Can You Guess How Much Money You Save By Bringing Lunch To Work Every Day?

It's nearly impossible to get through the workday without eating something. Come lunchtime, our stomachs are rumbling, concentration fades, and a lunch break is a welcome distraction. Some people bring lunch to work while others order in or go out for their lunch break. Over the course of a year, how much money do people who bring their lunch save over those who buy it every day?

First, let's calculate the average price of a lunch brought from home. Let's say that two slices of store-bought white bread costs about 50 cents. A sandwich-size portion of deli meat will cost about two dollars, a slice of Kraft American cheese costs about 16 cents, and a squirt of mustard or mayo costs about five cents. With a piece of fruit on the side averaging, say, 35 to 40 cents, that all adds up to about $3.50 per home-made lunch. That's $17.50 per week, $70 per month, $840 per year if you don't take any days off.

If you decide to buy lunch every day, you can find yourself paying on average anywhere from around five bucks to more than $10.  Let's just say that the average lunch bought costs about $7. That's $35 per week, $140 per month, and a whopping $1,680 per year, exactly twice as much as bringing lunch from home.

Do the math, and you'll see that bringing lunch from home can save you on average $840 per year. The math proves it: Buying lunch costs double what bring it from home would cost.