Feb-YOU-ary 2013 - Take your lunch to work thread

[kittiej]

Hi mildredalien - don't forget to share any more of your yummy recipes we loooove food on this thread

[PositiveBalance]

Count me in, guys: I have a terrible habit of buying lunch most days and it is SUCH a waste of cash! I have counted twenty working days this month and I managed to bring lunch to wor on Friday so I am already on a roll. I think I probably spend about £3 a day on lunch, meaning I could save up to £60 if I bring my lunch and I am going to be brassic this month so needs must...


Today I made a loaf of seeded bread in the breadmaker and a big slow cooker full of soup. Guess what I am having for lunch tomorrow?!

I may try to put £3 in a jar for each day I don't buy lunch. When I see it for real my eyes might not quite believe it!

[365days]

Ok, so which one of you swines emptied out my local aldi of their 39p flavoured cous cous......come on...own up!

[juno]

Originally Posted by PositiveBalance

Today I made a loaf of seeded bread in the breadmaker and a big slow cooker full of soup. Guess what I am having for lunch tomorrow?!

tuna salad?

Originally Posted by PositiveBalance

I may try to put £3 in a jar for each day I don't buy lunch. When I see it for real my eyes might not quite believe it!

That's the scary thing. Even going on lower estimates, I must have been spending around 60 pounds (new laptop, have no idea where poundsign is as all keys are mislabelled, but my old one died and this was free, so...) and that's just shocking, really. Especially as if I spent 3pounds it would be on a "meal deal" which comes with a drink I didn't particularly want; I can't drink cold fizzy drinks and we have tea/coffee provided which I drink most of the time, or I have a bottle of squash in my locker anyway.

I went to B+M and found some small cans of tuna lunch - a bit like the John West's Tuna Light Lunch, but a lot cheaper at 69p. They're in French and called "salade de thon". The one in the red box is tuna with something a bit liked baked beans and carrots, but it's suprisingly nice. The blue box is even better - it's tuna with olives and other veg in a vinagrette type sauce. Would be nice for a change, probably, but they are only small so you'd need a snack thing to go with them. They did have another one but I didn't buy it.

I love B+M; I came out with 3 huge bags full - including a scented candle and a present for my bf of a "paint your own rocks" kit (comes with rocks - they weren't even nice specially selected rocks, they were just out of a garden!) - for about 20pounds.

[kittiej]

Ok, so which one of you swines emptied out my local aldi of their 39p flavoured cous cous......come on...own up!

Not guilty m'lord.

Oooo juno , I haven't been to B&M for ages. I might need to take a trip to see what they've got

I stocked up on crisps in Morrisons today and bought the 20 own brand individually wrapped chocky bickies as well. I had meant to look for the Cadbury cream eggs - the ones with the 2 spoons in the proper egg boxes. I asked at customer services to see if they had them because they weren't in the sweet aisle to be informed they are with the eggs! Doh I should have realised I've asked the lovely husband of mine to pick some up tomorrow (he can spend his money )

[mildredalien]

Originally Posted by kittiej

Hi mildredalien - don't forget to share any more of your yummy recipes we loooove food on this thread

I love food too Although I do have a habit of getting stuck in a rut - usually soup + roll + fruit or yoghurt in the winter. If I buy soups on offer it usually works out as under £1 a day, but I could get it for even less if I made my own soup! Must learn how to make pea soup (I've got a feeling it's just peas and stock??)

[kittiej]

Hang on I've just been looking at a pea soup recipe

http://vicki-kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/...ing-world.html

Here you are

[mildredalien]

Thank you!

[juno]

I'd love to make my own soup and things, but I'm trying to be easy so as I get into the habit. I think iof I try to do everything at once I'll just not take lunch at all. It can't be just me who has those days where you think "flip, I have 5 seconds to grab lunch and get out the door!"?

So hopefully if I get into the habit of taking lunch then I can work on what I'm taking, because if I don't have time to make it I'll still have whatever.

[kittiej]

juno I have started a small stash in my work drawer (a tip I got from others on here) so I know that if I ever have a can't be bothered day then there is always something at work to fall back on. OK so a pot noodle and kit-kats might not make the earth move but at least I won't spend money.

[Betty Crumble]

Hi guys, 16 working days for me this month as i'm off next week yay.

Friday i am declaring a half day as I took chilli and forgot the rice so had to buy a pkt, today was the usual packed lunch. Off to update sig.

[babes21]

Hello everyone, I did well in January so hoping to do well this month too. I took my own lunch to work again today; scrambled eggs on toast with black pepper.

[ChopinonaBudget]

Crikey I'm boring. Vegemite sandwich, banana, couple of apples, packet of crisps, flask of tea, value yoghurt if there's one in the house, another banana if there isn't.

I work from home 5 days a week and 1 day out, so it would be silly to eat out Monday to Friday... (Saturday I make the effort to take a packed lunch though)

Oh, and um, I have a 300 lunchbox, with "tonight we dine in hell!" scrawled all over it hmmmm. I hide it under my coat from the younger kids.......

[babes21]

Eggs and Toast again for me today.... Will definitely take something different for tomorrow and the rest of the week. I like them though so it isn't anything of a chore.

[lbnblbnb]

I had another bread dough pasty today, really nice. I have some frozen leftover curry and rice so when the boredom hits withe never ending pasties I will take that instead.

[Candlewick]

Hello to you all

I have been good so far, 3 days out of 3!

I am going to take a Baxters Mediterranean Tomato soup tomorrow with some crusty bread and cheese because I am feeling lazy tonight and am bored with pasta.

Enjoy your evening.

CW

[PositiveBalance]

Today was another £3 to add to the pot. Tomorrow will be soup or houmous on pitta bread with salad. I haven't decided which yet, but the pitta bread sounds lush. Yumyumyumomnom!

[Twiggy_34]

You can definitely count me in this month as well. I've really enjoyed participating so far, and am pleased to report that I haven't bought lunch on a work day at all so far this year!

Originally Posted by 365days

Ok, so which one of you swines emptied out my local aldi of their 39p flavoured cous cous......come on...own up!

It wasn't me as I don't have one nearby, but this did make me chuckle as I decided to buy 3 bags of cous cous when I went shopping at the weekend as I'm getting through it so much faster with these challenges!

I desperately need to find some low fat/calorie lunchbox options though as my waistline is expanding and my work trousers won't survive much longer at this rate. It's so difficult being as fussy as I am. Mind you, it probably doesn't help that I've constantly got snacks in the house now, something I hardly ever had before. I've been grazing on them a lot recently and as I'm monitoring the prices I keep telling myself "well it's ok, they were only 11p each...".

On the plus side however, for the FIRST TIME EVER I have used an entire jar of mayo!!! That is only thanks to this challenge and dedication to doing packed lunches and trying not to waste any food in the cupboard/fridge. Writing the date I opened it on the lid also helped me to keep track of when it needed to be used by.

[FatVonD]

I nearly had a wobble today, I was craving a tuna sandwich and even has my coat on to go to buy one but then I took it off and had crackers and cheese instead so (aside from my beer and a burger day last Friday) I'm doing well!

[helejenkins1]

I had a bit of a dull moment!! Been thinking the last post had been a bit quiet and today I've clicked that there will be a new thread.

So I've been quiet but still going strong. Managed to get through with one fail day but going strong so far this month :-)

I madea lovely noodle dish with spring onions, grated carrot and prawns on Tuesday, dressed in soy sauce. was delious.