Great Debate: Bring vs. Buy lunch @ Work (credit card, pay, savings)

[DCguy03]

My co-worker and I were having a "friendly chat" over at the water cooler yesterday about which is better: bringing your lunch to work, or eating out every day. Of course, I say brown-bagging it is infinitely better. It's cheaper and definitely healthier.

So he says well...it might be healthier, but it's not that much cheaper. He says its only like $3 or so more to get fast food to-go. Oh, the eternal debate!

But I think I actually won him over, when I plugged it in to a lunch cost calculator at Feed The Pig, it said that I was saving $900 a year by bringing my lunch to work.

Anyone else have the bring vs. buy lunch debate @ work??

edit: this is the lunch calc. that I used - pretty helpful Lunch Savings Calculator | Feed the Pig

[8 SNAKE]

People claim that fast-food lunches are only $3, but how many people actually walk out the door paying that much? I bet the real cost is a lot closer to $6 or $7.

No one can really argue that fast food is cheaper than brown-bagging. If your peer wants to claim the $3 lunch, you can claim a PBJ special for less than $1. It's hardly fair to compare the cheapest fast-food slop to a decent brown-bag lunch, as I'm sure your friend was doing.

Aside from that, the true "cost" of eating fast food every day is quite high. What's a heart bypass going for these days?

[wheelsup]

I spend 4 days away from home at a time and never buy anything. I bring my own food and pack it in a small cooler.

• For breakfast I generally eat fruit and 2 packets of oatmeal that I bring if the hotel I am at does not offer free breakfast.
• I also bring a can of soup and some packets of salmon and triscots for lunches.
• I make my dinners the day before I leave and put it in Tupperware. Things like home made General Tso's w/ rice and broccoli. I also bring fajitas that I make with wraps.
• Lots of snacks like almonds, sun flower seeds, cereal etc in trail mixes.

All told around $15-$18 in food for 4 days. Not bad, healthy, and fulfilling.

[StoneOne]

As someone who was in the habit of fast food when I had an office job, I can definitely say that taking one's own lunch is by far the better option. Aside from being cheaper, it's healthier and generally more satisfying. Dinner leftovers taste so much better than mass-produced crap. And if you have a place to eat outside during work, wouldn't it be more pleasant to head straight there and avoid the restaurants altogether? Even eating in one's car is probably more pleasant than eating in most fast-food restaurants.

[Pitt Chick]

It depends!

With some of my Discover Cashback Bonus, I get gift cards to various restaurants - Applebee's, Chili's, Longhorn. TGI Friday's to name a few.

DH and I can eat lunch for FREE, tip included.
That beats brown bagging it!

[formercalifornian]

There is no such thing as a free lunch, Pitt Chick. I suspect you're paying for that lunch somewhere else in your budget.

[dsh1127]

Packing your lunch is the best way to go! Whoever is speaking of the $3 fast food lunch must not be eating much, nor getting a drink. I don't have the "debate" at my work, but I am the only one that brings lunch. We have a full sized refrigerator and I stock it with drinks and yogurt, otherwise I bring leftovers or whatever for lunch daily.

I used to buy a diet soda at the convenience store every day for lunch, but now I go buy the cheap brand in a 12pk at WalMart for $2.50! You figure if you buy one at the store daily it would cost $15.60 for 12 of them!

Occasionally I will get fast food out for lunch, but only about once every couple of weeks. I can only stand it about that often!

[Kathleen1971]

My way is the easiest. I don't eat lunch. Money problem ( and maybe weight problem lol) solved!

[DCguy03]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

There is no such thing as a free lunch, Pitt Chick. I suspect you're paying for that lunch somewhere else in your budget.

True! Here is how:

(most) everyone gets credit card rewards. now, you can get gift cards, actual cash back, free flights, etc.

Now, if you choose to get fast food gift cards, there is an opportunity cost for making that choice. (see, economics prof. from college - I still remember!)

Since you are getting "free" lunch gift cards, you are giving up the opportunity to get something else of value (like a flight credit or cash back).

What do you all think of this assessment - is it accurate?

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

There is no such thing as a free lunch, Pitt Chick. I suspect you're paying for that lunch somewhere else in your budget.

How so?

I pay no fees; I carry no balance.