I need to stop eating at Pret

[CherryBlossomPie]

I cannot afford it. I'm living like its the 00s and its not. Its 2025 and I need to just save the money.

If I invested the £7 a day I spend there do you know how much I'd have in 16 years when I turn 60?

£53,000.

Anyone else up for a starting from scratch to stop eating lunch out thread?

That is a crazy amount of money. I always take lunch from home but I’ve just worked out that if I spend £5 per working day from
now now until retirement that it’s over £20k. Mind. Blown.

I started doing this 2 months ago. Decided I was not buying ANY lunches, breakfast or coffees on work days. Only have to go in 2 days a week though. Mostly take leftovers for lunch. Breakfast was always tricky as I get ready as quickly as possible and rush out and would grab a croissant. Often a mocha would be my breakfast either on top of or instead of a croissant. So I've had hot cross buns or similar in my freezer to grab. When I get to work I pop into Waitrose for a free latte, then have that with my bun at my desk. So ticks off the coffee too as I'd never have 2 in a day anyway. TBH haven't noticed the difference in my bank account because the kids are costing me a fortune but I feel a bit happy every day I do it that I've saved money.

I didn’t realise this was so difficult to not to but I did (on reflection) grow up with a dad who, even as a finance director, took a packed lunch.

i am not a commercial lawyer that just doesn’t find the time to get outside to get lunch so packed lunch is convenient but costs do come into it. Aged 13, my dad offered to still give me my £3 a day lunch money but also make me a homemade tuna sandwich. It really helped me see the direct impact of lunches as I used to go buy a couple of £2.99 Barry M nail varnishes a week!

I’ve probably taken it too far though as I’d almost rather skip lunch and starve until I get home than spend it on a packed sandwich (despite most of my money going on eating out, cooking and food!) because of this mental block. I’d take a huge thermos of coffee to my lectures at uni to avoid the Starbucks and always bring a packed lunch to avoid the (very cheap) student canteen.

On reflection, I think it’s a mix of 90s baby diet ED mentality AND being financially independent with no safety net since aged 19. I’m enjoying reading about meal deals but also, welcome to the lunch club 🎉 (I’d suggest you still let yourselves get one sometimes like payday or a nice office day!)

I stopped going to coffee shops during working days many years ago. Bought my own small cafetiere. Saved me a lot of money and tasted so much nicer too.

I too make my own lunch packet most days. I much prefer it to anything I can buy. Leftovers, salads, sandwiches. We have our own kitchen and I can bake a potato and have coleslaw and salad.

I am lucky in that I can afford to do it if I want - but for me it's really not worth it.

I do three days in the office, and on a Thursday I go and sit in Pret - it’s my absolute treat. I get a filter coffee, soup or a hot wrap, and tuck myself away at the back. The other two days I bring lunch from home so I kind of square it with myself.

I have grabbed lunch out occasionally but for most of my working life I've taken in a packed lunch. If DD is at school I'll make her one at the same time. Packed lunches are made the evening before so they are just grabbed before running for the bus.

Top tips: invest in some really nice plastic lunchware. You can get the poshest lunch bags these days. Very bling. There's a big hoo-ha about water receptacles now but I've got a John Lewis Anyday metal water bottle and it suits me just fine.

I usually take in a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a Higgedy pastry of some kind, &a small chocolate biscuit.

Sometimes if we have a quiche for dinner and there's leftovers I take that in.

I also love, wait for it, the Classic Mumsnet Massive Salad© with tuna, cheese or chicken.

If I'm not at work I'll' make a pasta salad for DD & I in advance. She has one if those Thermos things to keep it cool at school.

Good luck!

I work in a care home that has stopped providing food for the staff,these people work 12 hour shifts,some work 3-4 shifts in a row get to work at 7 am and leave at 730 pm !! Can you imagine trying to think about breakfast,lunch and supper for these kind ,caring individuals.
They are so bloody exhausted at 8pm ,how can they then start thinking about the next meal for next day !
They just live on sandwiches,doughnuts,sausage rolls that they grab from local supermarket …if they have the time to buy it ..fresh food is not on their menu apart from fruit..
These lovely people cannot afford what they are paying for, but they need to exist !

A little tipsy - make your lunch after you've had dinner the previous night.

Make a lovely sandwich, chop up a pot of melon and grapes, add a pot of nuts and seeds for snacktime .. job done.

😂 tip, not tipsy!

I really dislike shop bought sandwiches. Homemade is so much nicer. And cheaper!

Huh? Their egg and cress sandwich is £3.70 and it’s the nicest egg and cress sandwich in the world. The M&S version is utter shit incidentally.

When I was on holiday the hotel had a lovely salad bar. I’d have the obligatory MN massive salad with about 45 different items including nuts and seeds. It was fabulous. But there’s no way I can be arsed to do that for myself every day. My home salads are so boring in comparison.

When I went part time I stopped buying lunch out. We had a microwave at work so bought soup in every day. Sometimes home made, sometimes with a bread roll. Saved a fortune.

I have to admit, this has been playing on mind too. I have Nero problem. It was Gail's but I quickly realised that was too speedy. So I made the responsible decision to down grade to Nero.

I spend a minimum of £5.60 for a coffee and often nearly 9 quid if I get seduced by a pastry.

I could just drink the barista standard coffee we have at work for free and just bring in breakfast from home.

Buying lunch is motivation to get me into the office. Sometimes I have time to take a walk and get something from an independent or small chain. Sometimes I have a few minutes between calls and pret is the closest to the office.

The rest of the week when I’m at home I’m having toast and an apple.

That’s really mean of the employer

I have never eaten shop bought sandwiches in my life, apart from at Pret. They do a baguette type thing with Parmesan and Parma ham and sundried tomatoes, and it’s actually lovely (in my opinion) - that with a love bar and a coffee and it’s happy days for lunch. I wouldn’t dream of eating at McDonalds as I don’t like the food, but I’m not astonished that others do and I don’t think they are “brainless”; I understand that we all like different things

I found once I broke the habit (I stopped buying lunch at work) it quickly became really easy. Occasionally I need to buy lunch as I've forgotten mine or just not been organised enough and I'm outraged at the cost! In fact I generally buy soup and a roll or something from a supermarket.

To me it’s not even just about the cost anymore. The quality and taste of takeaway food has significantly decreased in recent years and I refuse to spend good money on bad food. Do you even enjoy it OP or is it the convenience?

Someone with very little time? I like Pret and it’s not £9 a sandwich. Saying that, I’m trying to kick the habit too OP because it does add up!

Have people actually eaten at Pret? It’s not sub par anything it’s nice. I don’t judge anyone eating at Pret although I have done my best to stop buying lunch from there or M&S as a habit. I’m generally a leftovers type of person rather than making a packed lunch as such. I have an aeropress for coffee and I will buy some nice biscuits for the afternoon treat. Last night I had a takeaway Thai curry so that will be Mondays lunch. If I get through all three office days bringing my lunch in that’s a win as far as I’m concerned but I don’t stress if it doesn’t work out.

I’m sure their egg and cress sarnie is about £3. I had one of those with mushroom risotto soup the other day, delicious. And cost about £7 in total.

I do like taking leftovers to work though … chilli, curry, stews.

I am trying to think much more carefully about what I buy on the go.

I don’t go into the office that much but I have done the following before as it’s a novelty:

coffee at station
brekkie in cafe near office
pret for lunch
nip out for another coffee
Drinks in pub after work
nip in M&S at station to buy ready meal for din

😳🤦‍♀️madness! I can’t bring myself to add it up!

Their jambon beurre with cornichons was my go to when I had to travel to other offices. Would be disappointed if that had been downgraded.
With packed lunch my problem is memory of sweaty warm sandwiches at secondary school.