Do you bring packed lunches to work?

Pyr0 · 02-09-2009 01:58PM

I try my best to bring in lunch whenever I can or limit myself to small but filling food from the work canteen or the shop around the corner. I only really spoil myself in the last two weeks If i have plenty of money left over (paid monthly).

02-09-2009 02:13PM

I try to bring lunch with me but soup is €1 in my canteen and every day there is a meal for €2.85, could be chicken and rice one day, chilli and a baked potato the next. Most days there is a type of fish and lots of choices of veg (this is a bit dearer). Rolls are 3.10 with a cup of tea for 10cent so although it would be cheaper to bring lunch every day it just seems more hassle than it's worth most of the time.

aligator_am · 02-09-2009 02:25PM

I think it's interesting when you actually add up the amount of money lunches cost from Spar / Londis etc. it's pretty mad, even €5 a day works out at about €100 per month!

I try to bring in lunch most days although the odd time I'll get something in the shop (I'm looking at you, breakfast roll :P)

Another one that baffles me a bit is the fact that there's a subsidised "tea club" where I work, €3 per week and you can drink as much tea / coffee as you like and yet the amount of people I see each day with cups of coffee from Butler's shop up the road is bonkers, considering their about €3 a pop =/

missmatty · 02-09-2009 02:38PM

Would bring in lunch maybe 3 days a week, go to our subsidised canteen one day and then usually Fridays go out for lunch as a treat. Saves a fortune

Before we relocated to our current location we went out every day and i would have breakfast in a local cafe as well. I would say that cost me about 65E a week altogether :eek:

petes · 02-09-2009 02:41PM

I don't usually but I am going to try and start. Spending five to six euro on lunch every day is far too much!

Ruu_Old · 02-09-2009 02:43PM

I bring my own salad and there is often bagels or fruit for free in the staff room.

Snoochiboochies · 02-09-2009 02:47PM

I always intend on making my lunch, but due to the lack of time and rushing out the door in the morning I never get around to it and I'm too tired at night to do it. I know its a pathetic excuse, but thats just how it is:)

I'm spending way too much mula on lunches during the week, I'd much prefere to spend a 1/3 of my wages on something worthwhile rather than pricy dining....

We have a fridge at work but no microwave which is a pain, Cause I like a hot lunch....

Anyone got any good suggestions on what is cold, filling, healthy and cheap to prepare????

petes · 02-09-2009 02:57PM

Snoochiboochies wrote: »

Anyone got any good suggestions on what is cold, filling, healthy and cheap to prepare????

Some kind of cold pasta dish. Think there are some ones to try on the cooking forum.

galah · 02-09-2009 03:02PM

hm, today's canteen menu:

mushroom soup, honey-glazed ham with cranberry jus & three veg, and pear strudel with sauce anglaise.

All free.

02-09-2009 03:05PM

No. I work as a waitress, the chefs give me food!

lisbon_lions · 02-09-2009 03:10PM

Lia_lia wrote: »

No. I work as a waitress, the chefs give me food!

They're just trying to fatten you up for the festive season.

02-09-2009 03:32PM

I bring lunch with me at least 4 days a week. I just throw all the bits a bag to save time, bread, ham/tuna, coleslaw, fruit and make my sandwiches up at lunch. I always toast the bread too so it would be hard to make them at home. We have two fridges too so I can even bring enough stuff for a few days and leave it there. I save a lot of money doing this. I usually have a big hot chicken roll on a friday.

If rolls were not such an crazy price I wouldnt bother bringing lunch but the prices are ridiculous. A hot chicken roll is 4.30 in the centra near work and 5.50 for a roll in another shop thats crazy money. Plenty of places have deals now with a roll for 2:50 or 3euro but not around me. A roll bursting with stuff should be no more than 2:50 imo.

JONJO THE MISER · 02-09-2009 04:14PM

:(If i was working i would.

Gavin "shels" · 02-09-2009 04:20PM

Nearly always brought lunch to school, and will be doing so when I start college next week most of time. Effort of queues and the over priced processed sandwiches.

the_syco · 02-09-2009 04:37PM

thorbarry wrote: »

i Usually make a sambo the night before, and then pick up some fruit in the shop. I'd usually treat myself for lunch maybe once a week (by treat i mean, someone at the deil counter making my sambo/ wrap)

My weekly treat is dominos

:cool:

flo8s967qjh0nd · 02-09-2009 04:38PM

I bring my lunch most days, except for an occasional treat when I might pop to tesco or the canteen.

If you're worried about preperation time in the morning, just bring the components of a lunch and put them together at lunch. Aldi do excellent little tins of tuna for 60c and its perfect on a few slices of bread. Add a piece of fruit, yoghurt and something sweet to have with your coffee and thats your lunch sorted.
Aldi also do very nice 5-minute rice dishes for 49c that you can throw into the microwave. Salads and soups are also nice, they just take a little bit more time to prepare. Last nights dinner is also handy if you have some left over.

TPD · 02-09-2009 04:54PM

My college is across the road from a KFC, down the road from a Topaz, and a minutes drive from 2 Subways and a McDonalds. It also has a canteen.

So no, I don't bring my own lunch. Haven't yet got bored of the selection around me.

I'm an unhealthy fcuker now though.

Mr Benevolent · 02-09-2009 05:09PM

Never did when I was working a few months ago. Soon as I get a job I'll be bringing my own in though.

m3llowship · 02-09-2009 05:21PM

I bring a lunch almost every day. Usually a banana or apple, some brown bread, some ham or chicken, cheery tomatoes, a piece of cheese. And a bag of dried fruit and nuts.

Had a bit of a health scare about 3 years ago and changed my ways ever since!

Neamhshuntasach · 02-09-2009 05:43PM

Nah but i bring work to packed lunches. I pay people to make sandwiches for me.

whadabouchasir · 02-09-2009 05:45PM

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

Nah but i bring work to packed lunches. I pay people to make sandwiches for me.

Do you have any idea how middle class that makes you sound?!

Gummy Panda · 02-09-2009 07:15PM

Sometimes but there is a marks and spencers near me. I do like their bangers and mash for €2

Neamhshuntasach · 02-09-2009 07:50PM

whadabouchasir wrote: »

Do you have any idea how middle class that makes you sound?!

Upper middle class, thank you very much.

Looking for work?

donkey balls · 02-09-2009 08:42PM

being making my own sambos the last three years also bring crisps chocolate bars etc and two 2litre bottles of water depending on how long my day will be.

yoshytoshy · 02-09-2009 08:57PM

My favourite is chopped tomatoes ,sweetcorn ,onion and tuna in a wrap.

8 large wraps are a little over a euro in tesco.

OneArt · 02-09-2009 09:07PM

Hah. I work in a restaurant so I can eat whatever I want for free. Well except steak. Gorgeous food, too. Mmm.

i didn't do it · 02-09-2009 09:14PM

normally finished work by lunch time. i start REAL early so just get the large breaky roll at work €3 for 2 sas 2 ras 2 egg 2 pudd 1 hash. i coudn't make that for any cheaper

Sofiztikated · 02-09-2009 09:26PM

Packed lunches are always my complete poverty option.

Only ever worked a job where I had to pay for lunch for about 6 months. I think I brought a packed lunch twice. And usually, what I make for lunch, I don't want at lunch time, pernickitty ****er, I am.

Gordon · 02-09-2009 09:32PM

Packed lunch +1, plus bring ground coffee to work to filter and apple/banana smoothie for lunch drinkie.

To save time I slice tomatoes (and make chicken mayonnaise for sandwiches or other sandwich fillers) and tupperware them, and make my smoothie for the next day while I am making my dinner for that night.

Blush_01 · 02-09-2009 09:44PM

I walk to work, so the idea of spending my entire lunchbreak walking to the shop and back to have no time for actual eating doesn't make sense, and we have no canteen as such in work, although bread, butter (well, an imitation), milk, tea, coffee and sugar are provided FOC.

I've brought lunch every day since I started working where I am. One day I didn't like what I had, and one of the guys was going to the chipper, so I got a bag of chips. Another day a new girl started and didn't know where the shop was, so I showed her - she drove - and I got a portion of wedges. Other than that, I haven't bought "lunch" in a year and a half.

I go through phases of putting lots of effort in, and then doing nothing and just buying a carton of soup or some yogurts to bring in. For the past few weeks I've been great at bringing in lunch, but I had scrambled eggs, feta cheese, broccoli and green pepper for dinner this evening (nicer than it sounds!) and so I'll probably bring in some oats and raisins and make porridge in the microwave. Yummy!

Do you bring packed lunches to work?

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