From kindergarten to until I graduated from the university I always had a homemade lunch prepared by mom. When I was little, it was two sandwiches and a bottle of water. Later when I had after-school activities and when I was at the university, she made rice and curries for lunches because unlike rice, bread always made me hungry sooner.
I learned from mom that I could have a healthier less expensive lunch if it's made at home. When I started living by myself I continued what I learned from mom. 99% of my lunches are homemade. Once or twice a semester, I go out for lunch with colleagues. On my longest work day I spent almost 10 hours at work. So it's important to have enough food in the office so I'm not tempted buy something from the cafeteria or from the vending machine. I keep juice, almond milk and fruits in a small fridge in my office. I also have tea and sugar to make a cup of tea. I have a microwave in the office for heating up my lunch and for boiling water for tea. I bought the fridge at a discounted price and the microwave is from a thrift store.
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| Brown rice, sausage with mushroom, potato & spinach with a small serving of salad, a glass of vegetable juice and a piece of chocolate. This lunch is enough to keep me going until 8.30 pm. |
It costs approximately $6.50 for a sandwich at the cafeteria. I don't know how much a bottle of water costs there. By taking home cooked lunch I save over $100 each month.
I always cook extra, and every night I prepare the next day's lunch and keep it in the fridge. I also fill water bottles and a small jar of juice. I have two stainless steel insulated bottles that keep my water cold for the entire day. In the morning I pack everything in my insulated lunch bag.
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| Tea time! A cup of earl grey tea with a croissant. |
Over the years, homemade lunches have saved me thousands of dollars. Because my food is free from preservatives and have very little oil and salt they are better for me than cafeteria food.
Well, it's time to prepare my lunch for tomorrow. I'll see you again soon. 😊
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Nil
Sounds like you have a great system in place Nil. As you said you are not only saving money it is also much healthier and keeps you fuller for longer. Easier to resist temptations too.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to treat ourselves occasionally too. I do eat out on the odd occasion and really enjoy it. I think I enjoy it more as it's a novelty.
Kylie
Yes Kylie. Because I don't eat out daily, going to a restaurant is a fun experience for me. :)
DeleteHi Nil it is hard to beat your own food even if it is just a packed lunch, when we go out and eat we always say never as good as home made x
ReplyDeleteThat's true. Sometimes I go to restaurants just to try a new dish, then I recreate it at home. :)
DeleteI always find your post very timely Nil :) I was thinking about what I could possibly eat for lunch tomorrow and whilst my first instinct was to go out and buy something, I think I will instead go pick some lettuce leaves from our garden and make myself a tasty salad instead. Thankyou!
ReplyDeleteA salad made from lettuce picked from your own garden is the best! Health and money aside, I'm also too lazy to wait in line at a restaurant during lunch time. That's another reason I avoid eating out daily. :)
DeleteI always took lunch from home when I was working, Nil. I worked at a school and there was nowhere to buy lunch anyway other than the tuck shop but that wasn't all that appealing. It does save a lot of money taking your own as you say.
ReplyDeleteI too find cafeteria food is too greasy for my taste, Chel. :)
DeleteYour lunch looks good, Nil! You must be so inspiring to your co-workers because of all the lunch savings adding up. Inspiring to your readers, too!:-)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I inspire them that much :). We all have different schedules, so we don't take lunch together. But when they pass my room, they comment how good it smells. :)
DeleteThat's a beautiful lunch. I used to do the same thing when I was working outside of the home. It really saves you a lot of money over time. I never realized how much money I was spending on meals out when I was younger. It's great that you bring your own tea and croissants, too. That also gets expensive if you buy it at the bakery every day.
ReplyDeleteYes Stephenie. Good croissants can be expensive. I buy them in bulk, wrap individually and freeze. Frozen ones can directly go into the oven and they heat up beautifully.
DeleteTaking your own lunch also ensures that you actually eat a healthy lunch, which isn't always available. Some great ideas there. Pauline
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the main reasons that I like homemade lunch. I know what's in it, less sugar, less fat and no preservatives.
DeleteYour lunch looks delicious Nil, and your mum taught you well.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nanette:)
DeleteA packed lunch is such a great way to save money. Your lunch looks delicious! I pack lunches every morning and always have salads or leftovers, fresh fruit and nuts + some kind of homemade muffin, slice or biscuit. Sandwiches too. We don't drink coffee or tea so that saves a lot of money. We fill our resuable water bottles instead. Meg:)
ReplyDeleteThat's excellent Meg. Think about how much money we are saving by doing that. Not only in food , but health wise as well in the long run.
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