Happy New Year! As ever, I am full of good intentions for New Year Revolutions ...which fade away mid January as old habits creep back in.
I found this article by Michael Cheary for Reed.co.uk on how much the average Brit spends on buying lunch! Definitely food for thought! Also, worth noting that many ready meals are higher in fats, sugar and salts than home made lunches...so also good for the health! I think that this price is quite conservative...the Sun Newspaper reported that the Average spend was £1580 a year...and this was back in 2018
'With the average UK employee spending an estimated £10-£15 on lunch every week, the money we spend on the middle meal of the day quickly adds up, with many of us paying in the region of £500 per year to appease our appetites.
But does making your own work out that much cheaper than grabbing lunch on the go? We set ourselves the £5 lunch challenge to find out…
Mon
Tomato soup with bread
Banana and raisins
£1.60
Tue
Tuna/egg mayo/cheese & onion sandwich
Apple and raisins
£0.76
Wed
Beans on toast
Orange and raisins
£0.60
Thu
Cornflakes with banana
Grapefruit and raisins
£0.96
Fri
Jacket potato with beans
Banana and raisins
£0.68
Total
£4.60
OK, so in comparison, the high street lunches may look slightly more appetising. However, not only do the meals work out much more expensive, they are all almost certainly higher in calories, salt and fat content. By taking your lunch to work with you, you know exactly what’s going in to your food, making it easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle and spend less money.
Of course, this plan is just an example of what you can save. There’s nothing wrong with being impulsive and treating yourself every once in a while, but if you head out for a hearty high street lunch simply out of habit, the money can quickly add up.
By downgrading to the budget option, you could save anywhere between £10 and £15 every week. And who couldn’t do with an extra £500 a year?
£500=
a week’s all inclusive holiday to the Algarve
A 47″ 3D HD TV
Tablet, eReader and MP3 Player
Brand new phone and contract for the year
