Easy, Healthy, and Cheap Brown Bag Lunches

I know you've heard it a million times but packing a lunch saves SO MUCH money! How much money? Let's do a quick estimate:

Let's say that the average cost of a take-out lunch in NYC is about $6, and that's being very conservative. If you buy lunch every weekday, that's $30 a week. That may not seem like a lot but if you could cut that cost in half and packed lunches that cost around $3, you'd save almost $800 a year. 

One of the biggest deterrents to packing a lunch is that there simply is not enough time and brown bag lunches are tasteless. I've been packing a lunch (and sometimes a dinner too) almost everyday for the last three years and I've got it down to a science. Most of the lunches I pack don't involve cooking and can be thrown together in 15 minutes or less.

Read on for some of my go-to options:

How to Keep Your Tab Small When Dining with Friends

Let's be honest, having a social life and being on a budget is really hard sometimes. It seems like every time I hang out with my friends I end up spending money, especially on dining out. It's a tough situation because I don't want to miss out on spending time with my friends but I also know that I only have so much disposable income to spend on eating out.  When there's a get together at a restaurant that's a little out of my price range or if I've already spent the bulk of my "going out" money, I follow a few simple tricks to keep my dinner bill small so I don't have to miss out on the fun.

Enjoying a low-cost meal with friends...notice the bowl of soup!

1. Stick with water- That Sprite or Coke just tacks on an extra $2 to the price of your meal. You could buy a whole liter of the stuff for the same price!

2. Order an appetizer as your entree- Appetizers are almost always less expensive than entrees. Look for ones that are meant to be shared by the table like calamari or a pizzetta. You'll get an ample amount of food without breaking the bank.

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3. Order the soup!- I am a huge fan of ordering soup as my entree. Substantially cheaper than an entree, most restaurants feature a soup of the day that usually come in a hearty portion with a side of bread. 

4. Opt for dessert elsewhere- Yes, that cheesecake looks amazing, but is it really worth $5 dollars? Probably not. If I really need a sugar fix after dining out, I buy a candy bar on my way home. It's a much cheaper way to satisfy my sweet tooth.

There you have it, by following these tips you can enjoy the time you're spending with friends instead of worrying about how much it's costing you. And remember, don't over-restrict yourself. If you're dying to try a signature big-ticket dish at a new restaurant or heard rave reviews about a dessert on the menu, go for it!  Use these tips for those times when the food is less of a priority than the people you're with.