Daily breakfast and lunch money - How to cut down?

[Deleted User]

andrewmp wrote: »

I spend about £5.00

What do you do/eat?

Gingernutmeg

One point - especially if you're going to be using stuff like prawns, you really need to be careful about storing your lunch properly. If you can't stick it in a fridge, then it'd be worth nipping to your local pound shop and investing in a lunchbox and a couple of those little gel ice packs. Better to spend a couple of pounds on that than waste pounds and pounds having to chuck your lunch because it smelt funny.

Fire_Fox

Part of the problem is that you aren't having breakfast: by the time you are hungry your body will tell you to eat as much fatty/ sugary/ salty stuff as possible and you will spend a fortune on junk food. If you smoke this will make the problem worse as it dulls the appetite but also dulls the taste buds. :rolleyes:

It's perfectly possible to train yourself into having something first thing - start the first week with nothing more than a small glass/ carton of fresh milk or fresh juice (supermarket), move onto a larger glass after a week or two. Once you have 'mastered' juice or milk, move onto a smoothie. Simply half to a whole banana mixed into your milk or juice with a hand blender. Then you can easily move onto a small tub of fruit yoghurt and/ or tin of mixed fruit in juice and/ or rice pudding: note that all of these are healthy, easy to swallow, easy to prepare and can be eaten on the train. :T

Lunches/ snacks .... go to Holland and Barrett or a supermarket and fill your desk drawers/ kitchen cupboards with a wide selection of dried fruits (apricots, yellow raisins, cherries, pineapple, pears are all ) and different nuts. Cereal bars, flapjacks (soooo easy to make) and fresh fruit with a lump of cheese also make tasty and filling snacks.

I think it's a good idea to buy some of your sandwich fillings the first week or two - it eases you in gently. The whole chicken and egg mayonnaise are both great ideas. Once you have got yourself organised STOP taking money/ cards to work with you! Even if you can just get in the habit of carrying a water bottle and refilling whenever the opportunity arises you will save loads over the course of a year. :money:

[Deleted User]

There is a fridge at my current work,until the end of the month, so that point is fine.

Seriously, I have tried to eat in the morning, I don't smoke, but really do feel like I'll throw up. I never eat before 9. Even something that usually tastes nice doesn't, can't stomach anything early. Even when I go to away games and we end up in a drive through at 730am, I wait and eat it cold rather than force feed myself when I don't fancy it.

Nuts are in the same box as cereal for me, really don't like the texture at all. I'm ok to not snack during the day as long as I get breakfast and lunch. Tea at work is free at the moment, if it's not I tend not to bother, and I buy a new water bottle every couple of weeks.

I'm making chicken, cheese and tomato sauce sandwiches for tomorrow. That and a banana and a cuppa for breakfast will fill me up.

I'm also making an attempt to go crisp-free, coz they're just not good for you at all, even with the supposedly healthy but unsatisfactory crisp making sunflower seed oil.

V.Lucky

While you still have a fridge the mutlipacks of cans of pop will work out cheaper than buying an individual can. Ditto with large cartons of OJ instead of a smaller bottle and will last you a whole week. If they are always in the fridge at work you don't have to think about them and no impulse purchases.

Best of luck.

Fire_Fox

Deleted_User wrote: »

Seriously, I have tried to eat in the morning, I don't smoke, but really do feel like I'll throw up. I never eat before 9. Even something that usually tastes nice doesn't, can't stomach anything early. Even when I go to away games and we end up in a drive through at 730am, I wait and eat it cold rather than force feed myself when I don't fancy it.

Often the queasy feeling is related to low blood sugar or a half asleep digestive system: that's why I am suggesting starting out with a simple glass of fresh juice or milk. I have had many clients achieve success with this method, some go on to eating a proper breakfast others just stick with the juice/ milk. It doesn't matter, a liquid 'breakfast' still has calories and it's still nutritious.

mcallister1

For a variety of things to add to your packed lunch including drinks and snacks, try www.approvedfood.co.uk. There is a thread about it here also http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1501541&page=23, which covers the teething problems theay had with delivery. The general view now is that this is sorted out- you need to check to see what they have in every now and then as the stock varies widely- but it is a great way to save money on packed lunch stuff.

el_gringo_3

I have this problem in the morning. The only things I have found I can eat before about 10 am are yoghurts, babybels and soggy weetabix.

clutterydrawer

Deleted_User wrote: »

My typical daily eat is a sandwich for breakfast (anywhere between 99p and £2), something similar for lunch (from £2 to £3), a 500ml orange juice or similar but occasionally fall to a soft drink (from 60p to £1.50).

Why on earth don't you just buy some squash, make it up at home and take it with your in a bottle?!

[Deleted User]

clutterydrawer wrote: »

Why on earth don't you just buy some squash, make it up at home and take it with your in a bottle?!

Squash is no use to me as it doesn't provide the natural sugars and vitamin C of orange juice.