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How much do you spend on lunch at work?

28 replies

PippaFawcett · 22/06/2017 12:23

Packed lunches or otherwise? I get a free lunch where I work currently, but I will have to budget for packed lunch/lunch out and about from September onwards.

What do you have and how much do you spend please?

OP posts:
MusicToMyEars800 · 22/06/2017 13:12

I make lunches for my OH for work which is usually a wrap filled with peri-peri chicken, spinach, avocado , chilli and spring onion, or I sometimes leave out the avocado and add cheese and mayo.
cost wise it is quite good I buy frozen chicken breast fillets from morrisons 2 for £5 ( there's usually 4-5 decent sized chicken breasts in there.
A pack of wraps (8) are £1.00
Spinach £1.00
Cheese £2.00 (I get 2 big blocks in my shopping anyway)
Avocado's I get the morrisons wonky veg range, roughly 5 avocado's for £1.56
Mayo, 71p
The chicken does about 2 weeks worth of lunches.

MusicToMyEars800 · 22/06/2017 13:15

oh and the peri-peri seasoning is 82p for 60g
I fry the chicken breasts with the seasoning.

McTufty · 22/06/2017 13:16

I bankrupt myself. I go somewhere like Pret every day and spend a fiver Confused

OculusReparo · 22/06/2017 13:16

I make my own packed lunch. It's usually the previous day's leftovers...so could be anything from slices of pies, cold pizzas, pastas, curries, frittatas, savory muffins, pot pie pockets etc. Sorry not very helpful I know Blush

PippaFawcett · 22/06/2017 13:35

Oculus, it is all helpful! I haven't had to make myself lunch for years! And before that I was young and used to skip meals so that isn't happening anymore.

McTufty, I bloody love Pret and I could happily eat there every day but I suspect my bank balance won't like that. The chicken pesto salad and the crayfish are gorgeous.

OP posts:
skyzumarubble · 22/06/2017 13:38

£3.80 a day on a baguette.

I know I could be more organises but I can't be bothered. I'm only in the office three days a week though. At home I tend to have leftovers or make a salad with whatever's in the fridge.

needsomesunshineandwine · 22/06/2017 13:44

Some days I make sandwiches or pasta, stir frys night before and bring in for lunch or I'll buy tins of soup at supermarket.

needsomesunshineandwine · 22/06/2017 13:45

Or yoghurt and fruit salad Grin

AtleastitsnotMonday · 22/06/2017 15:32

The best tip I was given is even if you really can't be bothered to make your lunch take some bits from home. For example if you normally buy sandwich, crisps, fruit and a drink buy multipacks of crisps, fruit, yoghurt, drinks etc in the supermarket and take those bits. Then just buy the sandwich. Still zero effort but a really significant saving.

PippaFawcett · 22/06/2017 15:51

Atleast, that is a good idea. I don't know what facilities I will have access to either, so I might be able to stash tins of soup etc in my drawer once I start on days when I can't be bothered/have nothing in.

OP posts:
Blondie1984 · 22/06/2017 21:33

I normally take my own but I keep a few bits in my desk drawer for when I forget/can't be bothered - from memory i think i have

Jacobs crackers
Some peanut butter sachets (the Pip & Nut ones)
A tin of soup (with ringpull)
A small tin of tuna with tomato sauce

I also have a few of those instant oat sachets and some nuts for days when i don't have time to have breakfast at home

Blondie1984 · 22/06/2017 21:35

On days I do buy (rare) it's about £4

woollyminded · 22/06/2017 21:41

I don't have any shops near to my main work base so have to take a pack up. For when I am super busy/lazy I have some tins of chilli, curry etc (I think the Sainsbury's ones are petty good) in the cupboard and keep pitta or flat breads in the freezer. Grab n go!

TyneTeas · 22/06/2017 23:03

I find this helpful for motivating myself to bring my own lunch (usually leftovers or sandwiches) rather than thinking a few quid to just buy something each day is neither here nor there

www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/demotivator/

(I know this isn't quite what the OP asked but hopefully still helpful)

ChippyMinton · 22/06/2017 23:12

Homemade soup. I did buy a soup and smoothie maker and a microwavable soup cup, but I reckon that paid for itself in the first month.

Blanketdog · 23/06/2017 08:38

Dh spends about £8 central London. He can't eat sandwiches anymore poor love is traumatised by how awful they are! I think he eats a lot of Asian food.

Passthecake30 · 23/06/2017 09:12

I tend to buy lunch once a month as a pay day treat, the rest of the time I take lunch in.
I do buy a hot choc from our coffee bar a couple of times a week and the occasional snack - maybe £3 a week tops?
I have an emergency stash of food in my drawer too as I'm a grazer....

SpinachBlanche · 24/06/2017 10:27

Dh takes in a lunchbox made up of leftovers everyday. Whenever we cook tea we cook an extra portion of rice/noodles/pasta and whack it in a box with a couple of vegetable and egg side dishes.

MedSchoolRat · 24/06/2017 10:47

Something like 1/3 a big pot of supermarket soup (60-80p) with a can of kidney beans (65p). Something else, I'm sure, to get whole avg cost up to £2-£2.50.

I have bread & cheese days, too.

Chewbecca · 24/06/2017 18:45

I work in Canary Wharf & easily spend £10a day, ITSU being one of my favourites plus some chopped up fruit, a morning cuppa & a bottle of water. An area I could make a lot of saving if I found the energy to.

catarinapovre5 · 24/06/2017 19:22

mainly leftover from night before dinner, or can tuna & salad in summer, homemade batch soup winter. £ shop coffes/hot choc, saves absolute fortune.

TheTurnOfTheScrew · 24/06/2017 19:29

we all have packed lunches, so it just comes out of the regular food shopping budget.
Once a week or so one of us will be out of the office all day. I usually spend a fiver at M&S food hall, but DH spends a nearer tenner getting something hot from a cafe.

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midsomermurderess · 24/06/2017 21:04

2 days a week in the office, about £4 each. Almost invariably soup and bread from Pret. It's the only place I can get good soup.

Caulkheadupnorf · 24/06/2017 21:10

I have oatcakes - 1 packet a week at 90p.

Quite often I'll have a yoghurt with some fruit and a sachet of nuts to go with it, at about £1.

My default is to skip meals and I find it hard to go shopping at lunchtime so try and make it as easy for myself as possible.

phoenix1973 · 24/06/2017 21:14

There's nowhere close enough to get to, buy, eat and return within half hour.
So I take filled pitta breads, tin of soup with pot of homemade croutons, cereal bar and banana. I walk to work, so this helps keep me going.

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