One way that money slips through
our fingers without our realizing
it is by eating out at lunch
every day.
Did you know that by taking
your lunch 3 days a week instead
of eating out, you could save
as much as $800 a year? Think
what you could do with that
much extra money!
Your lunch doesn't have to
be a sandwich and chips, either.
With just a little bit of
creativity and planning, brown
bag lunches can be pretty
delicious!
Try these ideas for starters:
Invest in a few of those 1-serving
plastic storage containers
with lids. These are so handy--when
you have just one serving
left of any dish at dinner,
put it in one of these dishes.
Designate a shelf in the fridge
for these leftovers. In the
mornings, anyone in the family
can choose what to put in
their lunch bag!
Those little containers can
also be used to hold dip for
carrot or celery sticks; fill
with peanut butter and pack
a zipper bag of pretzels for
dipping. Maybe salsa for dipping
tortilla chips (not so healthy,
but really good!)
Or make your own pudding cups
with your homemade pudding!
Fill tortillas or pita pockets
with egg or tuna salad.
Spread cream cheese on a tortilla,
add a little salsa, and top
with sliced turkey or ham.
Place another tortilla on
top, cut in fourths and put
in zipper top bag.
A good way to carry deviled
eggs (that lunchbox staple)--
after filling, put the two
halves back together, and
wrap in plastic wrap or put
in a small container!
Muffins hold up well in a
lunch bag or box as do slices
of banana nut bread, or most
any other quick bread. Great
for morning or afternoon breaks.
Of course, if your workplace
has a microwave oven,(lucky
you!)you can always bring
leftover soup, stew or chili.
A quick recipe for Chicken
Corn Chowder:
1 pouch Chicken Noodle Soup
Mix with diced chicken
2 1/4 cups milk
1 can cream-style corn
Combine all ingredients in
saucepan; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until
noodles are tender, uncovered,
stirring frequently, because
it will stick!
Mix this up in the evening
or on the wekend and store
in serving-size containers.
Just grab a container in the
morning, along with some crackers,
and you're good to go!
Try some of these ideas for
your lunches this week and
start saving some money!
And at the same time, you'll
have the satisfaction of knowing
that you and/or your spouse
will be having a more nutritious
meal than you would get at
a fast-food restaurant.
Cyndi Roberts is the editor
of "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another"
bi-weekly newsletter, bringing
you creative, practical tips
to help you with budgeting,
cooking, shopping, parenting
and much more as you strive
to "live the Good Life...
on a budget". To subscribe
visit the "1 Frugal Friend
2 Another" website at http://www.cynroberts.com
frugal_friend1@yahoo.com
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