It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Wraithlady

Brambling said:

Wednesday I microwave mine for 4 or 5 minutes first depending on the size and finish off in the Air fryer they then taste just like oven jacket potatoes.  I don't like microwave ones as to me they don't taste right 

I'm going to nick this, if you don't mind - I have bought an air fryer and want more opportunities to use it!

ellenvan

If you do not want to say to your work mates that you are saving money - go on the health benefits of bringing in a lunch.
All sorts of preservatives etc.in some shop bought lunches.
When bringing your own lunch you know exactly what is in it.

MovingForwards

I take my breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks into work; various tastes and textures. Most go out each day to buy theirs and some complain it's not that good.

Brambling

MovingForwards said:

I take my breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks into work; various tastes and textures. Most go out each day to buy theirs and some complain it's not that good.

Or complain they are broke! After two years I've spent two days in the office and after a oh **** moment 11pm Tuesday night when I suddenly remembered lunch was needed a freezer rummage produced LOs and a portion of soup. TBH I never thought of buying something  in the SM next to the office and I planned popping in, obviously ingrained habits are hard to shift even after two years 

Brambling

Wraithlady said:

Brambling said:

Wednesday I microwave mine for 4 or 5 minutes first depending on the size and finish off in the Air fryer they then taste just like oven jacket potatoes.  I don't like microwave ones as to me they don't taste right 

I'm going to nick this, if you don't mind - I have bought an air fryer and want more opportunities to use it!

I'm not sure what you like to eat but for quick options it makes great 'fried' chicken I use thigh fillets as I find breast dry, scotch eggs or anything pastry.  

Siebrie

The international company I worked for often had nice business lunches served to visitors, and leftovers were put in the kitchen for people to help themselves. Whenever I could, I would have those for my lunch (I would check the meeting rooms calendar and plan my lunch just after the most promising one had finished) and keep my brought lunch in the office fridge for the next day. At the end of the working day, I would check again, and bring home any suitable leftovers (I made sure I had an empty takeaway box in the office fridge at all times; I had a large lidded container for my lunch items anyway, container provided for all employees by the company) and incorporate them in whatever we were cooking that night, or freeze it. It saved us quite a bit of money in those early days with high rent, only me working, and 2 small dds.

These days, I work for a tiny ngo (just the 3 of us) and we all bring our sandwich lunches. Very rarely there are some nice sandwiches from business lunches, but if there are, I do snack on them and keep my afternoon snack for the next day.

Husband would go out and buy lunch, because for some reason he thinks he won't get hungry during the day until he is, so I pack him a sandwich lunch and s piece of fruit when he goes into the office.

skogar

Datchet - Where I've worked in the past there seemed to be a significant correlation between those who buy lunch out every day at work ant those that complain that they have no money left the week before pay day. Great that you are donating to the ration challenge. :-)

weenancyinAmerica

I also find that on days when I eat out, I gain weight. If I eat my food from home, I don't. So when my roommates want to go to a fast food place, I opt out. I have tried explaining why. They have all been gaining weight as a result of all of the eating out they do and are complaining about the weight gain - but haven't seen the reason yet. I hope they do soon as they are all on orders to lose weight from their doctors.

Datchet

euronorris said:

Wow. I'm shocked at someone tittering at anyone else for bringing in a packed lunch. Most people bring a pack up at my work, and only eat out for lunch on the odd occasion.

Though I did overhear a colleague talking about how their OH refuses to eat leftovers. Even considers meals she pre prepares and freezes in advance as leftovers, and won't eat them! That shocked me too. He'd starve in my house, as I do a lot of batch cooking! Lol

Yes, it’s a City Centre office with many young / affluent types… there are a significant proportion of ‘packers’, usually of my age & disposition! We did, for a while, in “The Before Time” have a competitive group who would try to outcompete each other on pack-ups & thrift.

ragz_2

Most of my workplace (GP surgery) take packed lunches, but some do pop down the shops.
One of our GPs is super frugal/hates waste and often has some very odd combinations of lunches (random leftovers cobbled together). She also has a cast iron stomach as she was gleefully telling me she was eating chili that had been in her fridge for 3 weeks! Another GP only ever seems to eat (free) biscuits for lunch (I suggested we adopt a healthy workplace strategy and provide fruit instead of endless biscuits, but I was shot down!). 

I take lunch 95% of the time. If I don't have anything in, I tend to buy random bits rather than a meal deal. Yesterday I had a £1 salad tub with £1.20 tub of olives and feta. Still cheaper than a sandwich and much healthier.