December 2013- Take Your Lunch To Work Thread

WantToBeSE

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A new thread for December. Although the title is 'Take Your Lunch to WORK', ANYONE can join in You can be a stay-at-home-parent, unemployed, work part time or work full time.

The point is, buying lunch (or breakfast, or both if you are silly like me!!) from the works canteen/the newsagents/the coffee shop etc, is EXPENSIVE!
Save that money to put towards your debt/to save/for a holiday (or whatever you want).

Declare at the start of the month how many days you are aiming for. Please do this in BIG and colourful letters, so that i can easily see it and add you to the list

Don't forget if you have a yummy lunch idea then tell us all about it!

Here's the lovely lunch ideas - enjoy!



Recipe ideas for sandwich fillings and lunches


*Cold foods*
Sandwich combos:
Stuffing
Tuna mayo/salad cream
Tuna and sweetcorn
Tuna and onion
Tuna and cucumber
Egg Salad (hardboiled eggs, S&P, mayo. Mash together and voila!)
Cheese & carmelised onion chutney
Cheese and chilli jam
Grated cheese, mushed up egg, diced onion and mixed in with mayo
Peanut butter & marmite
Greek salad: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58212913&postcount=38
Russian salad sandwich:http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58212913&postcount=38
Cheese & pickle/piccalilli/tomato
Corned beef & lettuce
Ham & apple sauce
Coronation chicken (shredded cooked chicken, mayo, curry powder. Mix together)
Fried egg baguette
Sausage & mustard / ketchup / mayo / pickle / onion relish
BLT
Brie & grape
Ham and coleslaw
Onion Baji & coleslaw wrap
Chicken and cranberry sauce
Chicken & bacon
Haslet and coleslaw
Peanut butter, cream cheese & banana
Turkey/chicken & stuffing
Crisp butti
Chicken with pesto and mayo
Brie, crushed walnuts, feta &rocket wrap
Chorizo & goats cheese
Vegetarian (red lentil) pate http://fatfreevegan.com/blog/2010/02/28/red-lentil-pate/
Sliced turkey, mayo, pineapple and tinned sweetcorn
Falafel and salad sandwich http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=63111700&postcount=150

Adding the following to salads:
Hard boiled egg in salad
Carrot salad: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58269433&postcount=110
Cold duck and spinnach, raddish, pepper & carrot
Cheese, ham & whatever salad is in the fridge
Chicken and cold bacon bits
Spice sensation cous cous with raisins, pumpkin seeds. little cubes of cheese (feta or cheddar) cheery toms halved,cuc, spring onions and a couple of dried apricots chopped up.
Salad in a jar:
http://blog.babygizmo.com/2013/01/salad-in-a-jar/
Rice cakes & hummus
Crackers / carrot sticks / pitta bread & taramaslata (or dip of choice)
Crustless quiche (good for GF diets):
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58212913&postcount=38
Spanish potato fritata
Cous cous

*Warm foods*

-Frugal Queens lunchsize Sausage rolls (can be eaten hot-2mins in microwave-or cold): http://www.frugalqueen.co.uk/2013/10/lunchsize-sausage-rolls-for-38p-each.html
-Pizza Wheels (Can be eaten hot-2mins in microwave-or cold):
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=55473951&postcount=239
-Calzones (fill with whatever you want, yummy hot or cold) http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=37016944&postcount=42
Soups (with some bread?):
-Jamie Oliver's carrot soup: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58216615&postcount=50
-Mushroom risotto soup: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58227921&postcount=64
-Pasta (also can be eaten cold as pasta salad)
-Macaroni cheese
-Leftovers... pasta bakes, curry, spag bol, chilli..
-Falafel Onion bhajis, Samosas as side dishes to left overs (or lovely on their own.
-Jacket potatoes with various fillings (cheese, beans, leftovers)
-Cous cous (In a tub, put dried cous cous and a sprinkle of stock granules. Then add boiled water from the kettle at work. Cover and leave for 3-5 mins. Once warm and hydrated, add some fillings such as meat, prawns, veg, cheese, nuts etc).
-Mash, veg, gravy and meat in a tuppawear box
-Spaghetti/beans on toast or with butter bread
-Paella a la Candlewick: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=59729581&postcount=39


*Snacks*
Cake
Fruit
Crisps (multibags can be better value)
Hot choc
Sausage rolls
Juice cartons
Cereal bars
Fruit salads (mix with a spoon or two of juice from tinned fruit to keep it from turning brown)
Biscuits
Mince Pies (especially for Betty Crumble)

*Emergency stocks for a drawer*
Cereal
Porridge oats
Tinned macaroni cheese
Mug Shot pasta packs
Cup-a-Soup

*Other suggestions*
-Thermos flask of tea or coffee
-Either a flask or food flask for soups.
-Freeze sandwiches for the week or buy/make pasties, sausage rolls, and take them out in the morning.
-Wraps, bagels, baguettes, fruit bread and pitta bread can all be used instead of sliced bread.


*I am also updating the Breakfast section which belongs here, so please bear with me*.

*Breakfasts*
-Make your own instant porridge on the go http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=62661955&postcount=18
-Buy a pack of 5 cereal bars and leave them in the car glove box. Eat one a day on the way to work
-AGIRLCALLEDJACK's replica of Starbucks Berry Bircher: http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/11/10/ready-meal-revolution-starbucks-berry-bircher-2-35-or-make-it-at-home-37p/


Good luck!

WantToBeSE

Challengers list

#1 WantToBeSE 11/10
#2 Littlemisssunshine 0/9
#3 Soworried 21/21
#4 Jellybaby 15/15
#5 Sedge 1/11
#6 Juno 7/13
#7 Shortie 18/18
#8 BlueDaisy 17/20
#9 thesim 0/22
#10 littlemiss_pretty 0/16
#11 Brangwen 14/14
#12 DozeyCrow 14/14
#13 Cathybird 16/16
#14 Doodles 0/18
#15 grrmich 0/18
#16 TakingControlNow 3/18
#17 happybunny 2/12
#18 mavvysmum 9/11

littlemisssunshinee

Hello
I would like to be added please!! I actually started today but as this is my last work day in November this seems like the group to join!

I am in the office 10 days in December so will aim for 9 daysnot buying lunch or breakfast. At my current rate of spending that will save me £45, woo!

I tried a couple of the recipe links & they didn't work for me either - I tried the falafel & something one.

LMS

Soworried

Can I be put down for 21 days in December please, I only get Christmas day off this year as I had to step down last year due to ill health

That is everyday that I will work, I really don't want to spend anything on lunches if I can help it.

Good luck everyone x

WantToBeSE

Welcome to littlemisssunshinee and soworried, you have been added to the list

I have been updating some of the links, and finding new ones so that by 1st December it'll all be working.

Jellybaby

Hi, can I join please? I've been reading this thread on and off for a while and as I've joined the Sealed Pot Challenge reckon this would help me save - and save on adding any more pounds to my waistline into the bargain!

I'll go for 15 days and see how I get on but I'm really inspired with the lunch ideas I've just read above

WantToBeSE

Welcome, Jellybaby. I have added you to the list

Sedge123

I'm in again please, aiming for 11 working days in December with lunch taken on all of them.

Thanks

WantToBeSE

Welcome back Sedge Added you to the list!

juno

I'm in again, but need to work out how many days off I'm having so don't know my numbers yet

WantToBeSE

Hi again, Juno i have put you on our list, just let me know when you have your numbers