Do you buy your lunch for work/school or do you bring your own with you? Which do you prefer? Do you save money by bringing your own lunch?
Everything depends on the routine that week. Personally, I prefer homemade lunch. Making food at home, I can assure the quality and origin of ingredients. Besides, in that way I can design a menu varied and nutritious. However, in many cases I turn to the bought food. As I said before, time is a key factor in this case. Homemade food is the first choice, but if necessary the bought food becomes an alternative. The savings is also a factor to consider, although I privilege the quality rather than quantity.
Oh I definitely bring my own lunch as much as possible. It is soooo much cheaper. I usually use leftovers so it just fits into my normal grocery budget instead of being an expense to go out and eat.
When I need to have a lunch it will be from home. I can not justify the cost of eating out at a fast food or the usual eatery for what you get. $6 a day for lunch in my area is about as low as you can get.
I almost always take leftovers from the night before. I prefer it. I find it filling and keeps me from snacking. My husband can't stand leftovers. He eats Subway 3 times a week. That gets a bit expensive. The rest of the week he eats a protein or meal replacement bar. I pick those up for about a $1 a piece so it evens out the expense of Subway.
I, too, bring my own lunch. I usually don't have the luxury to have a set lunch time where I can be out of the office - most of the time, I'm eating at my desk or sneak in a quiet moment when things aren't so hectic. I usually bring leftovers OR re-purposed them somehow. I'm also a big fan of getting cans of soup on sale (I know, I know - it is healthier, tastier, and less expensive to make home made soup, but sometimes it's just more convenient to get a can!) and just stockpiling it at work. I do the same with granola bars - I'll usually go to CVS or the grocery store and buy whatever is on sale (usually it's something like 2 boxes for $5). If I skip breakfast or forget to bring something for lunch, I'll just have a protein, granola, or meal replacement bar. I work in Washington, DC - so even getting a salad can cost upwards $10!
My husband and I have saved money by bringing our own homemade lunch. I keep it simple by just cooking a little extra food at dinnertime. The leftovers are our lunch for the next day. Bringing food from home has saved our pocketbooks and also helped to keep us healthier. My husband does not get a lot of time for lunch, so bringing his lunch also cuts down on the "wait time".
I usually bring my own food to work. Because at work the food they sell are too expensive, and I save a lot of money.
I make a lunch and take it with me. This saves me over $50 per week. I would rather do that and eat healthy than eat out somewhere cheap like a burger joint.
The transient nature of my job usually allows me to go home for lunch. If I know I won't be able to make it home, I'll bring a lunch with me. Actually, no. I'll tell myself that I'm going to bring a lunch with me, but then I won't and I'll end up either buying something or starving.
I cook freshly everyday. With young children at home, I always ensure that there is fresh and nutritious food available at all times. I am a little stuck up on this issue. After having struggled for years with ill health ( Both my kids had a series of health issues) I don't think twice about planning and cooking a balanced meal thrice a day. The health of my family is very important to me. Very rarely do we eat out or pick up stuff from the restaurants.
My family and I prefer home-made lunch too like all the other posters. A sandwich is easy enough to prepare and pack, and filling as well. If at all, we buy a drink from a café or shop as an add-on. Makes it more economical.
I usually just buy lunch. I would love to just bring home made lunch but there is no one who would make one for me. Everybody is busy just as I am. I think the last time that I brought homemade lunch was in my high school days.
Where I work I don't get the option to go buy lunch unfortunately, But I do end up saving money and probably eating healthier which is always a good thing.
I make my own lunch and I rarely buy from food stalls that are situated around my university. I'm not really that sure if the ingredients and how the people on the food stalls are preparing the food that they serve. If I prepare my own lunch then I am sure that the food that I will be eating will be clean and free from any diseases or bacteria and I also get to save money by preparing my own food.
I almost always have home cooked meals during work. There are a few times each month where I will run to get something out. It is usually Subway because there aren't many choices that close by, especially ones that I don't get tired of. I like having that few times out for something different.
I prefer to just buy lunch outside the office because I get so busy at home taking care of the baby and doing other chores. I simply don't have time to cook for my lunch, or even what is leftover. I agree that cooking your own lunch saves money but I can't do it at this time. Maybe when my kid gets older and won't get so much attention. LOL!
I love most leftovers, and I really love homemade sandwiches (NO BOLOGNA!!), so the only time I eat out during the work day is the rare occasion when I meet a colleague for lunch. I'm the cook in my house, and I know my food is good
My lunch break is too short to go anywhere and buy it, so I usually just bring leftovers from home as a lunch. If there isn't any leftovers, I will pack a sandwhich of some kind and take that for lunch. I think it is funny how my co-workers are always asking about my lunch and asking for my recipes!
I do not work outside the home, but my husband does. He brings a home made lunch to work with him everyday. I usually make him a sandwich and throw in some veggies or fresh fruit. I also give him a granola bar and a small bag of chips. He used to go out to lunch everyday. Not only was the choice of food, a bad choice, but he found that he was spending a lot of money on his lunch as well. He would go to Burger King and McDonalds. You can definitely save money by making a home made lunch for you for work or school everyday.
