still w*rking at megacorp.


I would occasionally go out to lunch with co-workers, but over time I found that more and more meetings were actually being scheduled *during* lunch, because "that was the only free time on everyone's Outlook schedule" - blech.


So, I was just about 99% of the time just bringing lunch to w*rk and eating at my desk.


I would joke with others at noon as they would shuffle out to the elevators to go to lunch: "You....actually get to leave the building for lunch? How did you negotiate that!??"


My lunches were primarily left overs from dinner the night before. It was much more economical for us to make the dinner portions a bit bigger so there would be enough for me to have for lunch the next day. Much cheaper than buying specific lunch items - for our situation.
BBQ-Nut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 11:06 AM   #3
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Philliefan33's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,677
There is also a nutritional benefit to bringing your own lunch. The lunches and snacks that I brought from home were healthier and lower-calorie than anything I could get at the in-house cafeteria. Lunch was usually half a sandwich, a few pretzels, and carrots or fruit. Snacks were almonds, cheese, hummus, or fruit. I'm a grazer-- little bits at a time through the day.
Philliefan33 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 12:05 PM   #4
Moderator
Walt34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,302
Since I worked out of a car for many years I bought one of those contstruction-worker type lunch coolers. Microwave ovens generally were not available until the late '80's I think and I only had 30 minutes anyway. Usually lunch was a sandwich and a fruit like an apple or pear, and a bottle of tap water.

Right after my soon-to-be-ex moved out of the house and left me holding the bag for all costs I figured out pretty quickly that I couldn't afford to be buying lunches. I bought this one for $15 and figured over the next 20 years it saved me ~$15K over buying lunches. Not a bad ROI!

I kept the cooler in the trunk of the car while working and found that the trick to keeping the food fully chilled even in summer was to put the entire cooler in the refrigerator the night before. That in addition to the two plastic "icecube" things that came with it kept things cold.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Lunchbox.jpg (109.4 KB, 19 views)
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
Walt34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 04:57 PM   #5
Recycles dryer sheets
PhrugalPhan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: DC 'burbs
Posts: 134
I've always taken lunches to work. I have a microwave in the office, so I just need to reheat. Over the years I have bought Corning Grab-Its (w/lids) at yard sales for $1 or less (they go for ~$9 new) and currently have a fleet of them. On the weekends (while I wash dishes) I will make a batch of brown rice and add in good helpings of meat (usually chicken) and vegetables (usually carrots & peas). I make enough to fill at least 5 of the Grab-Its. In the fridge at work I leave something to spice up the meal after reheating (teriyaki sauce is the most common). I take various drinks in refillable 16 oz. bottles. And I take a protein drink in another bottle I pre-make before heading to work. I figure the cost is $1 or less for the whole meal daily.

I know this isn't for everyone as the repetition will get to many, but it doesn't bother me. Plus I can swap out different meat, vegetables, or sauces from week to week to change things.
PhrugalPhan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 05:26 PM   #6
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
freebird5825's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Nowhere, 43N Latitude, NY
Posts: 9,037
I was a go-out-to-lunch type in good weather. I used to buy those Smart Shopper coupon books for $20. The books were full of buy 1-get 1 free lunch offers. It was easy to find a co-w*rker who needed some fresh air and a change of scenery. We both ate at half price.

In the cold snowy winter months, I was a dedicated brown bagger. I also brought dinner leftovers in and kept ready-serve soups on hand. I used an oversized ceramic soup mug from the dollar store to heat my food. I was leery of eating food that had been reheated in plastic.

The break room refrig was small for the large number of people who utilized it, so I was limited on how many perishable items I could bring in. Nobody messed with my yogurt or cottage cheese.

For anytime grazing, I kept Cheerios, pretzels, and ChexMix in critter proof containers in my desk drawer. Fresh, canned or dried fruit was a fabulous snack if I couldn't take a lunch break because of back-to-back meetings or visitors running late on a demo tour of the facility. Fresh grapes and cherries were a favorite.
__________________
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney
freebird5825 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 05:38 PM   #7
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,528
I always took leftovers from dinner when I was working full-time. I started working 3 days per week, 5 yrs ago and I have the same thing every day for lunch. I have a container of nuts I keep in my work bag, I grab an apple and I take a glass to get water. Repetition does not bother me, and I don't have to waste time wondering what to make for lunch.
Dreamer is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 05:39 PM   #8
Moderator
braumeister's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,201
I used to make a great sandwich the night before, and place it in the freezer.

In the morning, I could take it out of the freezer and stick it in my desk drawer. By the time lunchtime rolled around, it had thawed out perfectly and seemed as fresh as when I first made it.

I did this for quite a few years, and it worked beautifully.
braumeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 05:45 PM   #9
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,679
Many moons ago when I worked in an office building I used to bring dinner leftovers for lunch. Microwave ovens were new and my department was in a reconfigured area partitioned off from a bigger department. Our little lunch area had a small table and a few seats, refrigerator and the microwave.

There was a guy in an adjacent department that said that anything we put in the microwave he could smell in his office. He was annoyed by that but put up with it unless one of us brought fish. If we heated up any kind of fish that guy would actually throw a tantrum!

I hope he's retired by now.
__________________
Married, both 69. DH retired June, 2010. I have a pleasant little part time job.
Sue J is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 06:25 PM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
martyp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Thailand countryside, Sisaket province
Posts: 1,331
Fortunately I seldom had lunch time meetings. Lunch was my time to be alone. Getting out of the office to eat alone was something I wanted to do. About 30% of the time I would eat leftovers alone in my office.
__________________
Happy, Wild, and Free
martyp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 06:34 PM   #11
Recycles dryer sheets
Derslickmeister's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 249
I eat lunch at my desk every day. I try to mix it up a bit, leftovers one day, a sandwich and yogurt the next, a Lean Cuisine here and there, some salads...
Derslickmeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 06:40 PM   #12
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,764
Live and Learn, I take rice (brown or white) because you can eat it hot or cold and just about anything can be mixed with it, peas, tuna, chicken, tomatoes, nuts, fruit. Try different food combinations: rice, romaine, chopped ham, craisins, walnuts with a little poppy seed dressing. Apples chopped up are great in salads or on sandwiches. I loooooove fruit sandwiches: whole wheat bread, sliced thin red pears and salad dressing. My girlfriend just started eating this sandwich but adds thin sliced chicken. I'm a big oatmeal (plain) fan and keep it at work. I have it for breakfast every morning but have it for lunch sometimes, usually in the Winter, and add cinnamon, nuts, craisins, peanut butter. My all time favorite sandwich is peanut butter and mayonnaise. Try something different, you may like it. Peanut butter and Cheerio sandwich or peanut butter and romaine, anyone.
splitwdw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 08:25 PM   #13
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,679
Mmmm, peanut butter and fresh blueberries on whole wheat toast.
__________________
Married, both 69. DH retired June, 2010. I have a pleasant little part time job.
Sue J is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 09:00 PM   #14
Administrator
Gumby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 22,974
Almost always leftovers from the night before. If there aren't any leftovers, I make a sandwich and take it, with a can of soda and a piece of fruit.

This is my lunch box. I often get comments walking to and from my car.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg lunchbox.jpg (37.7 KB, 27 views)
__________________
Living an analog life in the Digital Age.
Gumby is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2015, 09:16 PM   #15
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Huntsville, AL/Helen, GA
Posts: 6,002
I carried my lunch to work every day, and it was saving me about $2,000 per year. With the money saved, we took vacations all over the world.

I had a conversion van with 4 bucket seats and a electric bed that'd fold flat. I'd eat my lunch and spend about 45 minutes taking a nap in the bed. I'd return to my office well rested and ready go go for another 4 hard hours.
Bamaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-10-2015, 07:25 AM   #16
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Sarah in SC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 13,566
I love that lunchbox!!!!
__________________
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching.”
Gerard Arthur Way

Sarah in SC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-10-2015, 08:20 AM   #17
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
harley's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,764
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sue J View Post
There was a guy in an adjacent department that said that anything we put in the microwave he could smell in his office. He was annoyed by that but put up with it unless one of us brought fish. If we heated up any kind of fish that guy would actually throw a tantrum.
I wasn't that bad, but when I sat close to the break room I would always be exposed to the smell of burnt popcorn. I don't like popcorn in general, but burnt is the worst. It's amazing how many people couldn't nuke a bag of popcorn properly. Nasty.

Back on topic, I was always a fan of the brown paper bags. They kept the bottle from clinking when I slipped it back in the drawer.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
harley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-10-2015, 08:58 AM   #18
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: the prairies
Posts: 5,028
I normally plan meals to have some leftovers for lunch the next day. I also keep granola bars and fruit at my desk, along with a container of homemade trail mix (nuts, dried fruit, etc.) for grazing.

I used to make sandwiches but don't any more as I am walking distance from 2 grocery stores, and will sometimes shop during lunch. I found that $1 - $1.50 can buy a fresh baked roll with enough lunch meat to make a sandwich.

I'm also a 5 minute drive from Costco and will pop in every now and then for their cheap lunches.
Music Lover is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-10-2015, 01:47 PM   #19
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,764
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sue J View Post
There was a guy in an adjacent department that said that anything we put in the microwave he could smell in his office. He was annoyed by that but put up with it unless one of us brought fish. If we heated up any kind of fish that guy would actually throw a tantrum!

I hope he's retired by now.
I can't blame him. We have someone that always microwaves food and the smell lingers. Don't know what he puts in his little casseroles but they stink. Everyone now has room sprays/deodorizers in their offices. Regarding microwave popcorn, I agree with Harley, the smell of burnt popcorn is not something you want in an office.
splitwdw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-10-2015, 02:32 PM   #20
Recycles dryer sheets
PhrugalPhan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: DC 'burbs
Posts: 134
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sue J View Post
There was a guy in an adjacent department that said that anything we put in the microwave he could smell in his office. He was annoyed by that but put up with it unless one of us brought fish. If we heated up any kind of fish that guy would actually throw a tantrum!

I hope he's retired by now.
There's always one in a crowd, and unfortunately next to you. We have lots of Indians / South Asians in my cubicle farm that can cook spicy smelly stuff, and yet this guy in the cube next to me would complain about any heated food I brought to my cube, no matter how innocent. He wouldn't complain about the others as he worked with them, but I worked for a different group so I seemed to be his favorite target. After a few episodes of him spraying stuff at my cube and me refusing to work in my cube during this behavior... he was this close to being fired. Finally they moved him away and he knows better than to talk to me now, which is fine by me.
PhrugalPhan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Anti-theft Lunch Bag RonBoyd Other topics 8 09-02-2009 01:02 PM
Brown "resigns" Martha Other topics 13 09-14-2005 08:12 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:51 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.