home-made lunches to save money

[RacingSnake]

Having realised that we really need to save money, I have looked at our avoidable expenses and found that quite a lot is spent on lunches when out for the day. Often the food isn't much good either!

I have decided that we will take our own packed luches, cakes, soups, etc. I have bought a soup thermos with a wide mouth.

The trouble is, I don't really fancy boring sandwiches.

Would you all mind sharing your favourite suitable recipes? Pasties, cakes, scotch eggs, cold ratatouille ... I don't know what they could be, but need inspriation, please.

I feel your pain.

I think the key to the sandwiches is to use wonderful bread. Ditch the wrapped, sliced loaf in favour of pitta, ciabatta, focaccia, tortilla wraps etc. I don't have a recipe, but lamb meatballs with a minty yogurt sauce in pitta bread make a fab packed lunch.

Great start, MadBad. Certainly no white sliced will be involved! One of my favourite economy measures is German Sonnenblumenbrot etc from Lidl. Not from Waitrose, which would cost more than a meal out in a four-star restaurant if used for lunches for three. Am wondering whether Swedish meatballs from SainsJamie's would be a good substitute for homemade.

Lovely salads. With rocket and parmesan or other yummy cheese.

Or soup. I'm a Heinz Tomato Soup fan for at work. It may be acomfor food thing. Cheap and cheerful.

I've started doing this too! I'm vegetarian.

Agree that the key is the bread. I don't really like sandwiches, but I'm getting better now with fancy bread.
Some of my lunches recently:
Falafel salad in pitta bread
Couscous with feta cubes (these) and roasted veg - you can buy that in Lidl (thank you, Mumsnetters!). That takes a max of 5 mins to make, and it's, like, proper food! You can then drizzle sweet chilli or whatever on it.
Veggie sausage rolls - lovely.
If you take in soup, make sure you have cake. Although apparently it's supposed to fill you up more than 'solid' food, I find it doesn't last.
Last but not least... my barbecued tofu roll... fry tofu in strips and slather it in bbq sauce...

I pay the budget part baked baguettes and use those - 45p for two.
I particularly like brie with cranberry sauce and lettuce.

Is there scope for further savings by making the soup from scratch? You can get a ton of carrots or parsnips from one packet of seed. Lettuce pea and lovage is another fab combination with grow-and-make-it-yourself potential.

Check our Lidl's seed selection next spring!

Another thought (which I'm sure you've already had). I find on days out that it's the drinks which ratchet up the cost. Buy re-usable drinks bottles and fill them with tap water/watered down juice/gin or whatever you prefer. Take along home-made popcorn for treats.

Do not succumb to the siren call of the tea room (except on MN).

Soups! Use lots of lentils, pearl barley, bacon, or sausage, tinned toms etc...

Lovely, lots of soups.
Any good ideas for pasties etc?