Daily breakfast and lunch money - How to cut down?

angel13

i saw you said contracts so i guess you sometimes know where you are going to be based? look at the website graze - you can get first two boxes for hardly anything if someone recommends you. you can also choose what you have and mark things you cannot eat.

i used to also be the same with breakfasts - i probably still am but im at home so i just eat something round about lunchtime. i think some of us are just built this way - i am also a nightowl so if my body clock had its way i would be working nights

if you are getting sick of the same sorts of things how about some bagels or wraps rather than just sarnies. also ages ago when i was driving into work i found these yoghurt drinks which had cereal bits in them (not stuff i normally am keen on) they were good mid morning with a banana especially if you are on the go a lot.

clutterydrawer

Deleted_User wrote: »

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

so get a big carton of orange juice, and decant portions of that into a bottle to take with you. or drink water and take an orange.


got to say I sympathise with you about the housemate though, one of mine used to do that. if you're not going to bother washing it, why fill the sink up so it gets in other people's way?!

Fire_Fox

Deleted_User wrote: »

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

The sugar in squash is as natural as the sugar in fruit juice, and most squash contains plenty of vitamin C. Your body treats all forms of sugar in exactly the same way, breaking them down to sucrose and fructose to glucose before they are absorbed into your cells. You can buy organic squash if you want to guarantee no added chemicals. Your old workday diet is far from healthy, squash would be the least of your worries. I'd be looking at the salt and saturated/ trans fat content.

Debt_Free_Dreamer

I don't like sandwiches much........

In the cooler months I make a big batches of soup and freeze it into small pots that can go straight in the microwave at work. I try to have about 3 different types in the freezer so I get variety during the week.

In the warmer months I tend to make a boxes of salad such as;

- Feta Cheese, Red Onion, Cucumber, Tomato, Green Pepper, olives
- Coucous with cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, spring onions, peperdews

I buy a big tub of coleslaw and spoon a scoop in my salad. On offer in Tesco last week for £1 and lasted ages.

I buy multi-packs of crisps and chocolate when they are on offer and keep them under the desk and in the fridge at work. Won't buy from the work shop as I will not pay 60p for a bar of chocolate when £1 will buy me 5 of the same bar!!

I keep other sauces at work too. At the moment I have salad cream in the fridge and Tobasco and another spicy sauce (I cannot spell) on my desk.

I tend to have packets of olives on my desk too as I can just chuck these in my salad if I don't have any at home.

I like breakfast bars too and again keep these at work so they are always to hand. I have even been known to have a box of cereal on my desk ready for breakfasts!

If I am cooking a chilli, Spag Bol or curry the night before I make sure there is enough to put in a box to take to work the following day. (and leave a portion for the OH for his dinner too). Don't need extra meat, just chuck in an extra tin of tomato's (49p) to make it go further. So that's dinner for 49p really!

The main point is every time you are tempted to buy that pre-made stuff ask youself if you really want to part with £4, £5, £6 etc., Ask youself, how much food could I get for that at Tesco.

Ask yourself, if I did not buy this how much money would I save and how much could I pay off my debt. Or what tends to work for me, what else could I buy instead.

A weeks worth of food at the shop where I work would easily be £25 - £35. Now that is a new pair of trousers from Next!! Still want that shop made food. I'd rather go hungry......

grunnie

For the 22 days a month when you work I would get myself a Boots card and buy their meal deals. We use these whenever we are on holiday. The smoothie for breakfast , get the triple sandwich and eat 1 of the 3 bits with the smoothie. Eat the other 2 parts of the sandwich for lunch and get the brownie or carrot cake to eat about 4pm when you feel hungry. When you buy 5 in a month you get the 6 th meal deal free. If you had 3 Boots cards 1 for you 2 in friends' names all registered at your address then you would get 3 free meal deals a month. The meal deal cost about £2.99 where I am and I think about £3 something in London.
edited to say I don't work for Boots just like their sandwiches hehe

Takana

I'm getting into the habit now of making extra for dinner so I can have it cold the next day for lunch. Things like pasta or chicken and rice/cous cous etc. It's much nicer then the food they serve up in the canteen at work, even though the food is cheap (you get what you pay for!).

I used to make my own sandwiches too but found it was getting expensive. It was fine when fresh chicken breast was on offer but once that stopped I started to buy the ready cooked stuff, and the costs started to mount up for me. It's much cheaper to use leftovers.

PENNYPINCHER_4

Rather than buying ready made, buy things to throw together at work, that way you wont "snack" and eat lunch mid morning, invest in lunch cool bag, when you pop in to supermarket buy couple slices cold meat, coleslaw, chicken, whatever that way your getting fresh tasty lunch. recommend iceland chicken tikka strips mix with mayo bit tomato wholemeal roll, filling, tasty and not soggy! i also keep small variety boxes of cereal in locker ~(were on at tesco for a£1 for 8 boxes) hope this helps.

penny pincher


look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themsselves

chuckley

the most important thing i think is for u to sort out ur diet. its damaging at BEST.

u eat loads but ur still hungry and u eat sandwiches for brekkie...

ur diet is full of sugar, salt and additives. u need to sort it ouuuuuuut.