Watching your co-worker devour a delicious $15 sandwich from Cali Press can be all the motivation you need to toss that boring salad you brought into the office and swiftly head down to the food court. However, one of the easiest and quickest ways to burn through money is via buying lunch each day. It’s not to say you can never buy lunch out again, however thinking wisely about where you spend your money is an integral part of budgeting, and if you want to reach your financial goals, it’s worth reviewing your expenses.
Fortunately, there are a multitude of ways to combat this temptation and break the habit of unnecessary buying.
- Stop forgetting lunch
So many of us have been mid-train commute before we realise that we didn’t pack a single thing to eat, not even a snack. Suddenly the $5 morning coffee, $20 lunch and $10 snacks are looming, and you have no choice but to buy food and drinks from your local food court. This previously predicted $0 day is now at $35 and you’re feeling $35 further away from that house deposit or car payment. Times this by 5 work days and you’re $175 down per week or $700 per month. You can do the daunting annual math yourself!
To combat morning forgetfulness, set yourself an alarm and label it to remind yourself to make your lunch or fetch it from the fridge before you leave your flat. Consider making a big dinner and taking the leftovers for lunch the next day, effectively saving you from making two meals. This way, you’ll be both saving some extra cash, whilst experiencing potential health benefits by cutting out fatty takeaway foods and unhealthy choices.
- Buy pre-made prepared lunches
If you truly are far too busy to cook, considering a meal plan service such as Macro Meals, My Muscle Chef or Soulara who offer weekly subscriptions of portioned, healthy meals delivered to your door. Although you’re still paying around $10 per meal, this method is still far more cost effective than purchasing from a café, charging $12-$15 for mere avocado toast. It also encourages variety – no one wants to eat the same thing every day.
Read: Hello Fresh v. Grocery Shop
- Keep track
Each day that you successfully don’t give into temptation, write down the figure that you didn’t spend, then at the end of the week add up how much money you saved. There’s not a lot that’s more motivating when it comes to saving than when you see your bank balance number increasing. Even if you simply vow to refrain from purchasing for one week per month, keeping this figure in mind will encourage you to increase it.
- Pre-pack the office fridge!
If you’re a grump in the morning and know you’ll inevitably forget to pack your homemade lunch, regardless of how many alarms and reminders you set yourself, then bring it all in on Monday. That way you have to remember once and regardless of whether you have to stay back at work, or go out with friends at night for dinner, your food is ready and waiting for you in the office fridge.
- Get your colleagues on the bandwagon
How do you resist temptation? Remove it. Encourage your co-workers to join your quest to save money and enlist the office to bring in their own meals too. This way you’ll have ample support (and sympathy) when you’re missing your daily sushi roll, and you won’t be tempted by the mysterious delicious smell that’s wafting over from the other side of the office.
Important: This content has been prepared without taking account of the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular individual. It does not constitute formal advice. Consider the appropriateness of the information in regard to your circumstances.
