Serious question, does packing lunch for the office actually save money?

My coworker insists bringing food from home is cheaper, but I find I waste more ingredients that way. We keep going back and forth on this every pay period. How do you all handle meal costs at work?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscar_fox1mo ago

What's the real cost when you add in time spent prepping? I read a blog post that said if you count your time, buying lunch might not be much more expensive. Betty_wood5 is right about using dinner leftovers, but that only works if you actually cook at home a lot. I kept buying special ingredients that went bad in my fridge, so I switched to cheap basics like beans and rice. It can save money, but you have to be really honest about what you'll actually eat before it spoils.

betty_wood51mo ago

Honestly, do you plan your dinners around what you can repurpose? Tbh, I only save money when I make extra dinner to pack for lunch. If I buy special stuff just for lunches, it goes bad and costs more than just getting a sandwich out. Ngl, you have to be strict about using leftovers and buying things you know you'll eat all week, like a big pack of tortillas or a block of cheese. It only works if you're okay with eating the same basic thing a couple days in a row.

robert8011mo ago

That "same basic thing a couple days in a row" is key. I take it further and do a "theme week". If I buy that big pack of tortillas, Monday is tacos for dinner, Tuesday's lunch is a taco bowl salad with the leftover meat, Wednesday is quesadillas with whatever veg is left. It forces you to use everything up.