Comments on: Tightwad Tuesday – Packing Lunches

By: momstheword

momstheword — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 04:35:00 +0000

Great post! When I was working I ate out quite a lot in the beginning. Eventually I brought lunches but they were boring (peanut butter and jam every day). Then I got smart and started bringing leftovers….yum!

By: Donna @ The Frugal Mom Blog

Donna @ The Frugal Mom Blog — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:54:00 +0000

I hate leftovers also, but am learning to be more creative with them, rather than eating them as is. Eating leftovers really does save you some money during the week!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:42:00 +0000

I have recently starts Meal Planning and I LOVE it! I always make sure that what I plan to make for dinner is large enough so the hubby and I can take leftovers to work the next day. We have saved so much money by not eating out every day!

By: Jane Anne

Jane Anne — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:30:00 +0000

My family has made not buying lunch a priority. I used to buy McDonalds every other week because an activity I participated in with the kids ended at 11:30. By they time it was over, we got home, I took care of the baby and then made lunch for the boys, they were irritable. I finally figured out that I could pack a lunch for them (when I was packing my older son’s lunch for school) and it would be ready when I came home.
This post is a great reminder for everyone that you can really save when you plan ahead.

By: Kellye

Kellye — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:32:00 +0000

I do stay at home and eat here for lunch every single day as well as pack my kids lunches each day and send my hubs with leftovers. But that was not always the case. I have been in the real estate field for 3 years and had become very used to eat lunch out (or in the car) and getting Starbucks twice a day. Not only was that super expensive, but it was also terribly unhealthy and so I was completely exhausted when I would get home each day (just from the horrible foods) and had no energy to cook dinner and so the vicous cycle continued. Eat dinner out, kids eat in the cafeteria at school, I eat lunch out, husband eats lunch out because no leftovers, and so it goes. I did that for about 2 months and couldn’t take it any more…TERRIBLE!! Once the real estate market began to crash, it gave me some time to breathe and take it all in. Now that my real estate career has come to a screeching halt thanks to our economy I am back as a stay at home mom and you couldnt pay me to buy a lunch. My kids take their lunches each day from home and going out to eat is now reserved for special occasions only! I think for so many of us…it takes so much time to cook, do lunches, and all of that because we are not prepared and don’t even know it. MENU PLANNING is the best thing ever and now my pantry is always ready to serve us up something!! Thank you for the post to help us remember!!

And FYI…the plastic container with the screw on lids are the best buy in the world for kids lunches. They fit well and the kids can open them easily which makes way for many options in the lunch bag!!

By: "Hello... It's Me Again..."

"Hello... It's Me Again..." — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:17:00 +0000

I work in an office and could easily run to local restaurants and spend $7-15 a day for lunch like the other ladies I work with. That's crazy!!! Instead, I buy frozen dinners for 4 reasons:
1. PC=Portion control for calorie watching
2. Frugal=The ones I buy are $1.87 each
3. Free Electric=I cook in the office microwave
4. No Gasoline=Since I eat at the office, I'm not using gas for my car either

I feel like I save in many ways for the reasons above. I haven't had much luck with sandwiches since they become soggy, but would love to see what ideas others have for brown bagging.