Easy Way to Save – Pack a Lunch

Sack Lunch and Piggy Bank

Saving money can be difficult for some people. They feel like there just isn’t enough to spare at the end of the month to put into a savings account. But by making small changes to your spending habits, you’ll see that saving money isn’t really that difficult.

For instance, how often to you buy lunch instead of making your own? Once a week? Every day? If we add up those daily purchases, you may be surprised at the cost per year.

Cost to buy your lunch every day

There are about 250 work days per year.
A lunch at a café or restaurant runs about $6.00 to $15.00.
If you eat lunch out every day, you’re spending between $1,500 to $3,750 per year.

Cost to brown-bag your lunch

Now, let's figure out how much it costs to make your own lunch.

If you buy lunch meat, bread, and a bag of chips, it will cost you about $10 and last you the whole week.
$10 ÷ 5 working days = $2.00 per lunch
$2.00 x 250 working days = $500 per year
If you packed your lunch every day, you’d save between $1,000 to $3,250 every year!

Put your Savings to Work

Now, let’s say you put the money didn't spend into a savings account every month.

$4.00 to $13.00 (money saved each day) x 20 working days = $80 to $260 per month.
If you put those dollars into an account that earns even 1% interest, compounded monthly, you’d have $1,046 to $3,399 saved in 12 months!

What better way to start brown-bagging and saving than National Pack Your Lunch Day! National Pack Your Lunch Day is celebrated on March 10 and encourages everyone across the country to take their lunch to work, school or wherever they’re spending the day. It’s an opportunity to revitalize lunchtime with fresh and healthful meal choices, all while saving a little extra cash.

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