When I stopped buying lunch every day vs. making it at home

I used to drop $12-$15 every weekday at the deli near my office in Austin, which added up to around $300 a month. About 6 months ago I started packing leftovers from dinner instead, and now I'm saving roughly $200 a month after buying a $25 insulated lunch bag. The real kicker was realizing I was spending nearly $3,600 a year on sandwiches and salads. Has anyone else found a specific meal prep routine that actually stuck?

2 comments

2 Comments

logan_ellis1mo ago

That $3,600 number really hits home doesn't it. I went through the same thing after adding up my coffee shop breakfast habit - it was almost $1,000 a year on breakfast tacos and iced lattes. Now I make extra burritos on Sunday, wrap them in foil, and just grab one on my way out the door. It's not fancy but it saves me about $15 a week and I actually look forward to having something hot and ready.

the_jessica1mo ago

I keep seeing people freak out over that $3,600 number but honestly I think it depends a lot on your situation. @logan_ellis your burrito hack is smart and I get the appeal, but $15 a week is like two drinks at a bar. Not saying waste money, but it's not that serious. Life is short and sometimes a hot breakfast from a place is worth the extra couple bucks if you enjoy it. I'd rather cut back on something else that I don't actually care about, like overpriced phone cases or random subscriptions. As long as you're not going into debt over tacos it's fine.