If you are clipping and using grocery coupons to save on your grocery bills to stay within a budget each month, you know the importance of cutting your spending in other areas, too.

You are most certainly familiar with the routine. The clock on the wall in the office says noon and the usual group of coworkers decide where to have lunch. In many modern offices in cities and towns, where the driving time to the nearest eatery takes up a good portion of the lunch hour, not to mention adding wear and tear to the car and using up gas for the car.

It’s difficult to find a decent lunch for fewer than ten bucks including tip. You swallow your food, share a few laughs with coworkers and run back to the office wishing you could take a nap somewhere.

As you make your way back to your desk, you notice this gal putting away his brown paper bag. She seems calm, happy and ready to get back to work, some of which he apparently did while enjoying his lunch and thinking how delicious it was, the hassle she avoided by eating at she desk, and how much money she saved.

But is the money you save really worth the time and effect needed to prepare and bring your lunch to work each day? Let’s take a few minutes to do the math to see how much money you can save.

For example, let’s say you can fix your own lunch at a cost of about $3.50 a day. It’s probably much cheaper if you are buying in bulk and using grocery coupons. That works out to $17.50 for a five day work week.

And let’s say you spend $10.00 per lunch eating out five day a week, which comes to $50.00 each week, not counting wear and tear on the car and gas money.

The difference comes to $32.50 each week that you are spending on lunch with the gang. That works out to $1,625 a year. Is that money that you could use for something else more essential?

A great way to get started with brown bagging your lunch is to talk people you know who are already doing it. But here are some tips to get you rolling:

Prepare the lunch the night before so you’re not hurried in the morning. You don’t want to be stressed early in the morning over what you will be eating for lunch. Keep the menu simple but be creative and prepare something different everyday, and always think healthy. Simple sandwiches with whole gain breads are fine, but try to include some nuts, at least a serving of fruit or yogurt. Also, brown bag a treat for yourself that you can look forward to, maybe a health bar or your favorite snake.

Keep your brown bag lunches in mind when you are shopping for your groceries, which means planning ahead and buying in bulk. Instead of buying small individual packaged bags something which usually cost more, buy it in large packages and divide up smaller portions and put them in smaller re-sealable plastic bags.

If you don’t like sandwiches or you prefer home cooked meals, plan to cook larger than normal dinners and save some “left over” for lunch either for the next day or the whole week. Put the lunches in individual containers the night before so you can brown bag it and go the next morning.

Even with all the planning, you’re bound to be running late on some mornings or just don’t have time to prepare lunch the night before. There’s nothing wrong with occasionally eating out a can once in awhile. Leave a can of soup or vegetable chili at the office. Most offices have at least a small kitchen with toaster ovens or microwaves that you can use for heating up your soups.

Don’t forget to bring your drink. Don’t rely on the soda venting machines that are also in the office kitchens. You can stock up on a 12-pack of soda for as little as 10 cents a can. Of course, you can always just drink water, which is usually free provided by the office, with your lunch.

Depending on your work load, you may or may not want to have working lunches. That’s up to you. The time is your time and you can use it to catch up on personal emails or just take a break from work. You just may find that you are more relaxed, less hurried and more productive. Don’t be surprised if your coworkers come to you for tips on brown bagging their lunch.

There are lots of good points to brown bagging your lunch: You eat healthier, save time and money, and you’re more productive. Now you have a new task of figuring out where in your budget to allocate the money you saved.

About the author of this article:

If you are interest in learning how to save money buying your grocery items for your brown bag lunch by using grocery coupons, visit www.couponsforgroceriessite.com, where you will find ideas on where to find free grocery coupons to print from home.

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