Cheap working lunch

Legacy_user

I don;t really use the forums on here very much, so if this is wrong place, please let me know the right one and I'll recreate it there (this board seemed reasonable).

Anyway, my question is simple and I'm sure some of you must have faced similar before.

I've just worked out the weekly cost of eating lunch at work and was a little surprised and wondered if I could bring the cost down whilst still eating healthily and not be hungry afterwards and wondered if anyone here had any tips to achieve this?

I work in an office and get one hour for lunch, I have only a kettle and microwave to hand and currently each sandwiches, crisp, bananas, raisins, apples for dinner, to a total cost of around £15 a week and it got me thinking would be possible to reduce this from around £2.50 a day to £1 or less a day, is it possible?

Thoughts?

dlusman

cold pasta salad ?

Make up your pasta the night before , and stick in any quantity of tomato, pickles,olives, lettuce , cold meats etc you fancy

rach_k

Jacket potatoes can be nice reheated. You can vary them a lot - beans, chilli, coleslaw etc.

redfox

we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

debie_2

What we do is cook extra at evening meals and I freeze what is leftover into Microwave and place in Microwavable lunch boxes. You can also freeze any leftover mash potatoes. I cook 2 portion sizes of rice to go with the freezer meal as we also have microwave.

If you have slow cooker you can cook in bulk and freeze, chilli con carne, stews, curries etc. and bulk them out with vegetables.

If you shop well it won't cost you too much at all.

D

maman

Maybe not the right time of year to think about it but home made soups are very cheap to make and filling. Easy to heat up in the microwave.


In warmer weather I like pasta or rice salads.


I'm assuming that what you're eating now you make yourself and take in? You could probably cut the cost by shopping around a bit for your crisps, fruit and other ingredients.

Gigervamp

What do you put in your sandwiches? If you use sliced meats, it's cheaper to buy a joint, roast it, then slice. The slices can be packaged into individual portions and then frozen.

System

Thanks for the replies

I probably should have mentioned that I currently have half a kitchen too, so no hob as pasta was my first go to but the better half says that's no go at the moment.

I like the idea of soup though, I've no idea how much that would cost to make up?

Yes I currently make up sandwiches and take all my lunch in, I'm not sure how I could make that cheaper, I pay around a £1 per item for a week or thereabouts, currently spending about £15 a week, which for the two of us is £120 a month, and as there is only two of us total grocery spend is around £200 - £250 a month so, about half!

Auntie_Sceb

Homemade potnoodle:

http://scrapbook.channel4.com/bookmarkBar/

Whenever I make lasagne, sheperd's pie, moussaka, chilli (jacket or pasta), curry I make extra and freeze and take to work and cook in microwave.

Ainsley cous cous often on offer. Youngs fish pies often on offer (less than £1 though today I'm attempting to make one portion will be more than £1), Also Uncle Benns pots are often on offer.

Pitta bread sometimes cheaper then bread and can toast at work. Fill with houmous homemade or bought pretty cheap. Or use to mop up a curry.

I think it's your fruit (and crisps) that's costing you. Vegetables are normally cheaper. Switch carrot for apple. Add veg to the meal suggestions offered. Buy fruit when on offer and make smoothies and freeze (will have defrosted by lunch time). I love cold roast potatos and parsnips - cheaper than crisps if you really miss them or make your own vegetable crisps.

Salad in a jar - makes salad last longer (so cost less) and can prepare in advance:

http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/summer-salad-jars.html

http://www.simplyfrugal.ca/easy-recipe-salad-in-a-jar/

dlusman

Enicomb wrote: »

Thanks for the replies

I probably should have mentioned that I currently have half a kitchen too, so no hob as pasta was my first go to but the better half says that's no go at the moment.

Nothing to stop you microwaving pasta - You just have to play around with the timings a bit for the first few ocassions, until you get something you like
http://www.wikihow.com/Microwave-Pasta

CKgeordieinlondon

I'd never heard of salad in a jar until now.
That is just genius.

I love salad but can't always be bothered to make it fresh each morning.

Can't wait to try this.