How much will that sandwich cost you: Consumer Web Site of the Week
Here's a humorous site that supports the notion that brown-bagging it will save you money.
Rod Cockerham measured the amounts of each sandwich component he enjoys --- mayo, deli meats, veggies --- and determined that a homemade PBJ or roast-beef-and-cheese will cost far less than whatever Subway, Quiznos or Panera will charge you.
To prove it to his loyal readers at Cockeyed.com, he developed a sandwich price calculator with drop-down menus for different ingredients of his choosing. Check out his analysis of how much is inside a sandwich.
Although he does factor in the spoilage factor on his fresh lettuce and tomatoes, there is one important cost element Cockerham has neglected:
TIME.
It takes time to make lunch. Time to buy ingredients at the store and time to assemble it in portable reusable containers ... and a little planning to make sure it actually makes the trip with you to lunch or school.
But friends, there are ways to reduce the amount of time it takes --- and the amount of money it costs.
Forget buying sandwich ingredients just for brown-bagging purpose. You could pack up leftovers from dinner the night before in a container as you're cleaning up, and simply pull that out of the fridge in the morning.
Despise leftovers? Well, okay --- maybe you could also transmogrify some items as sandwich filling or salad topping, which would still be cheaper than buying deli meat.
Over at I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Ramit Sethi suggests eliminating passive barriers by starting to pack your lunches for the week as soon as you get home from the grocery store -- put a piece of fruit and chips/cookie in one of several bags, and then leave those partially stuffed bags ready for final additions on the day of departure.
What tricks or tips help you cut down on lunchtime costs?
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week
