Ask the Readers: Do You Buy or Pack Your Lunch?
Editor's Note: Congratulations to Bryan, Garon, and Jennifer W for winning this week's contest!
If you don't work from home, chances are you eat at least one meal a day outside the comfort of your home. When it comes to lunch, some people prefer to save money by bringing their lunch to work. Others opt to eat out when lunch hour rolls around.
Do you buy or pack your lunch? Or do you do both depending on the day? If you have kids, do you take the time to make your kid's lunches the night before or send them off in the morning with a few dollars to use at their school cafeteria?
Tell us if you buy or pack your lunch and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards
We're doing three giveaways — one for random comments, one for random Facebook "Likes", and another one for random tweets.
Mandatory Entry:
- Post your answer in the comments below
For extra entries (1 per action):
- Go to our Facebook page, "Like" us, and leave a comment telling us you did, or
- Tweet your answer. You have to be a follower of our @wisebread account. Include both "@wisebread" and "#WBAsk" in your tweet so we'll see it and count it. Leave a link to your tweet (click the timestamp for the individual URL) in a separate comment.
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Giveaway Rules:
- Contest ends Monday, September 19th at 11:59 pm Pacific. Winners will be announced after September 19th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
- You can enter all three drawings — once by leaving a comment, once by liking our Facebook update, and once by tweeting.
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Note: Due to recent changes in Facebook's promotions guidelines, we have restructured the entry format of our giveaways.
Good Luck!
Tagged: Food and Drink, Ask the Readers
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I bring my lunch 4 out of 5 days. I try to eat out w/a coworker that other day.
I always pack my lunch. Thank you for the giveaway!
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I pack everyday ~ teaching elementary school allows only 20 minutes for lunch, and school lunches aren't that great.
I pack my lunch as well as my husband's and my son's.
I pack my lunch: healthy and less expensive!
I work in a Seniors Center that provides a daily meal. If there are extras the employees can eat too. On the days there isn't anything extra, I buy.
I pack my lunch most days and go out once a week with a coworker
I nearly always take meal bars and fruit with me to work to eat for lunch or dinner.
We used to go out for lunch 5 days a week, every week. Then I got my coworkers hooked on playing board games and card games over lunches on Fridays with a group of gamers. That cut it down to 4 days a week.
Then, in a kick to save money and eat healthier, I proposed we bring our lunches 2 more days a week and play games over those lunch periods as well! So now, our arrangement is going out only on Mondays and Thurdsays (Mondays because Mondays suck and Thursdays to throw a little variety in there between T,W and F. It's worked out great!
As a side note, I use the envelope system for my lunches out. I get $50 a month cash at the beginning of the month and that's it. As a result, it's helped me eat out more economically too by putting a ceiling on the expense as well as trying to find bargains. You'd be surprised how many coupons and deals are available for fast food places. :)
We always pack our lunches and I pack the kids lunches too! We even pack lunches if we are going on a family outing, like this past weekend to pick apples.
I almost always pack my own lunch, unless we eat together as a lab or attend a seminar where lunch is provided.
Pack! I mean, seriously!! Who buys anymore? I teach, so even if I wanted to buy- the cafeteria food is awful, and I would spend 3/4 of my 40min lunch period waiting online with the kids. Hubby makes extra dinner each night, and lunch is the LO! Sometimes I batch cook 10 lunches, and stick them in linch-sized containers.
I bring my lunch 90% of the time. I try to keep things eco-friendly too by using reusable containers as much as possible. Most days the only thing that gets thrown in the trash is a paper napkin. One thing I have found useful is packing frozen fruit in a container and then I don't need to worry about a freezer pack. By the time lunch hour rolls around, the fruit is mostly thawed and ready to eat. I also like bringing my lunch because it offers more flexibility in my schedule. If I am running late in the morning, I can still leave on time by taking a short lunch at my desk.
I always pack a lunch. :) If I go out to lunch, it's usually for a special occasion or a treat of some kind.
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I almost always pack my lunch!
I always take my lunch, it's either leftovers from the previous nights dinner or Peanut Butter & Jelly.
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I pack my lunch some days and my daughter just started taking her lunch this school year. I really need to start packing my lunch more.
As much as I keep trying to sell myself on packing a lunch, I always end up eating out. I'm a single guy living on my own and I just do not have the time or the patience to prepare lunch every day. Can anyone relate? Any advice?
Usually bring my lunch when I'm working at the office--except when our cafeteria is scheduled to be making one of their fabulous fish dishes. Then, I buy--they make fish better than I can, and it's not very expensive.
I use to do about 50/50 but then I realized how much I was wasting so I pack my lunch and I have saved quite a bit.
Most definitely. Buying lunch can add up!
I usually bring my lunch, pb&j sandwich or leftovers. Nothing fancy. I rarely bring frozen meals. On some occasions I will buy lunch but not that often.
I bring my lunch to work 99% of the time and I cant imagine why people do the exact opposite. My idea is that I would much rather go out to eat when I'm off and nowhere near the workplace. That way I can truly treat myself rather than pay for a great meal only to go back to work 30 mins later, but hey that's just me!
I pack my lunch every day! I save plenty of money over the poor slobs who buy lunch at work every day :)
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my work provides free lunch up to $8 so i'm all set for lunch! sweet!
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I almost always pack my lunch. I eat at the building's cafe maybe once or twice a year when I'm running late in the morning and didn't make lunch before. Portion wise, it's slightly more expensive ($1-2) than packing my own lunch (I like filling healthy lunch. PB&J sandwiches are not an option). Not much of a difference to me. A lunch special is usually $5-7 dollars. The size is two meals worth.
I would like to eat out as I HATE to cook. But the food at the cafe isn't that great, vegetarian options are few and what I bring is of better quality and healthier than some overly salty chicken cordon blue with potato salad, garden salad and soft drink.
I bring my lunch. As a teacher, I only get 25 minutes to eat, so it is quickest to pop open the lunch box. I often make a big pot of spaghetti or a cold pasta salad on the weekend and divide it up for the week. (I have two sons, so we seldom seem to have leftovers!) I also take sandwiches or pita pockets. I keep mixed nuts and cheese sticks in my refrigerator at work also in case I need a healthy, filling snack. I rarely buy lunch, and I limit my sons to two days a week of buying in the school cafeteria. The other three days I fix their lunches. My husband buys a day or two a week, but if I fix him a lunch, he will happily take it, too.
I always pack my lunch. Leftovers make great lunch options for my husband and I. Along with that we never buy the morning cup of joe. We brew and take to go.
I pack, if I didnt I would never use up my leftovers, they are my lunch for the next day.
Unless I'm planning to take a lunch meeting, I pack my lunch. The most frugal way I've found is to cook large meals ahead of time, so there's always leftovers to tuck into a food saver container, and take it to work for the microwave. That way it's cheap, nutritious, and is still a high-quality meal.
i usually bring my lunch to work, but allow myself to eat out maybe once a week. I figure I'd rather save the money for eating out for when I can go somewhere I really want and meet up with a friend.
definitely pack for all of us! It makes great use of leftovers and I pack at least 3 fruits or veggies for everyone, so it's healthier than it used to be, too!
I always try to bring a lunch to work. I pack it the night before (I'm not a morning person.) Last week I had frantic morning and left my lunch at home. Luckily I work in a med center and there is a cafeteria. But I don't like paying for lunch when I already have one paid-for at home.
I bring my lunch - usually leftovers from dinner!
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When I'm working a 40 hour week, I will pack my lunch almost daily. I do like to go out for lunch at least once a month with coworkers, but not more than once every two weeks.
My son eats lunch at school everyday except Wednesdays, when it's "gross lunch day" and he won't eat any of the cafeteria choices. On days he takes his lunch, he usually still buys milk at school.
I tend to buy out most of the time but I am trying to bring my lunch more often. Right now I am aiming on bring my lunch 50% of the time.
I buy lunch out, only make it when I am home
I pack my lunch, but sometimes buy a little extra (a drink or snack) to "fluff it up."
I always pack my lunch.
I don't have to pack a lunch. I can come home for lunch every day since I work just a couple of blocks up the street. I love that. I eat the leftovers and since I usually cook pretty food-I don't mind! I pack lunches for my kids most days. Sometimes I put leftovers together for my husband to take to work...and he usually forgets about them! It definitely saves $, prevents waste and is healthier!
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I dont really have anyone to cover my duties during lunchtime so I bring lunch everyday..its a savings on gas and my wallet going out to eat plus im eating healthier!
I pack a lunch or go to the Safeway by the office if I was in a rush. Thursday I splurge and head to the farmers market!
When I worked, I packed a lunch almost every day. Great savings. Now I stay at home with kiddo and we eat lunch at home every day, making sure to eat leftovers first. Last time we drove to visit family, we packed a picnic and ate out of the back of the car. Lots of fun and way cheaper and healthier than dropping $20 or more on crappy fast food.
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Pack that lunch! My husband and I love leftovers so I look forward to my lunch each day. Plus, I get to feel smug because of the savings!
I'm brown baggin' it Mon thru Thurs. Typically, I'll make extra for dinner and that will be lunch the next day. That way, I can buy lunch from the gourmet food trucks at the Grub-N-Go in Brea, CA on Fridays. Five to six trucks show up at the Chase Suites Hotel providing extraordinary mouthwatering cuisines. I wish today was Friday....
i should pack my lunch way more than i buy it ... jimmy john's is a HUGE weakness for me. :)
but i'm definitely trying to pack lunch more! i liked you on facebook too.
Homemade empanadas and carrots for the adults, homemade sausages baked in a bun and carrots for the kids. The baked goods are made in the weekend, utilizing leftover when possible, and the carrots are peeled in the morning.
I usually bring my lunch: two egg whites, carrots or tomatoes and an apple. I bring a cheese stick for my 3pm snack. My lunch is healthy and cheap just the way I like it!
With a family of 2 and most recipes making 4 servings, I generally pack my lunch from frozen or refrigerated leftovers. It helps with portion size and my budget.
I always pack my lunch. If I had to try to decide what I wanted for lunch every day(Thai? Mexican? McDonalds? Wendy's? Arbys? 7-Eleven hot dog?) OMG, I would go insane. Leftovers it is. Or I'll make a big pot of coconut chicken curry or some other dish for a couple days out of the week. My lunch is always tasty. :)
Pack of course!
I always bring my lunch. For 5 years I was in the habit of eating out, or going to lunch with other staff, but I quickly realized that this indulgence was emptying my bank. Now, I make a big dish on Sunday night (large bean salad, large croc-pot soup) that I can take for lunch each day. Also, packing my lunch has helped me lose weight. If I run out of ideas, I will always take leftovers, or eat a bunch of random food left in the fridge.
We pack ours at home. It makes a lunch out a real treat. I would consider buying lunch at school for my kids, especially when pressed for time but my kids object (Really!) to white bread, lack of veggies, and hot dogs and chicken nuggets.
I'd say I bring my lunch an average of 4 days a week. It tends to be leftovers so occasionally we don't have enough dinner left to pack lunches. I found the trick is to dish up my lunch BEFORE my husband fixes his plate. That boy can eat.
I pack my own lunch when I work away from home. It's cheaper, healthier, and I like to cook, so I usually have the leftovers anyway.
Once in a while I'll go out to lunch with coworkers. Mostly I bring lunch. Some weeks I'm better at this than others. This week I've been pathetically disorganized and end up bringing something easy like cheese on crackers, fruit and carrot sticks.
I definitely brown bag. Saves time waiting in line to buy.
Pack. Once every two months stop by the local grocery store nearest the office and stock up on canned soups, oatmeal, ramen, and snacks (aka popcorn, nuts, raisins) so that I never have the excuse of not having food available if I run late and forget to bring food. Usually pack food the night before (with leftovers from dinner) so it's rare that I forget, but just in case...
Working for same company 10 years and have packed my lunch pretty much every work day except for about a dozen times total and a few of those times someone was treating. I can control what I eat and I can save a bunch of money too by using leftovers. I think am the only person in a office of over 200 that brings a thermos to work, I can't see buying an overpriced beverage when it tastes just as good from home. I do carry the thermos in a tote bag, people see it and think I am crazy.
I generally buy a pack of lunch meat (or deli meat) and a pack of the bread rounds and make my own sandwiches in the office.
When I worked, I almost always packed my lunch. It saved us a lot of money.
I pack, once a month I treat with co-workers at the local cafe
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I like packing a lunch b/c the food is usually healthier and tastier. If I'm in a pinch I will buy lunch.
I typically pack my lunch everyday (as does my husband and step-son). I try not to keep extra cash in my pocket, because then I'm tempted to go out and buy a bagel sandwich instead. :)
Of course, every once and a while, the bagel sandwich is exactly what I need, so I'll get one. :)
I make my breakfast and lunch and bring both to work with me. It's so much cheaper than my coworkers who go out and spend $5-15 on lunch.
I bring my lunch fr0m home more days than the lunches I purchase. I also bring my own pop, condiments, snacks, and treats.
I pack my lunch and always did. It saves a ton of money, but also controls your diet. When I go out to eat, I tend to order more fattening fare!
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I eat at work about 3 days a week and pack the other too. This can vary depending on the availability of supper leftovers.
This year I have been packing my lunch. It's cheaper and I can make healthier choices than the bad cafeteria food they offer on campus!
I pack my lunch.
I pack my kids lunches every day except Friday - that's the day of the week they are allowed to buy lunch from school. I also pack my husband's lunch. It is much cheaper and healthier. This year I am enjoying the bento method, and I am including more fresh vegetables and fruits in their lunches. So far, so good!
I wish I could say that I always packed my lunch, but there are too many days when lunch isn't a break, but another client meeting or networking power hour, so I end up buying a lot of times!
I work from home, so neither. I very rarely go out to lunch or get takeout for it. My husband brown bags it every day.
I usually take the leftovers from the previous nights dinner.
About 80% of the time I bring my lunch - sandwiches, Smart Ones, leftovers, frozen burritos. The other 20% of the time that I eat out, I try to eat cheap. $1 menus are my friend. If I do eat at a nice restaurant with coworkers, I order water to save $2-3.
I pack a lunch every day. Whether it's leftovers or sandwiches my New Orleans Saints lunchbag is what I'm known for at work!
I try to pack leftovers at least three times a week, then try to grab a bite with my co-workers 1-2 times a week. I feel like it's a good compromise, and it gives me something to look forward to during the week.
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I usually bring leftovers to work from my previous night's dinner. Occasionally the people that that I work with go out for a group lunch and I will usually join them.
My husband is the cook in the household and will make an extra portion for dinner the night before and put it aside in one of the glass tupperware containers (easier to wash and even safer in my mind than the microwave safe plastic containers since I use it so often) so I can bring it to work for lunch the next day. Healthy, tasty, and cost-effective!
Before I was married, I lived with my mom and she would do the same. Let me tell you, I seen had a number of co-workers coming over to my cube come lunch time to see what yummy food I was eating!
Occasionally, I might go out for lunch with some friends from work to get away from the office which is always nice.
I definitely pack my own lunch. It's way cheaper and what I usually make is better than what I can buy
About 95% of the time I pack with intentions of eating through work. Unfortunately, my coworkers thwart my efforts on occasion. It is more important to me to get to know my team members then be a stickler about my lunch. I leave wiggle room in my budget for this as a result.
I prefer to pack my lunch instead of going out. 1) it's cheaper, 2) I get sick of fast food and 3) if I stay in, I have time to read sites like this!
I have been bringing my lunch for the pass 3 months or so and have lost 40lbs in the process.
Answer: Pack! I normally pack a lunch using a reusable cloth lunch bag but I'm ever so tempted to get a nice bento box...
Thanks for the giveaway! I occasionally bring a lunch, but not often. I know it's the frugal choice, but I need an excuse to get out of the office for an hour, and I seriously cannot stand the unrelated-gross-foods-mingling-indiscriminately aromas that permeate office kitchens and lunchrooms. When I get my food out of the microwave, it comes out smelling like someone else's lunch! Gross! (I do bring drinks and snacks, though!)
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