Comments on: My Struggle: Spending on Food is Really About Motivation

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 16:28:02 +0000

If you’re looking for the *social* aspect of having lunch with coworkers, why not try to talk a few people into taking a walk at lunch. If you bring lunch & eat at your desk, then you can take a half-hour walk. You get time away from the office, time to socialize with coworkers, save money & get some exercise.

By: sfordinarygirl

sfordinarygirl — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 07:54:08 +0000

The NY Times had a great article about 101 meals in less than 10 minutes. They were all pretty simple ideas and maybe something you can try?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18mini.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin

My dad struggles with packing lunch vs eating eat. It’s a guy thing for him sometimes – he doesn’t want to seem cheap or frugal among other guys at work. So he eats out once or twice a week for lunch, the rest of the week he’ll eat the company’s catered lunch and leftovers from those.

By: expensr » Blog Archive » Thrifty Thursday - How to Save on Food

expensr » Blog Archive » Thrifty Thursday - How to Save on Food — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:58:43 +0000

[...] and also fits the amount of time that you can allocate towards it. Flexo at Consumerism Commentary brings up the point that it might not be worth the effort to brown bag your lunch. The time required to do this, and [...]

By: Pete

Pete — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 05:15:09 +0000

This is one area I’ve improved in my life recently, and I’m seeing nothing but good effects from it. These effects are three-fold:

My method is, while cooking breakfast I make my snacks and lunch for the day at work, potentially dinner too.We built this page to monitor and share the day to I train like a bodybuilder (I merely don’t compete) so my diet is very regimented. I bought a 15 liter cooler from a store and I put my food and different supplements in this cooler. I can pack enough food in this thing to last me almost all weekend if I need to. This has a lot of benefit when I travel for work as I can still eat healthy on the road.

The benefits of this are:
1) Health: A trick to eating healthy and not splurging on junk food is preparation. If you have a cooler sitting next to you at work with sandwiches some peanut butter, tuna fish, chicken breasts, an apple, some healthy chips etc, you’re much less likely to opt for the burger and fries route.
2) Cost: Obviously this route is far more cost effective than eating out every day. I spent about $66 at the store and I’ll be able to make it for about 12 days on that food (I eat alot, but very simply).
3) Motivation: This method increases my motivation every time I do it right. When my friends are going to fast-food joints and spending alot on bigger meals, it makes me feel better about being disciplined and having the ability to stay healthy and save money in areas that are frivolous (I find this area to be one.) When people ask me how I stay both strong and lean, I simply point to my cooler.

For this area of maintain discipline, all in all, preparation is the key I’ve found.

By: Flexo

Flexo — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 02:28:13 +0000

kazari: My leftovers when I “cook” are generally used for the following night’s dinner rather than lunch. Perhaps the solution is to marry someone who cooks. :-)

By: kazari

kazari — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 23:25:17 +0000

I used to be just like you – organising to take my lunch just never happened. What DID change, was moving in with my (now)husband. I started cooking dinner more, and there was always leftovers. I would take my leftovers to work and eat in the cafeteria with my co-workers – they were always jealous!
Have you noticed how most recipes make enough dinner for 4? We cook the lot, and freeze the leftovers into lunch-size containers.
Now, preparing lunch means opening the freezer. And I have my choice of curries, soups, maybe a protein-heavy stirfry…
Much more appetizing than the cafeteria, or the closest greasy burger joint.

By: Rita

Rita — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 15:47:58 +0000

Maybe you can make lunch more than about food. Maybe take your favorite book to lunch with you and remember that food is just about filling yourself up and having enough energy to do work and have fun. (Or maybe you can put in a treat like a candy bar everyday.)

By: Don

Don — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 19:43:01 +0000

I sometimes don’t feel like making myself a sandwich in the mornings, so I throw a bowl and a pack of ramen in my lunch bag. This kind of thing is great if you have access to a microwave at work. And you really can’t get much cheaper than ramen (of course, it’s not exactly health food…microwavable soups are a nice alternative).

Also, if you have access to a fridge at work, bring in sandwich fixings at the beginning of the week and make your lunch at lunchtime. I find myself more likely to use up this stuff, as I know that if I don’t it will spoil by the end of the week. So, not only would I be wasting money by going out to lunch, I’d be wasting money by letting food spoil…doubling the self-punishment. Also, another thing I’ve been doing that has really been helpful is to buy a bunch of fruit to take to work. It’s so easy to grab an apple and a banana and take them to work with me…not to mention part of a balanced diet ;)

By: Beany

Beany — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 18:12:29 +0000

4 cases of food poisoning from 4 different places stopped me from frequent dining at restaurants.

I’ve started to get a bit fancy with my cooking, and I’ve been using alot of fancy ingredients than I used to 2-3 years ago. This has actually made me lookdown on most restaurant food because I make much better meals (and I don’t get food poisoning!). This has been gradual. 6 years ago, I thought bottled spaghetti and boxed pasta was a good meal.

Also I have watched food service workers (and worked in the food service industry) and I don’t like the way they treat food, keeping that image in my head alot has helped me avoid restaurants more than I used to in the past when I was making way less money!

By: MBI

MBI — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 17:27:18 +0000

Doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I bring lunch 4 days a week and eat at my desk. But on Thursdays, I make a point of going out to the mall with a co-worker for a build-your-own salad lunch. Costs $8 with a small soda. I look forward all week to my Thursday outings. In fact, I appreciate them so much more than when I bought lunch out 5 days a week. Extra bonus? Because I eat the brown bag lunch at my desk in about 15 minutes, I get to leave 1/2 hour early on those days. That’s all the motivation I need! (Oh, and yes, by brown-bagging it four times a week, I figure I save about $20 – $25 a week — pretty substantial money)

By: Personal Finance Blogs — Weekly Roundup by Dollar Buy Dollar

Personal Finance Blogs — Weekly Roundup by Dollar Buy Dollar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:44:52 +0000

[...] over at Consumerism CommentaryÃ‚Â talk about his struggle to save money via brown-bagging his lunch to work each day. Given how tight my budget is going to be for the remainder of this year once all [...]

By: English Major

English Major — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:37:01 +0000

Hey, Flexo–I’ve spent the past couple of weeks bringing breakfast and lunch to work every day, and it’s been really fun.

I just did a wrap-up of the experiment here–it was a big success, and I had a lot of fun. Today I brought to work the following:
A yogurt parfait (frozen raspberries, yogurt, granola) for breakfast.
A container of chicken-edamame pasta salad (made on Monday in a big batch) for lunch.
A ham-and-muenster cheese wrap with baby spinach and avocado for dinner (I’m out late tonight).
A cup of applesauce and a string cheese for a snack.

It took me about fifteen minutes this morning to prepare everything (plus the hour or so I spent on Monday making the pasta salad), and my total costs for a day’s worth of food are around $8.30. When I buy lunch, I usually spend $10-$12 just for that one meal alone. For me, it’s worth it–I’ve actually found the past couple of weeks really, really fun. But you’re certainly right about one thing: it’s definitely a matter of motivation.

By: cami

cami — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:04:44 +0000

I’m not a big fan of cooking either. When I was working I used to go to lunch with a few of my co-workers just about every day. Since we were going to Whole Foods and I would eat a lot of salads and such, I totally justified it. Now that I’m in grad school, I just can’t do the eat out thing. For starters we don’t have a very good food selection, but also I can’t afford it.

Here’s something you could think about trying: since you know how much extra you’re spending on food, put that money in a savings account at the beginning of the month. If you go over your budget, then you have to pull money from your savings account. It might make you realize that if you spend this now you’re not saving it for later. I did this with some of my areas of weakness and it worked really well.

Also you might want to consider why it is that you don’t pack a lunch, beside the co-worker thing. I found that I don’t like the way some food tastes after being reheated, and I also don’t like to eat cold food. Now I strategically plan what works well for reheating and I try and bring that in for lunch.

By: beth

beth — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:59:53 +0000

Is there a place to sit and each lunch with coworkers if you bring food with you? My workplace has a lunch room (not a cafeteria) so people can bring lunch or go buy takeout, and we wind up eating together. I used to bring my lunch every day because a) I’m cheap and b) it’s better for me can c) I had more time to sit and be social if I wasn’t standing in line waiting for mediocre take-out.

Now I’ve joined a lunch pool at work: four of us bring lunch for each other one day per week. My day is Wednesday, so home made lunch is provided for me Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, in exchange for my providing lunch for four on Wednesday. It’s saves time and money, is a lot of fun, and helps me push my cooking boundaries.

By: mapgirl

mapgirl — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:41:00 +0000

Oh. Another thing, about socializing with co-workers… My current boss regularly says we should duck into a conference room to eat our lunch as a team, whether we’ve bought it at the cafeteria or packed it from home. We still get our social time away from our cubicles, but without the extra expense.

Maybe that’s a way to get social time in without dining out?

By: Ellen

Ellen — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:39:28 +0000

I’m right there with you on this issue. My husband and I work together, along with a friend of ours, and it’s so nice to take a break in the middle of the day to go get food. We don’t have a break room, and if we bring lunch in, we’re expected to eat at our desk while working. So going out is a really nice break for us to talk a little at noon. So the motivation to make two lunches and miss that little sliver of time is just not there.

By: Super Saving Japanese, Folks Living In A Toilet, And Other Interesting Stories

Super Saving Japanese, Folks Living In A Toilet, And Other Interesting Stories — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:15:38 +0000

[...] @ Consumerism Commentary laments about how he can’t stop spending on food. Talk about peer pressure for eating outside. If you have some motivational advice for people who [...]

By: tolak

tolak — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:38:56 +0000

Instead of sandwiches, just cook for 2-3 days in advance. Cooking takes me about an hour. I do this a couple of times a week (maybe eat out with friends on the weekend), and the total time spent on cooking in a week is insignificant and is far shorter than it would take to go get lunch somewhere.

It’s important to stick to simple and healthy recipes. People try get motivated by cooking gourmet and get bogged down. At a certain point, you will become efficient in buying your groceries and preparing them. Then packing your lunch would no longer be a struggle.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:36:06 +0000

I prefer to pack leftovers for lunch. They are already made, you know what’s in it and how healthy it is, and they taste great. Other times Iwill pack cold cuts or a frozen meal. (I love Marie Callender’s pot pies!)

I also enjoy the social aspect of eating out with friends and coworkers, so I do that a couple times a week. This is also a great way to network, so indirectly and long term, eating out can be good for the bottom line.

By: Rachel May

Rachel May — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:14:10 +0000

I second the frozen dinner option, if you have a freezer and microwave available. Go pick several and try them out. I like the Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones. My hubby likes the Stouffers and Hungry Man ones. They’re $2-3 each, and you almost can’t pack a lunch for less than that, unless you do leftovers or PB&J. Plus, it’s easy to just grab one and go in the mornings. I throw in a piece of fruit or a granola bar for my snacks and drink water during the day.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:13:05 +0000

I know how that goes, my wife and I tried to cut back on eating lunch out and it is hard. Between the two of us we found out that we were spending between $250-$300 a month just on lunch alone. Factor in gas and you can tack on another $50-$100. We attempted to try and simply cut that in half by packing the occasional bag of leftovers.

It worked for a while but like you, finding time to pack the lunch is my downfall. Rushing around in the morning, forgetting to do it the night before, and before you know it you’re back on the regular habits.

In my case it isn’t even a social issue, I don’t have any co-workers, but the building I work in does have a cafeteria so the good news is I can generally keep my lunches to around 5 bucks while still getting out of my office.

My wife on the other hand, she works in a VERY rural location that would require you to drive over five miles just to find a mcdonalds and that is the closest place to eat. Generally she will have to head out to the next town which is about 15 miles away.

While there is a bit of money being left on the table that could be saved it really comes down being lazy/busy.

By: Madame X

Madame X — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:37:20 +0000

I have the same problem lately. Though that quote from the lady in Texas made me think that part of the reason I buy lunch is that it is so easy to just walk across the street to any of several local delis– if I had to drive 10 miles to buy lunch, I think I’d be more inclined to bring it… or just not eat!
But if you’re in the habit of eating with a group of co-workers, I’d second the suggestion made by another commenter that you try arranging a regular potluck. Some people in my office do that, and it can be stuff that could be cooked the night before, so you don’t have to prepare it in the morning when you’re in a rush.
Fruit, nuts, and peanut butter kept in the office can also help a lot.

By: The Simple Dollar » The Simple Dollar Morning Roundup: Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Smoked Gouda Edition

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:31:25 +0000

[...] My Struggle: Spending on Food Is Really About Motivation Why oh why can’t Flexo brown bag it for lunch? (@ consumerism commentary) [...]

By: Golbguru

Golbguru — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 05:43:41 +0000

“Part of me wants to accept failure and go on with my current spending pattern.” …Don’t give up Flexo. We will give you all the motivation your require.

Before the motivation, here are things I do
- On busy days, I just carry an apple (or two). Get a bag of a couple of dozen red delicious – they are not that expensive and there is nothing to cook – just wash it and enjoy.
- Sometimes I eat a hearty breakfast and just skip lunch. Skipping a lunch is not really a disaster. It feels really good by the time it’s dinner-time.

Anways, I don’t think that’s your problem. Your problem is saying “NO” to your co-workers when they pop the lunch question, isn’t it? :)

Now, the motivational part; may be we should threaten to stop reading your blog if you keep eating your lunch outside. ;) j/k

By: Yo--Yo Mama

Yo--Yo Mama — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:11:11 +0000

Enjoy life and the company of your co-workers! I know that this may sound like it’s not in the spirit of ‘good savings’, but if you bring in a fruit and some yogurt, carrot sticks or low-fat cottage cheese for snack or fill-in every day from home, go out with your co-workers 2-3 days a week but eat only HALF of whatever you order, bring back the other half of your lunch to put in the fridge at work for next day’s lunch, you will be eating more healthy, lose some weight (we all need to do that!) enjoy your friends and I bet it will not cost any more than if you prepared sandwiches, bought convenience foods or other lunches from home every single day. Oh and drink A LOT of water every day (64 ounces is not totally out of line)