Sack That Lunch, Save Some $$$

We all know that times, they are a tough, and those purse strings are the tightest that most of us have ever seen. There are lots of ways to cut corners and take control over your personal spending. My number one way to save, coupons and sales baby! While most people think taking a trip to a Walgreen's for their sale prices plus coupon savings on things like shampoo and paper towels, than to the local farmers' stand for cheap and fresh fruits and veggies, and lastly to the supermarket is an outrageous amount of travel-you'd be pleasantly surprised on how much less your weekly food bill will be.

My number two guide to saving $$ on food is to SACK THAT LUNCH! No one knows better than I the 1 hour oasis going out to lunch can bring from that 8 hour office day. However, spending an average of $10 a day will get you to $50 a week in no time plus the regular food bill. Instead of taking that luxurious lunch trip to your local sushi, salad, sandwich, or pizza joint take the time-off hit and bring your lunch because what I'm about to show you will blow your mind and seriously satisfy your wallet. I know the picture below is a bit small to read, but read the large print that says,

Sack Lunch "TOTAL COST - $2.64!!!!"

What you can't read I am about to illuminate you with. Here is a item-price breakdown based on what I bought in the supermarket and the local fruit stand. Let's start all the way to the reader's right-hand side. We have a Handful of Potato Chips from a large 1lb. bag at $2.99, so we averaged this portion at $0.30. Another great tip for taking your salty snacks to work is reuse that ziploc bag. There's enough waste in this world and this way, you're saving money as well as a tinsy bit of the environment.

Next to the chips is a Granny Smith Apple which cost me $.055 since at G&S Produce in Winter Park, FL. You can not go wrong at a local fruit stand. Take the time to find one near you and help support local growers. The can of diet ginger ale is the supermarket brand, but so friggin' what! I guarantee 95% of the time the taste difference won't even matter once you realize how much you are saving. At $2.50 for a 12-pack, this can of Publix Diet Ginger Ale comes in at $.021.

Following our can-can (I just can not resist a pun), is my favorite part of lunch-fat free yogurt. I recently came to fall in love with the velvety, yummy, 100 calorie snack that is yogurt thanks to my Petey Pie! He suggested it as a healthy snack, and I am head-over-heels for yogurt. My Publix Honey Almond Fat Free Yogurt is $0.45, a sweetheart deal of a snack! Our last sack lunch item is a simple half a sandwich. I like half sandwiches to watch calories because I'm not much bigger than small, but looking at how cheap every other lunch item is, if you want a regular size sandwich then dig in! I heart Martin's Potato Bread which costs. $2.49. Dividing that into 12 pieces of bread (an under-estimate) we get $0.21 per slice. Inside this particular halfy is Boar's Head Sharp Provolone at $5.00 for 1/2lb. and Boar's Head Sweet Slice Boneless Ham at $4.50 for 1/2lb. I under-estimated how many pieces come in a 1/2lb. of lunch meat and cheese at 12 pieces per 1/2 lb. At that equation, a piece of Boar's Head of Sharp Provolone cheese is $0.42 and a piece of Boar's Head Sweet Slice Boneless Ham is $0.38. That makes the entire half a sandwich at an over-estimate of $1.10!!!

Not only does spending$2.64 everyday as part of your normal food bill save you over an average of $50.00 per week, it's a healthier choice, and by using your FoodBuzz tote and reusing your ziploc baggie you're also doing the right environmental thing. I call that the perfect trifecta of conservation of food, money, and climate. Hopefully I've convinced you to SACK THAT LUNCH!