Skipping the packed lunch for the comfort of consuming out is a temptation many people give in to, myself included. On common, I discovered myself spending about $10 each day on quick meals.
Curious in regards to the potential financial savings, I made a decision to crunch some numbers and see simply how a lot I might save by bringing my very own lunch to work.
Armed with a buying record, I headed to my native Walmart to interrupt down the prices of my packed lunch consisting of a ham sandwich, a bag of chips, a pack of crackers, and a banana.
1. Ham Sandwich:
- Complete for the sandwich: $0.20 (bread) + $0.35 (ham) + $0.30 (cheese) + $0.15 (extras) = $1.00
2. Bag of Chips:
- A big bag prices round $3.00 and may comprise 8 servings, so about $0.38 per serving.
3. Pack of Crackers:
- A field costing $2.50 with 10 packs inside can be $0.25 per pack.
4. Banana:
- A banana from Walmart is about $0.27 every.
Including these up offers me the overall value for my lunch:
- Ham Sandwich: $1.00
- Bag of Chips: $0.38
- Pack of Crackers: $0.25
- Banana: $0.27
Complete Value: $1.00 + $0.38 + $0.25 + $0.27 = $1.90
So, my packed lunch would value roughly $1.90. Do observe that these costs can range primarily based on location, model, and any gross sales or reductions obtainable.
Assuming the common value of consuming out for lunch is round $10 per day, and a packed lunch prices about $1.90 to make, I might save $8.10 every day I deliver my lunch to work.
- Each day Financial savings: $10 (consuming out) – $1.90 (packed lunch) = $8.10
- Weekly Financial savings (5 workdays): $8.10 x 5 = $40.50
- Month-to-month Financial savings (assuming 4 weeks): $40.50 x 4 = $162
- Yearly Financial savings: $162 x 12 = $1,944
So, by packing my lunch as an alternative of consuming out, I might probably save round $1,944 a yr.
How a lot might you save by packing lunch for work? The reply, in fact, depends upon a number of elements: the place you reside, your office facilities like a cafeteria, whether or not you cook dinner at residence, and when you can deliver leftovers, amongst different issues.
However usually, your potential financial savings may not be too completely different from mine. Even in difficult conditions, like for an overhead crane operator caught for 12 hours with out entry to a fridge or microwave, utilizing a thermos can hold meals heat.
Take a look at: 20 Dust-Low-cost Meals Beneath $5
Don’t miss: 10 Most cost-effective Grocery Shops (Ranked!)
David Bakke is a private finance professional and the revealed writer of the e-book ‘Don’t Be A Mule.’ Specializing in cash administration, investing, retirement, earnings era, and entrepreneurship, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Inventive Writing from the College of South Florida. David began his personal weblog, YourFinances101, in 2009. His writing has been featured in Investopedia, Business Insider, US Information, and Cash Crashers.