where do you guys head out to eat on the cheap? I don’t really have time – or skills – to make my lunch at home so I eat out a lot for lunch. And it’s taking a toll on my wallet.
My current thing is to head to Burger King and pick up one or two things from their 99 cent value menu. Really can’t beat that. It’s frickin freezing out today so I picked up a bowl of chilli and a baked potato. Not too shabby.
Taco Bell. Two hard tacos and a burrito supreme. If you don’t buy the drink it’s about $4, and very filling.
Do you eat out for dinner? You could start ordering or making a little extra and taking the leftovers for lunch.
Mmm, I’m a very big fan of water- it’s a cheap low-cal way of passing your lunch break, actually a part of the latest diet I…
Right-o, I’m full of crap apparently, but when I don’t pack I find that a lot of lunchtime choices are dictated by location. I have a subway REALLY close to work, so a sweet onion and chicken teriyaki sandwich sound pretty darn good most days. I’m also a fan of Sizzlin’, they have good soup most days.
Cher’s, in downtown Salt Lake City. You can get a great bowl of fried rice for about 2 bucks.
Of course, since I no longer live in Utah, I’d have to factor in the $350 or so round-trip air fare . . .
I usually just bring frozen dinners in and nuke 'em.
…and I’m in Southern California. I’m posting from the morning class, which ends in about forty-five minutes, after which, I will ride my bike to a high school campus approximately four miles distant. I’ve got thirty minutes to make the trip, and am fortunate enough to have a teacher who will allow us to eat in the classroom.
I stop at a Ralph’s supermarket, and pick up a three ounce package of chipped deli meat (69 cents with my store club card). Then I go to the bakery section and pick up a bolillo roll (25 cents). I ask the nice lady behind the counter at the service deli to give me some individual serving packets of mustard and mayonnaise, which she does (free). I pay for my purchases, and head to the vending machine at the front door, and pay fifty cents for a chilled Shasta[sup]TM[/sup] soda, in the flavor of my choice.
Hop back on the bike, pedal to the campus, sit down in the classroom, tear open the roll, and add the meat and condiments. Crack open the soda, and there’s lunch, for $1.44.
YMMV.
Do you have a refrigerator at work? I like to shop once a week, buy bread, squeezable mayo, meat, and cheese and then store them at the work fridge. That way I can make an easy lunch every day for 2-3 bucks. Plus you don’t have to go out in the freezing cold for lunch.
If you go to any fast food joint, remember that most of them sell their hamburgers at a loss and make it up on cheese, fries and drinks. You can go almost anywhere and get a good hamburger without cheese, no fries and a water for dirt cheap.
I work at a college. Their cafeteria is open to staff for $3 – all you can eat.
It’s hard to pass that up. And the food isn’t bad, for cafeteria food.
Most of the supermarkets in this part of the world have plate lunches in their deli departments that are reasonable. If you’re just looking to throw something at the hunger pangs the convenience stores usually have the hotdog & chips deal for a couple of bucks.
Sometimes I make a big Sunday supper and leftovers for lunch.
Mon-thu I usually have a sandwich, some chips (I buy a big bag and put some in a container) and some sort of dessert (pudding, cookies, whatever). It takes me ~2min to assemble and no skills needed.
Brian
too cheap to eat out