To hate packing food to take to work

[waitingforautumn]

I live just outside and work in central London. Cost of living rising means I'm starting to feel guilty about the money spent on coffee, breakfast and lunch at work. I do somewhat 'budget' for this (i.e. am single, no kids, don't care for designer stuff etc, walk where I can rather than train or bus). However I do realise how much I could save if I were really disciplined about going to the supermarkets and stocking up for a week of homemade lunches and prepped breakfasts, which do sound appealing in theory..

Only issue is, I REALLY tend to miss buying things out - esp lunch. Just being able to pick something new each day, made with ingredients I wouldn't usually buy. I just feel like I eat more healthily/get more variety when I allow myself this. There's the option of sandwiches and baguettes (Pret/Paul/Leon type thing) plus lots of hot options where I work. I also love a good old Tesco meal deal so often have that for lunch too (love the mix and matching element).

Can cheapen breakfast by stopping at a supermarket bakery on way (£1 for a pastry rather than say £2.50). And it's still lovely (am a sucker for pastries and now associate office days with getting one). In the past I've made overnight oats and did keep that up for a while but got out of the habit after the pandemic return to work, and also loathe the washing up part at the office sink.😆

Is it me or is there something nice about strolling to work with a coffee you didn't have to make yourself, a fresh pastry and picking up a lunch you didn't have to plan way in adv or prep?!

I do wonder if this is quite a London thing with all the variety around. Have to be up around 6.30 to get around without the trains/tubes being busy so it feels to early to eat something before leaving home - and I'm always hungry when I sit down having had to walk past upteen bakeries to get in! I feel stopping for coffee/food helps make the working day nicer, I can pick something I fancy there and then. Few colleagues bring anything to eat from home and get all their meals/drinks out for the day so this really feels like the norm. We must all be spending anywhere from £5-£15 a day on all this. 🤔

Nobody single from my generation can afford to get on the housing ladder here anyway, even with decent savings. Some of my friends easily spend £35 a pop getting nails done every 3 weeks, which is outrageous to me. So I'm inclined to say whatever treats get you through life?!

AIBU? Am I lazy? Do I need to find another source of joy in my life? Writing this on the train on the way to work obvs and I have absolutely nothing on me for the day ahead!

My work place provides free hot & cold drinks

I take packed lunch every day

Sometimes I get food from Too Good Too Go food waste apps & make my packed lunch out of that or yellow sticker reduced price food

Some of my colleagues spend £15 per day on food, it all adds up

a fresh pastry

That people have coughed all over while it's been out on display. Would never ever buy one of these having worked in a supermarket with 'fresh' pastries, uncovered on the shelves,

It's up to you how you spend your money. Do you want a round of applause that you can afford to do this?

If I ate a pastry every day and a lunch out I'd be 20st in no time! I'm guessing you're one of those who likes to he seen with a Starbucks coffee in your hand at all times. Just get a refillable and bring from home. You can also bake pastries at home in your own oven. Or just heat up a ready made croissant if you cba baking.
Really just depends on your priorities. Do you want to save money? If so, cut back. If you want to "live the London Lifesyle" crack on as you have been .

Yes agree with your later remark OP that it's a city thing rather than specifically London.

To me it will depend entirely on whether you’re relatively flush/trying to save money/worried about bills, etc.

If the money’s neither here nor there, then go ahead and enjoy it.
However if it is a thing, then you’d be a bit mad to be paying £X a day for what you could make a lot more cheaply at home.

A long time ago now, but I once had this conversation with a dd, who was moaning about not being able to save for a particular extended trip abroad she wanted to make - while spending a fiver a day (then, so £25 a week, £100 a month) on lunches. (And going out nearly every night, but that was a different issue.)

Its entirely up to you. Why not make lunch your main meal and then just a small supper at home. Then you can justify it. Hunt out good and inexpensive. Budget for it and if things are tight have what I call an austerity month - ie use up what you have and say maybe take lunch in one or two days still looking at quite a saving. Bills are going up so much and so are mortgages so don't be too quick to jump on that one - currently don't think rents going up quite so much

Oh, you're describing me 20 odd years ago! I'm heading for 50 now, married with teens and all the expense that comes with them and the house etc. I don't regret it one bit! As you said, you don't treat yourself in other ways like getting nails done etc so just crack on! When you are a bit older and need to rein it in so you can afford other stuff, then you'll do it. For now, enjoy the pret lunches and the artisan coffee & pastries

pffft, if money isn't the issue, then crack on.

If you want to save money - why not just say ... have lunch out 2-3 times a week? and take food the other day - could always just use leftovers from meals, or have some stuff prepped in the freezer or whatever? If you have cooking/heating faciliites at work, then you can bring in soups, ready meals, etc

I used to

But a tub of tuna spread ((£1.55 or so, with sweetcorn etc). Store in work fridge

Then daily buy a nice baguette or tiger roll. 50p?

Spread lasted 2-3 lunches.

Meant I still got to go out and buy some lunch but cheaper. Also meant I didn't eat my sandwiches at 11am!

(I try with multi packs if crisps but they never last long!)

You know people who live in central London who get ‘excited’ about a croissant from Pret? Sure you do. 😂

Ah, the joblessness of not longing for chain food. Whatever shall become of me? 😂😂😂

joylessness I was laughing too much to type properly. 😂

Tbf, Pret's croissants are usually pretty good

Get a Pret coffee subscription. It's amazing value. DH and I share a subscription.

Nobody single from my generation can afford to get on the housing ladder here anyway, even with decent savings. Some of my friends easily spend £35 a pop getting nails done every 3 weeks, which is outrageous to me. So I'm inclined to say whatever treats get you through life?!

From what I can see in our office there has definitely been an shift from being cost conscious on day to day things and saving for the big things you want (car, holiday, home, pension) to more (not all) younger people being sucked in by the businesses offering instant gratification/short term pleasure from treating themselves almost daily.

If our office you can see a definite age separation between colleagues bringing in their own food (thermos with porridge for breakfast which will have cost a few pence) to those with a daily bakery pastry/posh coffee.

As long as you have done your sums and are aware of the consequences to you longer term, you are free to choose whatever you prefer.

I didn’t say they were horrible. However, do you get ‘excited’ about them?

Have you tried frozen pastries (you can even get Pret branded ones)? They are as good as the ones that you get in store imo.
I used to work in zone 1 and when I ate out it was stuff that I wouldn't cook at home eg Pret had a crayfish sandwich and I've never gone to a fishmonger (I assume that is where you'd buy crayfish) I'm not inclined to buy sushi grade fresh fish to make sushi either.
At the end of the day it's your money and businesses will be grateful for it (especially the independents). Some people would rather save for a holiday or beauty treatments but if eating out is your thing then that's up to you.
I personally made coffee at work (even ground coffee from an independent coffee shop is much cheaper than asking for it to be made by a barista and even if you had to a buy a milk frother to use at work because you like milk with froth, you'd make it back quickly.

Another tip to make bringing in lunch more appealing (if that’s what you want to do), buy some really nice Tupperware. Off the top of my head, Paperchase sell really lovely little pots and bits in different sizes but I’m sure there are others too. Makes it seem more of a treat. Pack a good book too and you’ll relish the time spent not queuing.

TEN QUID FOR A JAM JAR AND A SPOON!!!!!! 😮

<horrified noise in Northern>

Living single means that cooking a good variety of hot dinners is totally impractical. In city centers you can get various nice meals in lunch deals. I consider a nice hot lunch outside my main meal of the day and I don't feel guilty about it.

Depends how food motivated you are (and how much of a grind your job is).

I used to buy bits from metro supermarkets in my lunch hour. Bag of salad, box of cherry toms, nice pack of cheese, then eat that for 3 days or so. Or a pack of rolls and one of ham or sliced beef. Bring your own mayo/mustard or keep some in the work fridge if you have one. Fresh pots of soup mentioned upthread are good too if your office has a microwave. You can still buy nice things without having to pay a sandwich shop to assemble it for you. I know it's not the same, but it's a workable compromise.

I tried to keep a couple of cans of soup for days I couldn't get out. If you need carbs then add little packs of crackers, or buy Big Soup.

I lived in Paris for several years and love a Pret Croissant. They're delicious. Don't pretend they aren't.

OP I get what you meant about it being a London thing but maybe more a city/town centre thing. I don't live in London, I don't pass any coffee shops on the drive to my rural workplace and the food options on site make a thermos of porridge look worthy of an AA rosette. I still end up buying lunch there once in a blue moon through bad planning. If the options were actually nice I'd be spending a lot more.

How true.

Our local Tripe and Pig's Trotter Sushi Bars don't have quite the same appeal.

<proffers bag of willicks>

Definitely get a Pret subscription!

Absolute bullshit. They're made of the same ingredients you would use in your kitchen and they can't be kept looking good past being nutritionally sound, they are sold on the say they are made or given away!

People do talk a lot of bullshit. A pret ham and cheese sandwich consists of bread, butter, wiltshire ham and cheddar cheese. Nothing else.