I also go by Mariam Shoaib. Like to talk about Technology, Education,Financial Literacy + how they impact the lives of women. Writer, Editor, Podcaster.

May 6, 2016

Lunch @ Work

#30DaysSmartSavingsChallenge

Eating Lunch at Work

You spend a minimum of 320 hours a week at the office. Out of those 320 hours, you lucky folks getting an hour off spend up to 25 ‘grabbing a bite to eat’. Ever realize that choosing what and where to eat your lunch may be one of the most significant financial decisions you make? on a daily basis?

Getting Delivery

As the second cup of chai wears off, it’s already 12:30pm and my mind wanders towards lunchtime. Should I order in ? Ordering in saves time, almost an hour as my office is smack-dab in the middle of Lahore’s commercial centre, and lunch-time coincides with school buses trucking children home.

I would much rather walk around the university park, say hello other colleagues (positive social interaction), get my daily ‘steps’ in and get a break from the screen. Staying active during the day has lead to the ‘Walking Meeting’ movement around the globe.

It usually takes a minimum of 30 minutes to get a sub from the nearest deli delivered. I save 30 minutes by getting food delivered to my desk. Like the saying goes, Time is money! Other Benefits? I don’t waste gas/petrol, stress out about getting back to the office or overspend by grabbing an extra helping at the lunch buffet.

If I order in a submarine sandwich from a local deli via the EatOye Website/App it’ll cost me *Rs. 280.Assuming I order in a different submarine sandwich 5 days a week, the math would look like this:

(Rs. 280 x 5) x 4 Weeks = Rs.5,600 for a month’s worth of Food Delivery at the office.

That doesn’t even include a drink, a side like chips or the tip to the delivery guy. This is the daily special price, if I choose my favorite Turkey Club — lunch will cost me more- roundabout Rs.100 more per sandwich.

Take this number and calculate the percentage you spend on delivery from your take-home pay.

Canteen at the Workplace

There is only one item on the canteen’s menu that I would plan my day around — that’s the butter chicken biryani ( for about Rs.2 50 with yogurt raita). It is divine — however not exactly the healthiest meal to have on the daily basis.

So that we have a fair comparison, and pretending I have a stomach lined with steel, let’s calculate the damage of eating from the canteen’s menu on a daily basis for a month.

(Rs.250 x5) x 4 Weeks = Rs.5,000 for a month’s worth of Canteen Food for lunch.

Bringing a Packed Lunch from Home

The other alternative is packing lunches for the entire week on Sunday night. I usually prepare one of the following for an office lunch:

chicken tikka salad with home-made dressing
egg salad sandwich
three-bean salad(chickpeas, black-eyed peas and red beans with home-made thousand island dressing)

These are healthy and affordable lunch options that take 15 minutes to prepare, max! Purchasing groceries for just the packed lunches, including chicken from the butcher’s shop, comes to about Rs. 197 per meal.

This Week’s shopping for Packed Lunches

Loaf of Bread: Rs. 49
Dozen Eggs: Rs. 97
Local Cheese (1/2 kg): Rs. 230
Onion (1/2 kg): Rs. 25
Lettuce (1 head): Rs.34
Tomatoes (1 kg): Rs. 71
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless): Rs.342
Chickpeas (uncanned, 1 kg): Rs. 135

Total: Rs. 983

Rs. 983/ 5 lunches a week = Rs. 197 per packed lunch

(Rs. 197 x 5) x 4 Weeks = Rs. 3,932 for a month’s worth of Packed Lunches from Home.

Out of the three options, the healthiest option is the Packed Lunches! As for being smart about the rupees, Packed Lunches save me a clean Rs.1,000 on a monthly basis. Add that up over a year (Rs.12,000) and I can treat myself to a new smartphone, or a designer handbag!

I like the sound of that!

What is my ideal ‘Lunch @ Work’ formula that saves me money and is healthy to eat?

It’s packing a lunch three days a week, getting lunch from the canteen on Wednesdays, and ordering in from a deli once a week.

How do I keep track of my money? That’s what I’ll be sharing with you in tomorrow’s post.

*This is the Pakistani Rupee (click for today’s exchange rate).

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Day 3 / 30 Day Smart Savings Challenge