Clare is one of my favorite people, and was one of the first people I looked up to on these here interwebs. Back in the day (of 1997 or so) I was a fledgling personal webpage owner (and an avid Hanson Fan page owner), and Clare had an adorable site that I just adored. We became friends, and the rest, as they say, is history. Clare graciously agreed to help me out while I’m in Phoenix this weekend!
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Greetings, readers of See Tiny Run. My name is Clare and I’ve had the pleasure of being one of Cat’s friends for thirteen years now. I blog at Never Niche. Cat asked if I’d be interested in a guest post while she’s out of town this weekend and clearly I am.Â
Cat photo documents her meals and exercise on a regular basis. I’m not much of a food blogger, mostly because I know readers’ eyes will glaze over when they see that I eat the same things day after day, but I’m definitely a foodie in real life. I’m also always interested in meal planning for less money, cutting corners, and eating great food without breaking the budget. For this guest post I will be discussing the importance of packing a lunch. This is a topic Cat is passionate about too, as she has written about her frustration with it here, here and here . I think it’s something any young working person struggles with, including myself.
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Anyone with common sense knows that packing a lunch will save you a world of money. It’s no secret that having food prepared for your work day can help cushion your finances every week. But let’s lay it out in black and white terms…
Here’s a photo of the lunch I brought to work yesterday (like my 1960′s mustard-colored Formica? Me too.):
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- apple
- reduced sugar granola bar
- cottage cheese
- Safeway brand frozen lasagna (I know, not the healthiest thing ever. My entree is usually a tupperware of homemade veggie chile that I crockpot on the weekend.)
- bagel thin with organic peanut butter topped with blueberry and almonds
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I brought this food to work yesterday and had coffee from the machine in the building’s kitchen. But let’s pretend I didn’t set myself up for success. On the way in to work, let’s pretend I stopped a Starbucks for just a grande coffee (not even a frou-frou drink) and tipped one dollar. Total cost? $3.11. Then the mid-morning rolls around and I’m hungry so I go downstairs and buy an organic granola bar from the vending machine. $1.50. When lunch rolls around, I scurry out of the building and go to the sushi restaurant nearby and get two rolls and miso = $9.80 including tip. I eat in a hurry in order to get back to my desk in time. When my stomach grumbles in the mid-afternoon, I go down to the vending machine again and get a bag of chips and a soda. $3.00.
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By the end of this pretend work day, I’ve spent $17.41. If this was my routine for the week, that total comes to $87.05. Just off the top of my head, I can think of a pretty pair of boots for that price. Or 1/4 of a plane ticket to the west coast to see Cat. Or $87.05 that I could transfer into my Roth IRA because I didn’t really use it. Etcetera! It’s important to imagine your money as part of a bigger whole and see the bigger picture. Dining out isn’t truly damaging unless it’s a constant habit.
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I would much rather plan ahead and include plenty of lunchables in my $50/week grocery budget. It feels incredible to not spend a single dime during the work day. It’s okay to treat yourself to lattes, lunch at a restaurant with co-workers, and even the vending machine. It’s unrealistic to think that anyone can feel satisfied eating and drinking things that are only brought from home. Everything in moderation!
Happy lunching! Cat will be back and blogging on Monday.
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I’m not sure that blogging is so much about “1st place” but I do know that the internet in general is a whole lot more fun when you can share yourself and your friends with others.
