Coral and Alix made me a sandwich birthday cake for my 27th birthday, cuz I love sandwiches so much!
Inspired by Krystal at Work’s commitment to packing her lunch to work 9 out of every 10 work days, I present The Sandwich Project.
What’s up?
I want to try and squeeze some money out of budget and make my life more streamlined. Buying lunch at work is a waste. As my old man likes to point out, he makes a kadrillion more dollars a year than I do, and he packs a lunch!
Krystal started packing her lunch at the end of ’09 to see if she could do it and what she might save. I don’t recall seeing the savings, but for me it should be substantial. I figure, maybe half of what I currently spend.
But why didn’t I do this before?
Lazy mostly, like to be spoiled… yup that too. Cost, I wasn’t convinced that it would necessarily be cheaper… and for sure not a better quality of lunch. But that is crazy bullshit that lives in my head.
I was buying sandwiches. WTF right? Bread, meat, cheese, veggies. I can do that.
Krystal allowed herself a bought lunch on paydays. I get two of those a month. Sounds like a fair play.
A roadblock that I throw up is waste. I hate waste. Food waste is like The Olympics… I am lighting money on fire. I don’t just hand my money to the garbage can normally (Madelyn however, well she’s a stasher and if she finds my wallet, money walks to weird places).
Before I would get all gung-ho on “packed lunches,” go to the grocery store, buy all this stuff and seriously, days later I’d stop and buy lunches, then the end of the week I’d be tossing rotting goo into the garbage bin.
David Eleanor turned me on to the big Tupperware thing with a drip tray. Lock your lettuce in there, lives forever. At least a work week. Pre-chop some veggies, Subway style and lock them in airtight container in the fridge, they should last too.
Quality is the last obstacle… but heck, I was a sandwich artist professionally for years! I am the Chris Pronger of Sandwich, I can rock a sandwich. What sets the restaurants apart from you and me, I believe… is bread. That might take some time to dial in. I like Bond’s Bakery, but they aren’t near my house… so this week, its Safeway Sandwich Kaisers and French baguettes.
So here is the plan. Each week, I’ll design my menu (likely the same thing every day, at least to start), buy my groceries for lunch, and make it and eat it… then blog it. My goal will be to get my cost-per-lunch down to $5 a day. If the 12-year-olds making sneakers can live off like $2 a day, I can live off a $5 meal.
Likely my sandwiches will be pretty basic to get going. I hope to learn to make more interesting subs and the like as I progress. Make the microwave my bitch.
Week 1 Grocery Bill
.870 kg Trail Mix = $6.87
340 grams Turkey Breast = $8.13
1 cucumber = $2.29
Red lettuce = $1.49
4 Granny Smith Apples = $2.95
mmm Horseradish Cheese = $3.63
Almond Granola Bars = $3.99
Artisan Buns and Rolls = $1.28
I think that is everything. After taxes and my Safeway discount it worked out to $29.61 for 3 work lunches and a Saturday. Already above $5 a day.
BUT I bought more trail mix than I need and more granola bars, so next Monday will be my real test. I might be able to do better on lunch meat too. IN the summer veggies will be in season and I hope that helps a bit too.
Coffee and water are provided at my work, so water it must be (I might pack some change for a pop or chocolate sometimes too).
So, Turkey and cheese bunes with lettuce and cucumber, with an apple, trail mix and a granola bar. That’s lunch this week. Next update, Wednesday when we’re back from Vancouver. Just a two day work week to pack a lunch.
Go with yourself.
The Morning After 