When I worked a traditional job, I would bring my lunch to work. However, often that lunch sat in the refrigerator while I went out to lunch instead. What happened? Why did I spend money on lunch when I had a packed lunch waiting for me? I realized there were a few reasons I chose to go out, and I used what I learned to avoid eating out at work. As a result, in the last few years I held my traditional job, I didn’t eat out much. Here’s what I realized.
I Wanted Camaraderie
My office mate and I would go out to lunch twice a week. We wanted to get off campus and have a space to talk about our day and vent if need be.
Later, we started packing lunches and eating outside. We could talk, vent, and enjoy the nice weather. However, when the weather was cold, we would resort to eating out about once a week. Of course, once she quit and moved away, I stopped going out to eat all together.
I Needed a Break from the Office
The office can begin to feel small when you’re there all day. To combat this feeling, I started taking walks on my lunch break. I had a beautiful campus to stroll through, and the walk made me feel better both mentally and physically. I ate my lunch when I came back from my walk.
I Was Stressed and Wanted “Good” Food
The biggest problem was that the food I packed might look good in the morning before I left for work, but by lunchtime, it was no longer appealing. I remedied this situation in two ways:
Pack Good Lunches
Sandwiches can get old quickly. So, I started packing leftovers like tacos with lettuce, tomato, guacamole, and rice and beans on the side. Was it a bit elaborate for a sack lunch? Sure. That was the point. If I wanted to avoid eating out at work, I had to make my food from home as appealing as the food I wanted to eat at restaurants.
Pack Many Snacks
In addition, I started packing a lot of snacks. The non-perishable ones stayed in my desk drawer, and I refrigerated the other ones. Then, if I decided I didn’t want the lunch I packed that day, I could always eat my snacks. Or, if I got hungry at 3 p.m., I had a variety of snacks to choose from, one of which would surely fit my mood. This eliminated the need to hit the vending machine.
Final Thoughts
If you’re spending too much money eating out for work, decide why you feel the need to do so. Then, find other ways to meet that need besides spending money eating out daily. If you can learn how to avoid eating out at work, you can save one hundred dollars or more a month and use that money for some other fun experience or to invest so you can retire from your 9 to 5 quicker!
Read More
3 Ways to Save Money Eating Out
Why I Dined Out Constantly & How I Stopped
Melissa Batai
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her reading a good book, cooking, or traveling. She resides in New York where she loves the natural beauty of the area.
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