Wednesday, June 3, 2015

The Lunchbox- A Tool To Save Money Every Day

The Lunchbox- My Tool To Save Money Every Day

I didn't spend any money again today!  A key reason for this success is that I did not need to buy any food, beverages, or snacks all day.  The lunchbox helps a lot with this.

My Lunchbox Holds Enough To Last All Day!
My Lunchbox Holds Enough To Last All Day!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I have the biggest lunchbox I have ever seen.  Its intended purpose might been as a 6-pack cooler or something, but I like that I can pack a full-sized box of cereal or full-sized Tupperware containers.  It is a soft-sided insulated box and has a nice padded strap for easy carrying.


My Giant Lunchbox
My Giant Lunchbox
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Every day, I put a couple re-usable freezer packs in the bottom and then load it up.  Usually I have some refrigerated left-overs.  I often take yogurt or cheese sticks.  Bananas are a great item to pack- they only cost about 25 cents and have a lot of nutritional value.

Today I packed a jar of peanut butter, a knife, and a bagel to make a protein-packed breakfast.  I also raided my kid's supply of generic apple sauce.  Sometimes my kids write on their food with a marker so I don't take it, but I did not see any such markings on the applesauce!

Beverages

I like to drink coffee while I drive.  I drank my "good" coffee made from fresh ground whole beans long before I started driving, so I made a travel cup of instant decaf for the road.

Take Coffee From Home- Why Pay More?
Take Coffee From Home- Why Pay More?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

In the old days I would drink soda ("pop") during the day, but now I like water better.  Water is free and has no calories or harmful chemicals- can't beat that!  Soda seems to go for nearly $2 now in a lot of places!

Savings from Packing Lunch

Of course, the items you pack in a lunchbox aren't free, but taking your lunch and snacks with you is so much less expensive than eating out for lunch and buying snacks in the vending machines.

Eating a fast food lunch seems to get more expensive all the time, and fast food is loaded with fat and calories you don't need.  I would say I save around $10 per day by taking my lunch and all of my snacks and beverages with me.

You don't need a fancy lunch box to save money by taking your lunch.  I actually got my lunchbox on the clearance shelf at Target for less than $10 and have enjoyed it for years.

Once you get in the habit of taking your lunch, it becomes almost automatic.  If you are eating out or buying food at work, try packing your lunch to save some real money.  You can save THOUSANDS of dollars per year!


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