Unless you’re one of the lucky few who have the luxury of working from home, resisting the temptations of the high street can be a challenge, and the demands of your stomach can often take precedence over the demands of your bank balance.
With the average UK employee spending an estimated £10-£15 on lunch every week, the money we spend on the middle meal of the day quickly adds up, with many of us paying in the region of £500 per year to appease our appetites.
But does making your own work out that much cheaper than grabbing lunch on the go? We set ourselves the £5 lunch challenge to find out…
Mon
Tomato soup with bread
Banana and raisins
£1.60
Tue
Tuna/egg mayo/cheese & onion sandwich
Apple and raisins
£0.76
Wed
Beans on toast
Orange and raisins
£0.60
Thu
Cornflakes with banana
Grapefruit and raisins
£0.96
Fri
Jacket potato with beans
Banana and raisins
£0.68
Total
£4.60
Mon
Tuna Salad with pepper, cucumber and mayonnaise dressing
£3.13
Tue
Chicken and mayonnaise pitta with lettuce
£2.50
Wed
Tomato and marscarpone pasta (will require cooking night before)
£1.29
Thu
Fajita wrap meal deal
£3.00
Fri
Houmous and pitta, with pepper and cucumber crudites
£0.85
Total
£10.77
Mon
Margherita pizza with dough balls
£10.40
Tue
Wild crayfish and rocket salad w/ drink and crisps
£4.60
Wed
1/2 chicken, rice and coleslaw
£9.85
Thu
Turkey and ham sub w/ drink and crisps
£3.60
Fri
Salmon nigiri sushi bento box
£3.95
Total
£32.40
Week before payday
Plain and simple. Surprisingly filling, if a little basic (may have gone overboard with the condiments)
£4.60
Middle of the month
Good variety and relatively healthy, probably have a little more room (wafer thin mint perhaps)
£10.77
Payday
Well and truly full. Although bank balance may not be
£32.40
OK, so in comparison, the high street lunches may look slightly more appetising. However, not only do the meals work out much more expensive, they are all almost certainly higher in calories, salt and fat content. By taking your lunch to work with you, you know exactly what’s going in to your food, making it easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle and spend less money.
Of course, this plan is just an example of what you can save. There’s nothing wrong with being impulsive and treating yourself every once in a while, but if you head out for a hearty high street lunch simply out of habit, the money can quickly add up.
By downgrading to the budget option, you could save anywhere between £10 and £15 every week. And who couldn’t do with an extra £500 a year?
£500=
- a week’s all inclusive holiday to the Algarve
- A 47″ 3D HD TV
- Tablet, eReader and MP3 Player
- Brand new phone and contract for the year
Or if you’re feeling particularly thrifty, you could buy 500 Pot Noodles and never have to buy lunch again.
Bon appetite.
So, do you make your own, or go for a high street treat? Share your working lunch tips with us below, or tell us on twitter @reedcouk
