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Make Lunch Exciting
By Daphne | July 18, 2008
Who says that taking your own lunch has to be boring?
Of course there are always people who have an extra piece or slice or pizza for lunch but what about being creative?
I don’t really like a lot of different sandwich toppings. I like meat and bread on a sandwich sometimes with some spices put on the bread like dill, wasabi, or green goddess dressing. Making your own lunch can be a feast. Leftovers may make it into a container for a portable lunch, along with some fruit. Chips and salsa will also work in a pinch.
Since you are saving money by bringing your own lunch instead of eating out, why not decide to use interesting bread. Most grocery stores sell artisan loaves of bread or individual rolls which can be used for sandwiches. Some of the rolls are large, so either cut it in half and use it for two sandwiches or buy an unsliced loaf and then cut it yourself.
It may be easier to put your sandwich in plastic wrap and convenient as well, but there are containers that you can use for sandwiches. Bring a cloth napkin or placemat to eat on. If you are taking your lunch somewhere, you probably aren’t going to have anything that is that messy to eat.
When you are cooking dinner at home, make a little extra so you will have some left over for lunch. Even if you decide to go out to dinner, save some for lunch. You may not have enough for another dinner, you will definitely have enough for lunch.
Bottled beverages are very portable. Just because you have a “water bottle” or a container that you use primarily for water, you could make your own iced coffee or tea at home, or even pour some pop into the container from home.
Fruit. In the summer it is easy to get grapes, apples, nectarines and lots of other good things that can be added to a lunch.
There are many interesting containers that you may use for your lunch. I once worked with a woman who had a small compartmentalized tray that looked almost like a casserole dish but she would put everything into a container from dinner the night before and take out what didn’t need to be heated and have her whole lunch in a neat container. While this may not work for you if you do not always have something that needs to be heated, you could still use the idea of having something similar to a Bento box or other container.
Buy large bags of chips, if you want some to go with a sandwich and fill a small container with them. This way if you have a dedicated container for chips, they will be less likely to get broken and you will save money versus buying the small “convenient” packs.
Taking your lunch can be stylish in addition to frugal. Though if by buying containers instead of using single serve packages and disposable wrap you pay more initially but you will save in the long run.
Topics: July 2008 |
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Daphne,
Great post. I wrote an article on this subject, “Take the Brown Bag Challenge,” for MSN Money. More than a few of the people in the article were astonished how much money they saved by carrying a lunch just a few times a week for one month. They’d simply never done the math.
They offered some great tips. My favorite was from the woman who would make a batch of cookie dough and freeze it in scoops. Each morning she’d take out two and put them in the toaster oven. Not only did she have freshly baked treats for her dessert, her house still smelled like cookies when she got home. Now that’s thinking ahead.
Best regards,
Donna Freedman, MSN Money Smart Spending