Thursday, October 27, 2011

FREE LUNCH

It really is your money or your life, like the Book by Joe Dominguez says. It's not so much the money you make that's important. It's the money you spend that's critical. Pack your lunch. It takes a minute and if things are too hectic in the morning, then pack lunch the night before. There may be no free lunch but packing lunch comes pretty close. There are also health benefits to packing lunch. The food industry these days runs rampant adding extra salt, sugar and fat to everything we eat. That's why Americans are so fat these days. We have become addicted to the extra salt, sugar and fat in all our foods. The best way to avoid food rehab is to not get into the habit to begin with. Former Surgeon General David Kessler has a book about this issue. For sandwiches, RYE BREAD is the best because it has no added sugar. It's shocking how much sugar is added to a slice of bread. It can be anywhere from 3 -6 grams. 4 grams equals a teaspoon of sugar. Ever wonder why bread burns so easily in the toaster these days. Well, it's all that sugar. Stay away from the stuff. IT'S UNHEALTHY. Avocado and tomato sandwiches are great for the summer; cheese and lettuce are delicious in winter. Boiled eggs are also good and very portable.

I also recommend packing breakfast. Now if you travel by car taking your coffee is pretty easy, though I advise using a straw in order to keep your eyes on the road. But if you have the kind of commute I've had namely: a bus, a ferry, and two trains, then by all means pack a peanut butter sandwich and just buy the coffee when you get to work or patronize the free coffee bar if your employer has one. This can save a lot of money in the course of a year. Also it saves time in the end. I started packing lunch to save time. I would often have to wait ten minutes or more at the deli counter to buy my lunch. I would rather find a quiet place to put my feet up and maybe take a nap after a quick bite. I would also be more alert and productive that way because I wouldn't overeat. Save Money, Stay Young and Slender and be more alert.

When I was working, I was one of the few people in my department who packed lunch. We were all paid peanuts but I could take summers off and afford vacations because I didn't throw my money away at work. Do the math on the cost of Breakfast and Lunch out over the course of a year, the numbers are shocking.

4 comments:

  1. Elsa I think you should expand this blog into a book.

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  2. I also see a book! And take it on the road - along with the packed lunch and travel mug of coffee. What about those plastic water bottles...how awful that we pollute our environment with them! What a senseless waste of money and waste for the earth. What do you say Cherished Cheap Lady?

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  3. Buy a Water bottle and take your own drink. I'm all for that. And truly a lot of being a cheapo is environmentally sound as well. I like the idea of rescuing stuff from the landfill. My husband and I drive around sometimes and find stuff on the side of the road that we can and do re-use. Yes, we're garbage pickers. One time I found a coffee can full of pennies. Who throws away money? People do. It's amazing. We've gotten some pretty cool stuff out of the garbage, saving it from the dump

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  4. Buy a water bottle, or better yet a small thermos. It keeps cold water cold and coffee hot. Fill your bottle up at the water cooler, but make sure the lips of the bottle don't touch the spout of the water cooler.

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