Trying to save cash, and one of the biggest expensive I've noticed is eating out. Mainly at lunch from work. $5-9 bucks a day on lunch adds up to $25-50 a week and ~$100-200 a month.

I've been taking Cup of noodles and yogurt in, and that cuts a lot of spending (I think thats about $1.50 total?) but I am quickly getting sick of it. Girlfriend suggested I make rice o roni or hamburger helper at night and tupper-ware them in the next few days.

Any of you brown baggers have any suggestions?

Nope, but I'm in your same position. I need to start saving loot, and lunch @ $5-6 a day is starting to take a toll on my wallet. :(

Weight gainer shakes

I typically bring lunch everyday, but you don't want to be on my diet. I bring a Starkist lunch to go thing, (tuna and crackers), some beef jerky, carrots, and a power bar for a snack before i go to the gym.

I pretty much cook food the night before and then pack it if lunch the next day.

It typically consists of rice, some type of meat grilled on my George Foreman, and vegetables.

But yeah hambuger helper and cup-o-noodles will work good too :D

Take your lunch. That's what I do. Buy some crackers, bread, meat, and a few cans of Chef Boyardee. See what's on sale and don't be ashamed to do a little coupon clipping.

I've saved a good bit since I stopped going out everyday for lunch. I can go off a redbull and a peanut butter sandwich until I get home and cook.

When I cook, I usually cook a ton of food and throw the rest into portion-sized gladware thingies. I make a snargle of spaghetti and can make that last 3 meals. I stock up on frozen stuff too... definately not the healthiest, but it gets the job done. The 8oz "michelinas" or "budget gourmey" are about 95¢ at walmart. Marie Callendars makes frozen 10oz chicken pot pies that are damn good... they're between $1.50 and $2.00 per CPP, cheaper if you buy them in bulk 8-packs. Watch the price/oz though, walmart's 4-packs are more expensive than buying four individual CPPs. We budget a certain amount of $ every month at work for soda, so while I still pack a backup mountain dew or two, I usually just take a cold one out of the fridge since they're free for employees which does save me on the 12packs of mountain dew every grocery trip.

You could always have a look through the "Who can post the sickest xxx" thread before lunch and not have to worry about eating the rest of the day...

My vote goes to homemade sandwich and veggies. I eat, though part of a diet, a sandwich of whole wheat bread, lettuce, fat free swiss cheese, fat free mayo, and boar's head cajun seasoned turkey. I think it's delicious, and I take a bag of steam fresh vegetables that i can just nuke. One bag usually lasts me 3 meals, and obviously your sandwich materials will last you plenty of times. Occasionally I take a can of soup. I dunno, you can mix it up with some other stuff.

ok....quick easy lunches/dinners. All of this stuff stores easy and is re heatable.

Chicken Tacos.
Grill up some chicken breasts on the George Foreman. When they cool down, shred them up in a skillet with some Taco seasoning and some water....cook it until it gets a little thick and saucy. Add a can of Mexican diced tomatoes and a handful of frozen corn. Put it in taco shells with some cheddar cheese.
Best damn tacos you ever had..... period.


Chili
can't go wrong with cooking up a batch of chili and eating on that all week. Great fun to fart all week though. chop up an onion , saute most of it and then add a 1 pound of hamburger or ground turkey, usually either one is on sale. Drain off the fat. Big can of kuners chili beans, large can of diced tomatoes, and a packet of chili spice. Simmer for a while.
Get a bowl of fritos or Blue corn chips, pour some chili over it and put some raw onion and cheddar cheese from your tacos above....its the bomb!
All of this less than 5 bucks and you'll get more than 5 meals.


Stir fry.
Yep its that easy. Buy some frozen veggies from the frozen isle. They have stir fry mixes. Use some of your chicken that you bought for the tacos. Slice chicken thin and cook in a little oil, add veggies, water chestnuts (from a can) and some cooked ramen noodles. Pour over some sauce and eat up. Make a huge batch and have about three meals. Pour kikomans terriyaki sauce over it. The honey pineapple is the best. Have some rice on the side if you want to eat like an asian.

I have a few more, but that is basically stuff that is easy to make, all take less than 15 minutes, and all will store easy in those glad containers


I used to make all of this type of food as a college student, had to, didn't have much cash. I used to live on a budget of 25 bucks for groceries for two weeks!

+1 for stir fry.

Bring some pussy and munch on it when yer hungry. Heck, even when ya nervous. Dont forget to floss.

But anyway, the best snack is nuts. Great for keeping the full feeling and it is healthy too.

Pb&j

buy a pack of bologna, buy a loaf of cheap white bread, buy a jar of mayo. Your out maybe four bucks and you have lunches for ~ 2 weeks.

buy a pack of bologna, buy a loaf of cheap white bread, buy a jar of mayo. Your out maybe four bucks and you have lunches for ~ 2 weeks.


That's healthy.

Dont forget to floss.
get it 100% natural and you won't even need to worry about flossing either.

That's healthy.
its the cheapest way out there to survive on lunches for more then a week at a time, sometimes money saved is more important then "organic"

Whole grain spaghetti-$1... 2 meals per box.

Packing lunch is a pita and I think people look fruity doing that shit though... just spend $5 and shut up.

its the cheapest way out there to survive on lunches for more then a week at a time, sometimes money saved is more important then "organic"


You could spend near the same amount of money to get some whole wheat bread, turkey, and mustard, and get the same result minus the side effect of being fat.

You could spend near the same amount of money to get some whole wheat bread, turkey, and mustard, and get the same result minus the side effect of being fat.
And taste a shitload better.

Grocery stores here run 10 for 10 buck specials on Chef Boyardee stuff. Def not healthy, but cost effective. You look like a skinny person anyway so fat the fuck up. Could always go to Mickey Sleeze. 3 McChickens for 3 bucks and tax. I did that for a while.

Grocery stores here run 10 for 10 buck specials on Chef Boyardee stuff. Def not healthy, but cost effective. You look like a skinny person anyway so fat the fuck up. Could always go to Mickey Sleeze. 3 McChickens for 3 bucks and tax. I did that for a while.
Skinny doesn't always equal healthy. If you're looking to gain weight... gain the right type: muscle... eat the shit out of protein and powerlift.

You could spend near the same amount of money to get some whole wheat bread, turkey, and mustard, and get the same result minus the side effect of being fat.
if you say so.

If you, like me, sit at a desk all day, try not eating anything at all. You'll have to work slowly to achieve this. Being hungry for a few hours is a little uncomfortable but it won't kill you.

Skinny doesn't always equal healthy.

It sure as hell does, Fatso. Just have a look at Nicole Ritchie. Skinny is sexy and healthy.

If you, like me, sit at a desk all day, try not eating anything at all. You'll have to work slowly to achieve this. Being hungry for a few hours is a little uncomfortable but it won't kill you.
and then your metabolism nose dives, your body thinks there's a famine and starts using muscle for fuel. Your muscle to fat ratio then worsens, you feel like shit due to malnutrition and you're asking for all types of health problems. Your stomach growling indicates the need for nutrients, not just any food you can find... lack of proper nutrients = bad.

if you say so.


I'm just saying man. White Bread=Sugar. Bologna=Fat and other terrible animal parts. Mayo=Fat. So essentially you're eat a balanced lunch of sugar and fat. On the other hand, whole wheat bread=whole grains, complex carbs. Turkey=protein. Mustard=no calories or anything.

If you, like me, sit at a desk all day, try not eating anything at all. You'll have to work slowly to achieve this. Being hungry for a few hours is a little uncomfortable but it won't kill you.


Yeah, that's awful for you. You should always be eating at intervals throughout the day, small meals of 2-300 calories every 2 or 3 hours. Otherwise you're setting your body up to be a disaster area.

I eat large in the morning, small at lunch, and huge for dinner. I need alot of calories to sustain my energy level so I snack on some mangos and grapes.

I eat large in the morning, small at lunch, and huge for dinner. I need alot of calories to sustain my energy level so I snack on some mangos and grapes.

You're doing better than most.

http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/29foods.shtml

Weight gainer shakes

NO.

I typically bring lunch everyday, but you don't want to be on my diet. I bring a Starkist lunch to go thing, (tuna and crackers), some beef jerky, carrots, and a power bar for a snack before i go to the gym.

Ew. on the tuna, never really agreed with me.

It typically consists of rice, some type of meat grilled on my George Foreman, and vegetables

Rice & meat is always a winning combo...but alas I have no George Foreman. How much do those things cost? Seems like a good investment if I'm going to be cooking for myself. Does it grill vegetables well?

on't be ashamed to do a little coupon clipping

Coupons eh...? I've always been too lazy to sit down and look through em, but maybe its time to change that mentality now that I'm trying to save cash.

and throw the rest into portion-sized gladware thingies...The 8oz "michelinas" or "budget gourmey" are about 95¢ at walmart. Marie Callendars makes frozen 10oz chicken pot pies that are damn good... they're between $1.50 and $2.00 per CPP, cheaper if you buy them in bulk 8-packs....You could always have a look through the "Who can post the sickest xxx" thread before lunch and not have to worry about eating the rest of the day...

Yeah the Hamburger Helper galdware is working pretty good, budget gourmey I used to eat tons of when I lived at home so I'm kind of burnt out on them. Those pot pies are awesome, but I didn't realize they were so cheap at Wal Mart...might have to pick those up. And I'll pass on that topic...

My vote goes to homemade sandwich and veggies.

Mmmmm open-faced club sand wedge...I need a freaking toaster oven so I can make them sandwiches toasted.

Chicken Tacos.

Sounds good...homemade tacos will rock TacoBell anyday.

on the George Foreman

WTF?! Does everyone has one of these? Are they really that good?

Chili/Stir fry

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE chilli, but it's not something I would eat at work on a regular basis. I don't think I would be having many water cooler discussions when I smell like a flaming pile of waste.

Stir Fry I have never prepared myself. Might be a fun experiment.How much do uncooked chicken breasts go for?

But anyway, the best snack is nuts. Great for keeping the full feeling and it is healthy too.

Tried this. Can't do it. I can't eat that many nuts in one day unless it's in peanut butter form...I could eat that ALL day.

Pb&j

Yep, see above. My roommate recommended this as well. This will definetly be happening.

buy a pack of bologna, buy a loaf of cheap white bread, buy a jar of mayo. Your out maybe four bucks and you have lunches for ~ 2 weeks.

Very cheap, but ugh, I don't think I could stomach that much bologna...

Whole grain spaghetti-$1... 2 meals per box.

Could be good. I'll have to buy some sauce or something.

Grocery stores here run 10 for 10 buck specials on Chef Boyardee stuff. Def not healthy, but cost effective. You look like a skinny person anyway so fat the fuck up. Could always go to Mickey Sleeze. 3 McChickens for 3 bucks and tax. I did that for a while.

I am pretty skinny, but beer is beginning to take it's toll on my stomach...or maybe its the soda...probably both, so I do kinda want to stay in the healthly range.

I seriously doubt that changing my eating habits will affect it though, because I really don't eat that much. Soda and Beer, on the other hand, I drink a shit ton of...

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I think I'm going to probably do the sandwhich/pasta thing for a while and see how that goes. Possibly consider getting one of those George Formans and grilling some shit. Yogurt seems like a winner and it was on that Healthest foods thing Tofuball provided so I will keep with that as well.

http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/page.asp?ID=151&Detail=7364

Ew. on the tuna, never really agreed with me.
Fish is extremely healthy. The protein, and the fatty acids are power food.



Rice & meat is always a winning combo...but alas I have no George Foreman. How much do those things cost? Seems like a good investment if I'm going to be cooking for myself. Does it grill vegetables well?
They're cheap, but IIRC a pain to clean. Grilled chicken breast is your best option. Stay away from unhealthy toppings. Lean red meat is good in moderation as well, and a good source of iron if you don't eat iron-fortified cereal. Rice can go either way. Unrefined brown rice (not white rice taht's brown from being fried) is healthy in moderation. White rice is not healthy, at all.



Coupons eh...? I've always been too lazy to sit down and look through em, but maybe its time to change that mentality now that I'm trying to save cash.
You can't put a price tag on good health.



Yeah the Hamburger Helper galdware is working pretty good, budget gourmey I used to eat tons of when I lived at home so I'm kind of burnt out on them. Those pot pies are awesome, but I didn't realize they were so cheap at Wal Mart...might have to pick those up. And I'll pass on that topic...
Hamburger helper? Refined white pasta with greasy, fat, cheese sauce and greasy hamburger? You might as well eat long john silvers.



Mmmmm open-faced club sand wedge...I need a freaking toaster oven so I can make them sandwiches toasted.
Use whole wheat bread.



Sounds good...homemade tacos will rock TacoBell anyday.
Hamburger, cheese, and sodium.





Don't get me wrong, I LOVE chilli, but it's not something I would eat at work on a regular basis. I don't think I would be having many water cooler discussions when I smell like a flaming pile of waste.
Beans = good. Chili meat = usually really bad. Spices = good.

Stir Fry I have never prepared myself. Might be a fun experiment.How much do uncooked chicken breasts go for? Small packs are 3 decent sized for $5-$6... larger quantities, better price.



I seriously doubt that changing my eating habits will affect it though, because I really don't eat that much. Soda and Beer, on the other hand, I drink a shit ton of...
Stay away from both.

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I think I'm going to probably do the sandwhich/pasta thing for a while and see how that goes. Possibly consider getting one of those George Formans and grilling some shit. Yogurt seems like a winner and it was on that Healthest foods thing Tofuball provided so I will keep with that as well.
Eat healthy sandwiches. As mentioned, lean turkey, mustard, and wheat bread. As far as pasta... whole grain/whole wheat pasta is good for you. Refined carbohydrates are awful. You'll probably feel a lot better once you up the fiber in your diet from eating complex carbohydrates.

Yeah a lot of people don't realize how much better you feel just from eating healthy food. I don't get afternoon lulls from lunch, and I typically have loads of energy throughout the day. That's also because I don't inject an Arby's Beef and Cheddar and 44 oz. Mountain Dew into my system, go into sugar overload, and have an insulin crash.

Yeah a lot of people don't realize how much better you feel just from eating healthy food. I don't get afternoon lulls from lunch, and I typically have loads of energy throughout the day. That's also because I don't inject an Arby's Beef and Cheddar and 44 oz. Mountain Dew into my system, go into sugar overload, and have an insulin crash.
You may feel like ass from the beginning if you were a caffiene fiend and no longer get it due to stopping the soda consumption, but other than that, you immediately start feeling better. I used to feel sleepy ALL of the time and I think it was blood sugar related. My mood, memory, and concentration has improved. I try to stay away from simple carbs, anything greasy, and I'm a firm believer in fiber. Fiber does so much, but most Americans (including myself some days) don't get nearly enough.

I've got the knowledge of health down, and the willpower. The thing that bites me in the ass is convenience.

Yeah a lot of people don't realize how much better you feel just from eating healthy food. I don't get afternoon lulls from lunch, and I typically have loads of energy throughout the day. That's also because I don't inject an Arby's Beef and Cheddar and 44 oz. Mountain Dew into my system, go into sugar overload, and have an insulin crash.

LOL. The people I work with eat just like that all the time. Wendy's, Capn D's, Hardees, Arby's, Chick-fil-a...all that artery clogging shit. Then they're flat out unproductive from lunch-time til quittin time.

I usually cook waffles or pancakes for breakfast (real shit, not the frozen food section garbage), grits, and some orange juice. That'll keep me going until at least 2:00 PM

From there, I usually bring a sandwich and have a V8 Fusion, Vitamin Water or V8 Splash.

After that, it's dinner time. Me and the wife'll cook something.

Yeah, I go down town often after lunch. Soda would be tough for me to give up entirely, but I can probably ween myself off of it slowly. I remember I stopped drinking it in high school for about a year to improve my health, but I got back on it somehow.

Caffeine is a bitch, but I still will have coffee every morning. Breakfast I do a cup of coffee and either 4 pieces of peanut butter wheat toast or a bowl of cereal.

And its true about convenience. If cooking didn't take the time it did I would rarely eat fast food.

Buy 200mg caffiene pills if you're a pus... one of those in the morning will get you going... I wouldn't recommend any caffiene on top of it though.

Add 25mg ephedrine and 250-325mg aspirin and you have legal oral coke!

George forman grills run about 14 dollars at target.

As for the Chicken tacos....no hamburger there WTF Zero??

Chili...I always use ground turkey...I can never tell the difference other than less greasy...True about the farts though. Kroger always has the stuff on sale for a buck a pond.

Chicken breasts, best buy is at costco. All frozen and individually wrapped. If not buy in bulk and just take individual and put in sandwich bags.

V8 is nothing but salt, so if you want high blood pressure drink that stuff.

Anything with vegetables that isn't fresh is salt... yzf get in here and give the preservatives speech.

Well I guess I got ripped my George Forman grill cost like $20 at Sears...

But yeah if you don't have a propane grill it's a "good" substitute. So far it's worked great in grilling skinless chicken breasts / tenders, short ribs, turkey burgers, and BACON. The last time I grilled bacon on that thing it drained out about a cup of fat. Although bacon's not the greatest thing to eat, it does help when you can drain the some of the fat out of it.

Cleaning it is that bad either. All I do is get a really most paper towel and wipe it over the grill while it's hot. The "left overs" just slide right off.

Totally getting a George foreman grill this weekend.

I went grocery shopping and here is what I got for my lunch: Spinach leaves, avocados, mango, boneless skinless chicken tits, lemon and EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil for tards). Gonna make some kick ass salads and all cost under 10 dollars. And I am going to break from the TFL mainstream and say f a George Foreman Grill. If you have the time, just grill up the food on a charcoal grill. Tastes mo betta.

George Forman grills are great for grilled sandwiches but not much else IMO.

Yeah, I left off stirfry... There's dinner-in-a-bag kits you can get, look at the pictar on those and pick up the parts you like (broccoli, carrots, onion, corn, peppers, shrimp, chicken, etc). Chop an onion beforehand, and if you fill a snack-size bag with chopped onion it's just about the right amount for a stirfry. Do the same with peppers and broccoli. You can freeze the remainder of that stuff, then when you throw the dinner-in-a-bag into the wok you can just reach in the freezer and easily double the size of the bag dinner. Also, since I know you have them, cook some ramen noodles and throw those in as an easy way to add some mass to the stirfry. Ther'es also aftermarket sauces you can buy to add to the mix since what's in the bag won't be enough. Garlic alfredo sauce goes well with mixes that have white sauce, and there's a teriyaki sauce that comes in a bottle for bags that have dark sauce.

cook some ramen noodles and throw those in as an easy way to add some mass to the stirfry.

that's actually a pretty good idea...never thought about stir fry ramen noodles

Well I got the George Forman and its working out pretty awesome. Been grilling chicken, burgers, veggies, and bacon. Pretty easy and quick. Good investment.