To pack or not to pack?
For some folks, the question is one they present themselves daily.
With today’s hectic schedules, grabbing food on the go has almost become second nature. Although many realize such a practice can add up over time, they may not realize the savings associated with brown-bagging a meal.
Those eating out on a regular basis can quickly find themselves in a $5 to $10 a day habit. If you’re on the high end of those figures, you’re spending about $50 a week, more than $200 a month, and $2,600 a year — just during the lunch hour.
So for those looking to tighten their spending, packing a lunch could be an easy way to save a little — or a lot — of your hard-earned cash.
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For Melissa Allen, a deputy clerk for Butler County, Ohio, a packed lunch is her first option to save money when funds are scarce.
“I usually only pack when I have really good leftovers from home or when I’m broke,” Allen said. “This week I was getting money out of the change jar, so I was packing my lunch. It’s really a matter of conveniences or when money’s tight.”
One site, dinkytown.net, offers a “Lunch Savings Calculator” where users can input the amount they spend on lunch each day and compare it with how much they could save annually.
According to the calculator, someone who spends $6.50 a day on lunch could save nearly $5,000 within five years if they instead pack a lunch for $3 a day.
Moreover, almost everything about a packed lunch can have a savings attached.
“One great method on cutting down the ongoing costs of your lunches will be to use a lunch box. A fabric or plastic lunch bag will keep your food cold while saving money on those little brown bags . . .,” according to the Web site Tipking.com.
Other savings can be found through stocking up during sales at the local grocery store on drinks, lunch meat and chips. Reusable containers can cut cost even more.
Another thrifty strategy is to take leftovers from home — a practice Alison Haskins said she employs as often as possible.
“I pack almost all the time. Part of it is because it’s a little less expensive and part of it is because my husband is such a good cook. He’s always providing great leftovers,” Haskins said.
Taking a few minutes out to prepare a lunch not only saves extra cash, but can also free up time later in the day.
“If I don’t have to go out to eat that gives me more time to go down to Elder Beerman’s and find something else to buy,” Haskins said. “I notice when I go out to eat now it can cost you $5 or $6 or $7 a day and that’s money I can spend on something else. It’s probably only costing me a couple [of] bucks to bring my lunch.”
Haskins’ lunch buddy, Lynn Mitchell, agreed.
“I’ll bring my lunch about four days a week, and mainly it’s for money purposes,” Mitchell said. “I like to eat out, but this definitely saves money.”
One lasting benefit to packing your lunch — chances are you know you’ll like it enough to eat it.
“It gets made the way I like it,” Haskins said about her packed meals. “When I bring my own lunch I don’t have to worry about what’s in it.”