One of the simplest ways to save money is to bring your own lunch to work everyday. It is easy to make excuses, “I don’t have time to pack a lunch,” “I get sick of sandwiches,” “I hate leftovers.” Enough already! There are a ton of lunch foods outside of sandwiches that are just as easy to bring to work. There are also many ways to kick your standard sandwich up a notch. Many foods even taste better the next day and are especially easy for cooking newbs!

Chili, Soups & Stews

These meals do not take long to put together. The most time consuming aspect is letting them simmer for 30-60 minutes but you can just watch TV or do pilates while you are waiting.

Chili is nothing other than tomatoes, meat, beans and spices! Put it all in a pot and walk away. Leave it in the fridge and bring it to work the next day. It’ll smell great and taste even better!

Chicken noodle soup is just as easy! I’ve already posted my favorite super-easy chicken noodle soup recipe. It’s simply chicken broth, chicken and veggies. Again, just boil, simmer then eat. Soup reheats perfectly and the flavors usually blend together to taste even better when reheated.

Similarly, beef stew is just beef bouillon, beef, water and veggies. You can season it to your preference. This will be a super easy dinner and an even yummier lunch.

Chili, soups and stews work so well when reheated because it completely eliminates the “soggy food” complaint. It is also very filling and not too messy to eat for lunch. In fact, you probably already purchase soup or chili for lunch at that overpriced cafe down the street!

Salads

Another easy lunch option is a salad. This involves a little bit more prep, but it is pretty easy to tear up some lettuce and put some chopped up veggies in a plastic container, then a side of salad dressing. There’s a zillion different veggies you can add to keep your salads from getting boring and redundant.

Sammiches

Lastly, we have sandwiches. Wait! Hear me out! One very easy way to punch up your sandwiches is by turning it into a wrap! Easy, right?

You can also change up your meats, cheese and, most importantly, the condiments. Instead of buying ham, try prosciutto. Put down the cheddar and try muenster. Also, using a spread like pesto or hummus adds a lot of depth to a lil’ old sandwich!

In Desperation…

Hey, if you’re really crunched for time, just throw a can of soup in your bag and you’re good to go!

Readers, I ask you… how do you keep your “brown bag” lunches from being boring?

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Thursday

I had shredded mini wheats for breakfast and some muffins, peanutbutter toast, yogurt and an apple for lunch. After work, I unwound for a little bit then drove 20 minutes to Candyland Crafts. This place is amazing for baking supplies! I wanted to look at their gift boxes/bags and some cookie cutters for holiday gifts. I didn’t get too carried away and actually only bought a pack of 20 cellophane treat bags for $2.25. I figure that if I need more, I will just go get them. Back home, I made spicy blackened chicken and parsley rice for dinner then chatted with my dad on the phone for a while. I spent the rest of the evening reading and relaxing.

Total Thursday Cost: $2.41

Spicy Blackened Chicken and Parsley Rice

Put 1C of rice, 1 can of chicken broth, 4T of butter and 1/4C of parsley into a rice cooker and start it cooking. Rinse and dry thin boneless chicken breasts, cover with my spicy cajun seasoning and cook on a george foreman grill for 5-8 minutes until cooked through. Serve chicken with the rice and provide bleu cheese or honey mustard dressing on the side for dipping.

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Wednesday

I had the leftover Mac N Cheese for dinner, it was just that good! Thankfully, I actually ended up finishing it off. Usually with large dishes like that, it takes me several days to get through all of it myself. While I was eating, I watched an episode of Everest: Beyond The Limit from Netflix Instant Watch. That show is nuts!

After thinking about how crazy it would be to climb Mt. Everest, I decided to make Banana Pumpkin Muffins to use up some old bananas my roomate donated to me. I made these a few weeks back but I wasn’t satisfied with how they turned out, so I made some scary adjustments and was almost expecting these to be duds. While the muffins baked, I cleaned up the kitchen. Once done baking, I took a taste test and they were super delicious!

Total Wednesday Cost: $0

Banana Pumpkin Muffins

In a large bowl, stir together 3 mashed bananas, 2 eggs, 4T softened butter, 1 1/3C canned pumpkin, 1/2C honey, 1t vanilla, and 1/2C white sugar. In a smaller bowl, mix 2 1/2C flour, 1t baking soda, 1t baking powder, 1/2t salt, 2t pumpkin pie spice, and 1t cinnamon. Then stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Use an ice cream scoop to pour the batter into greased muffin pans. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes.

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It was mentioned by Daniel of Sweating The Big Stuff, that even though I list my weekend expenditures, my weekly spending remains a mystery. I planned it this way because about 85% of all my spending occurs on the weekend. The only money I spend on a weeknight is either grocery shopping or paying bills. While this does help me to remain frugal, usually it’s just out of sheer laziness! However, I will begin to detail my weekly spending (and lack there of). I will do my best to make it as not-boring as possible.

Tuesday

After work, I tried out a new Mac N Cheese recipe. It turned out delicious! I watched the rest of The ‘Burbs and some Hulu. After, I wrote an $8 check to my roomate for the water bill. Then I did some writing, chatted with a friend and read before bedtime.

Total Tuesday Cost: $8 (Water Bill)

Mac N Cheese

Cook a box of pasta as normal. While that is cooking, shred 2C of any cheese you have. I used a mix of Meunster, Cheddar and Pepper Jack. Once the pasta is cooked, drain, then put back in pot. Stir in all the cheese, a can of evaporated milk, salt, pepper, paprika, and a teeeeeny bit of cayenne. Mix well then pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs on top. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. If you’re starving, snack on some cheese pieces while cooking!

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