Comments on: The Lunch Box Saver

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:40:40 +0000

One day when my work collegue and I were complaining about the coffee from the cafeteria, we decided to calculate how much money we could save by bringing in our own coffee.
By just replacing one “bought” coffee with a “home” coffee, we calculated that we could save $450.
However, who buys only one coffee?
My work collegue is trying to save money for her Christmas expenses and has begun bringing in her own instant coffee from home.
This was three weeks ago. On Friday, she said to me that she has never had so much money in her wallet before. Before she would take out money from the bank but because she wasn’t buying anything from the cafeteria, the money stayed in her wallet.

By: NKM

NKM — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:01:38 +0000

To Eleni - that’s a funny blog.

It’s summer now {in Ontario- don’t know what the rest of the country is in!} - how about salads - good hearty pasta salads loaded with fresh vegetables and grilled meats or green salads with a grilled chicken breast in it, etc. And if he complains after that - I agree with Susan - have him pack his own lunch for a week, that should turn him around.

PS - find the biggest fork you can for the salads - those tiny forks don’t cut it, even for my boys - I give them a regular dinner fork that they have to promise to bring back home or they know I’ll kill them.

By: Marie

Marie — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:11:32 +0000

The sandwich!
I have to make my sandwich interesting enough, especially because of the easy access to fastfood and cafeteria food where I work. Variety is important!
- vary the type of bread (white, whole wheat, grains, buns, wraps, etc)
- meat should be varied as well (bologna, salami, chicken, ham, and the more expensive flavoured - but yummy - meats)
I buy a variety of cold cuts every week in small quantities. I could buy cheaper, but temptation is too close.
My mantra on this: what is the least expensive way to make it happen!
(So it has to happen sustainable system!) It’s cheaper for me to buy the better meat than to eat out.

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:22:29 +0000

How about if you have him pack his lunch for a week or so? That way he can put in exactly what he wants. Maybe after a week or so your sandwiches will look really good.

By: Eleni

Eleni — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:29:51 +0000

My friends tell me my stories about the lunches I make my boyfriend are shocking and hilarious. So I thought I’d share them with this blog.
Just over a month ago my live-in boyfriend got a job as a delivery driver for a transport company (kinda like FedEx). I must explain, for eight hours each day he is on the road, he has no access a microwave or fridge. The truck he drives has no air conditioning, and it gets hot out there. He drives by fast food restaurants all the time, and I’m sure he is very tempted to go in and spend a small fortune on take out, but right now he is so new and trying to keep up with the heavy pace of the job, that he can’t afford to take a few minutes to go in and buy lunch. He usually doesn’t take a real lunch, rather, he tries to eat while driving or takes a bite here and there between deliveries.
I enjoy cooking and was looking forward to making him his lunch each day. He’s a big guy with a big appetite, and an even bigger appetite (addiction) for soft drinks. I went out and bought him the biggest insulated “lunch” bag I saw that could pass as a lunch bag and not as a camping cooler. Honestly, this thing is big enough to carry lunch for 6 people.
Since the job is new and I want him to do well, I’m not gonna start nagging him about his addiction to soft drinks until a few months have passed. So each day I happily load up the lunch bag with FIVE bottles of soda - those are the 710ml bottles (each equivalent to 2 cans). Also in the bag is a frozen bottle of water, which he only drinks on very hot days when he’s out of soda. I bought a special ice pack that has indents to fit between two rows of cans - it also squeezes nicely between my bottles of soda. I figured I had to save on space - once all the liquids are in the bag there’s only about one third of the bag left for food.
Ah, now for the food. I was blessed at first. I have a boyfriend who loves sandwiches! He told me he could eat a sandwiches three meals a day. Excellent! So his first week I made his three sandwiches and squeezed them into the lunchbag. Some days he ate all three, other days he brought back one and I made him eat it the following day for breakfast.
One mornings when I was low on bread and sandwich meat I got creative. I took some frozen breaded chicken burgers, cooked them that morning, cut them in half so they would fit into the hot-dog buns that I was using as bread, added mayo, mustard, relish, and tomatoes. I found a tupperware that would fit the hot-dog bun sandwiches. That day he called me at work. He said the sandwiches were the best he ever had. He felt like he was eating a BurgerKing Chicken Sandwiches. He asked me if I could always make his sandwiches on hot-dog buns…..ok.
Also in his lunch I throw in some pre-packaged snacks. Rice Krispie squares, granola bars, whatever I have. I sometimes I put a small baggie of nuts. One time I threw in an apple, he thought it was a joke. The only fruit he eats are dehydrated ones. He gets a baggie of dehydrated pineapples, and another one of dehydrated bananas. He rarely eats the snacks, but I have to leave them in his lunch bag in case he’s ever low on energy. It’s a very physical job and I have to make sure he’s in top shape.
My boyfriend handles boxes all day long. He comes home filthy. He doesn’t have access to a sink and soap to wash up before he eats. I looked at possible solutions to help him wash up. Those anti-bacterial hand sanitizing gels that don’t need water - well, where does the dirt go? Also, they smell too strong. Next, they sell those wipes at drug stores near the kleenex. I don’t like those because they come in a pack of 10 or 14 and knowing my boyfriend, he’d open the pack, use one and then somehow the rest would end up out of the pack and ruined. Also, they’re very expensive. I finally realized that those wet-wipes you get at restaurants after you’ve eaten chicken wings were the ideal choice. They’re individually wrapped - which is super for someone like my boyfriend, he can only ruin one at a time. I found a restaurant supply store and bought a box of 1000 - it cost $10.89 for the box!!! I usually throw a handful into his lunchbag.
Last week he came home after a very hot and hard day at work and told me that I would have to increase the amount of soda to SIX bottles. I was a little sad, this stuff is probably eating away at his insides and he wants more of it. I just smiled and told him no problem.
Then the other day he came home having only eaten one of two sandwiches I made him. he told me that he thinks he’s fed up of sandwiches! NOOOOOOOO!!! Sandwiches are the ideal lunch for someone with his type of work. He doesn’t have anywhere to heat up his lunch. He doesn’t have time to use a fork. Then I remembered this blog, Gail mentioned the Thermos. So off I went yesterday to Walmart. I was looking for something that could hold a good quantity of food - say a litre or so. Have y’all looked at the thermoses out there? Sure it looks nice and big on the outside, but when you open it up, it only holds about a cup of food. I bought two bowl-type thermoses. I showed them to my boyfriend and he shook his head - he doesn’t see himself using it, unless it’s for something easy to eat - like meatballs???
Tomorrow is Monday, and I think I will make him one sandwich and use one of the thermoses for a hot meal — but I’m kinda lost - it has to be something that won`t spill easily. Any suggestions?

By: Stephanie H

Stephanie H — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:10:53 +0000

I have always had a packed lunch for the most part. When I was a kid I would look at the lunch schedule for school and circle the days I wanted “hot lunch” and the other days I took mine. By about 3rd or 4th grade I had to make my own lunch which was fine with me because then I liked everything that was in it. In high school the food was so bad I took lunch nearly everyday. Then in college I would strategically plan left over before I went shopping on sunday. I ate on campus 2 days a week because I worked at the campus food court and they gave us a dollar amount to use for lunch. I also used this to my advantage. I usually had a few extra dollars so I would pick up a few non perishable items to eat later if I got snackish. Now that I work I still take left overs. Beyond the money that I save I am not in love with much fast food. For the most part the only days I eat out are when I am out of town for work.

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:57:47 +0000

That’s an awesome idea, Claire. Lunchables were always a treat when I was a kid, and I know I would’ve loved it if I could’ve had them more often–when it’s cheaper and better for you than the packaged version, it’s a no-brainer.

By: Claire

Claire — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:01:55 +0000

My beloved daughter saw the lunchables/snackables commercials on TV and just HAD to have those for lunch. After looking at what was in them (and noting all of the chemicals!) I bought items for each one. I have a box of crackers and deli meat and cheese to make stackers, pizza bases and homemade pizza sauce (tom paste and italian seasoning) with meat and cheese to make the pizza lunchable and it goes on. We even make Subway sandwiches for lunch…all courtesy of the grocery store. Those Jello puddings….yup mommified those too. There is pudding or “fruity jello” (canned fruit mixed with jello) that I make at the beginning of the week and put into small plastic tubs. Cost WAAAYYY less that the pre-made store bought one.

By: kristin

kristin — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:43:10 +0000

We do the lunch thing, always have. I’m part time now but my hubby and I are both paramedics and we bring our lunch boxes with us. During a twelve hour (usually longer) shift, sometimes you end up having 3 meals plus snacks at work. We are on the road, never in the same place with no scheduled breaks (if any at all), but we manage to have hot, nutritious meals and hot loose leaf tea throughout the day. Only thing, you must fork out cash for good cooler, tupperware and thermos upfront. but hey….
If we can manage to pack it with us and eat well under our circumstances, I am sorry but everyone else can too.
We always cook for 2 families, not one, freeze or store single servings. Lunches are usually prepared and stored in the fridge in Tupperware the day before, so all you have to do before you leave the house is put said lunch in the cooler with the ice packs. Way too lazy to do it right before the early morning shifts (would rather sleep or catch a cuddle with little babe).so must be done the night before to avoid the ‘well, i’ll just buy todays’s.
it can be done!

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:26:07 +0000

Like one of the other comments left, my husband and I sit down every Saturday morning and plan our meals for the week. We hit the grocery store once, and we buy what we need for the week. We cook enough for leftovers to use as lunches. Our splurge is frozen pizza fridays. $10 Frozen pizza at the grocery store sure beats the price of delivery. We also keep a few of the frozen dinners on hand for last minute lunches if we misplan, which saves us from having to purchase lunch out for $8 a day. I often cook 1 extra meal a week in the slow cooker and freeze it for those nights when we’re just too tired or busy to cook up a storm. Pull it out of the freezer and re-heat! It’s a system we have been using for over a year now, and it works wonderfully. We also pack up our lunch kits at night so in the morning we just grab it from the fridge.