Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
lazydavid
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by lazydavid »

tj wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:40 am Interesting. My parents always told me 2 to 3 days max on meat in the fridge.
UNcooked. Even that's gotten longer with better packing techniques. We grocery shop only on the weekend.
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CyclingDuo
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by CyclingDuo »

KlangFool wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:00 pm
LiterallyIronic wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:53 am

Still seems weird to base your retirement on "personal and professional considerations" rather than financial, though. :shock:
LiterallyIronic,

It is financial. At a median income of 150K, spending 600+K in the house will kill your savings much more than the $10 to $20 lunch.

KlangFool
Yes, in that case. Ouch.

However, for the rest don't forget that the big three are:

1. Housing
2. Transportation
3. Food

Getting all three right are the key to wealth accumulation. Get one wrong, you might still be fine. Get two wrong, and good luck. Get all three wrong - and forget about it! Klang, your example is one who really gets it wrong on the housing issue. So wrong, that it wipes out all three items where a $2 lunch vs. a $10 lunch won't help much at all.
"Save like a pessimist, invest like an optimist." - Morgan Housel | "Pick a bushel, save a peck!" - Grandpa
mega317
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by mega317 »

BanquetBeer wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2017 9:08 pm Friend in college was selling blood to get by. Was rejected for too much chicken specific proteins in his blood.
What? They don't test for "chicken-specific proteins". Don't use bogus medicine to give advice.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by VictoriaF »

CyclingDuo wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:09 pm
KlangFool wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:00 pm
LiterallyIronic wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:53 am

Still seems weird to base your retirement on "personal and professional considerations" rather than financial, though. :shock:
LiterallyIronic,

It is financial. At a median income of 150K, spending 600+K in the house will kill your savings much more than the $10 to $20 lunch.

KlangFool
Yes, in that case. Ouch.

However, for the rest don't forget that the big three are:

1. Housing
2. Transportation
3. Food

Getting all three right are the key to wealth accumulation. Get one wrong, you might still be fine. Get two wrong, and good luck. Get all three wrong - and forget about it! Klang, your example is one who really gets it wrong on the housing issue. So wrong, that it wipes out all three items where a $2 lunch vs. a $10 lunch won't help much at all.
The Bogleheads only have the big two:
1. How much you make.
2. How much you spend.

If #1 is significantly higher than #2, you acquire assets and retire on your terms.

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
KlangFool
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by KlangFool »

CyclingDuo wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:09 pm
KlangFool wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:00 pm
LiterallyIronic wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:53 am

Still seems weird to base your retirement on "personal and professional considerations" rather than financial, though. :shock:
LiterallyIronic,

It is financial. At a median income of 150K, spending 600+K in the house will kill your savings much more than the $10 to $20 lunch.

KlangFool
Yes, in that case. Ouch.

However, for the rest don't forget that the big three are:

1. Housing
2. Transportation
3. Food

Getting all three right are the key to wealth accumulation. Get one wrong, you might still be fine. Get two wrong, and good luck. Get all three wrong - and forget about it! Klang, your example is one who really gets it wrong on the housing issue. So wrong, that it wipes out all three items where a $2 lunch vs. a $10 lunch won't help much at all.
CyclingDuo,

My example is very prevalent in the real world. Many folks believe that they should buy a house 3 to 4 times their gross income. After that, nothing else matters.

KlangFool
30% VWENX | 16% VFWAX/VTIAX | 14.5% VTSAX | 19.5% VBTLX | 10% VSIAX/VTMSX/VSMAX | 10% VSIGX| 30% Wellington 50% 3-funds 20% Mini-Larry
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Crimsontide
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by Crimsontide »

ArmchairArchitect wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 11:43 am There's a better way to analyze this.

Figure out your hourly wage, by dividing your salary by number of hours worked in a year. Any services significantly under this hourly rate you should outsource, unless you enjoy the task or don't value your free time/leisure.

By making your own lunch every day you are eating up valuable time you could spend doing something else leisurely. The time it takes to buy extra groceries for lunch materials, and to cook/prepare the lunch just isn't worth the savings, which is why I outsource. Now leftovers from dinner the night before, that's a different story.

However, if you don't live in a city or have a cafeteria, and have to drive to buy lunch rather than walk, it probably makes sense to make your own lunch to save time (and wear on your car) from driving.
This sounds so much better than "I'm just too dang lazy to get out of the armchair and make my lunch" :wink:
bungalow10
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by bungalow10 »

Eat away from your desk, with other people. If that means buying a lunch, buy a lunch. If you can brown bag and want to brown bag, brown bag.

Just don't eat at your desk.
An elephant for a dime is only a good deal if you need an elephant and have a dime.
nm451
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by nm451 »

I live in Hawaii. You can definitely save money if you like cooking and shop reasonably smart. It probably takes me about a hour each day to prep/cook/clean for 2 people. But I enjoy cooking so for me it is equivalent of most people who like watching TV. I don't consider it lost time.

Looking at my grocery costs, it costs me about $10 a day for all my meals. My girlfriend averages about $12 to eat out for lunch and this does not include the cost of her breakfast/dinner. It is hard to figure out exactly how much my lunch costs because most of the time it is leftovers. I would estimate my lunch is about $3 per day so I save roughly $8 per day just for lunch. The money I save just gets spent on my obsession with foodie stuff so it evens out between us.
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CyclingDuo
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by CyclingDuo »

KlangFool wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:13 pm
CyclingDuo,

My example is very prevalent in the real world. Many folks believe that they should buy a house 3 to 4 times their gross income. After that, nothing else matters.

KlangFool
Yes, I am in complete agreement with you. That's why I responded to your post.

I think the reality for many who work in super HCOL areas (San Francisco, NYC, etc...) is that purchasing a home is simply not going to be a part of the equation unless there is some sort of windfall involved, or the salary climbs high enough over a number of years to finally reach a point that the option emerges as a possibility. That's not to say that in other areas, people can get overextended as well by purchasing a home, but as you say - your example is prevalent and we see or hear about it all the time.

CyclingDuo
(Feeling very fortunate to live in a Lower COL area where mortgage + taxes on an annual basis = 12% of our gross income.)
"Save like a pessimist, invest like an optimist." - Morgan Housel | "Pick a bushel, save a peck!" - Grandpa
stoptothink
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by stoptothink »

Crimsontide wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:17 pm
ArmchairArchitect wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 11:43 am There's a better way to analyze this.

Figure out your hourly wage, by dividing your salary by number of hours worked in a year. Any services significantly under this hourly rate you should outsource, unless you enjoy the task or don't value your free time/leisure.

By making your own lunch every day you are eating up valuable time you could spend doing something else leisurely. The time it takes to buy extra groceries for lunch materials, and to cook/prepare the lunch just isn't worth the savings, which is why I outsource. Now leftovers from dinner the night before, that's a different story.

However, if you don't live in a city or have a cafeteria, and have to drive to buy lunch rather than walk, it probably makes sense to make your own lunch to save time (and wear on your car) from driving.
This sounds so much better than "I'm just too dang lazy to get out of the armchair and make my lunch" :wink:
I am constantly amazed that people try to make this point. Does the act of traveling to and from a restaurant, being seated, and then waiting for your food (then the bill) not take time? I've discussed ad nauseum how I handle it and I do not suggest that everybody can or should do it like we do BUT the last time I went out to eat, the simple act of waiting for our food and then the bill (not including travel) probably took half as much time as I spend preparing food for an entire week.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by VictoriaF »

stoptothink wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:38 pm I am constantly amazed that people try to make this point. Does the act of traveling to and from a restaurant, being seated, and then waiting for your food (then the bill) not take time? I've discussed ad nauseum how I handle it and I do not suggest that everybody can or should do it like we do BUT the last time I went out to eat, the simple act of waiting for our food and then the bill (not including travel) probably took half as much time as I spend preparing food for an entire week.
I look up to you on all health-related discussions. But you just don't understand the attraction of being in a nice restaurant, with a nice group of people, with nice people around you, and a nice waitress smiling to everybody. A restaurant meal is not, or at least should not be, about the expediency. One enjoys the atmosphere while waiting for the meal, during the meal, and waiting for the bill. When I eat out, I am frustrated when a waiter serves you too fast and let you out too soon.

Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre wrote long books while sitting in cafes.

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
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CyclingDuo
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by CyclingDuo »

VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:23 pm
CyclingDuo wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:09 pm
KlangFool wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:00 pm
LiterallyIronic wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:53 am

Still seems weird to base your retirement on "personal and professional considerations" rather than financial, though. :shock:
LiterallyIronic,

It is financial. At a median income of 150K, spending 600+K in the house will kill your savings much more than the $10 to $20 lunch.

KlangFool
Yes, in that case. Ouch.

However, for the rest don't forget that the big three are:

1. Housing
2. Transportation
3. Food

Getting all three right are the key to wealth accumulation. Get one wrong, you might still be fine. Get two wrong, and good luck. Get all three wrong - and forget about it! Klang, your example is one who really gets it wrong on the housing issue. So wrong, that it wipes out all three items where a $2 lunch vs. a $10 lunch won't help much at all.
The Bogleheads only have the big two:
1. How much you make.
2. How much you spend.

If #1 is significantly higher than #2, you acquire assets and retire on your terms.

Victoria
Hi, Victoria.

Not trying to disagree with you on that at all. The Big Two as you mention are simply a more simplistic view of make more than you spend. Nothing wrong with that view at all.

If you include that the BH Big Two means that in a typical 50/20/30 budget (or pick whatever formula is one's favorite fiscally responsible formula), basic housing/transportation/food (the big three I mention) are covered under the 50% portion of the how much one spends. That leaves the 20% for saving, and the 30% for discretionary use (wants). It's just a step beyond the simplistic view and may or may not help people see where an imbalance may be occurring.

Klang and are I were pointing out that if you get the main portion of the "spend" wrong (the 50% for needs), living paycheck to paycheck and never accumulating wealth (outside of a windfall) simply probably isn't going to happen. Certainly, data claims to show something is in imbalance based on savings rates in the US.

That being said, if one actually wanted to spend some of their 30% (discretionary or wants) on lunch - that's fine as long as everything else stays in balance.

I just point out the Big Three that sucks most people's money - no matter what they make - and can lead to imbalances to the point of preventing wealth accumulation. I actually brown bag my lunch more for caloric reasons (skinny Arsed bike racer), but don't mind saving the cash while I am at it to spend on other things more important to me.
"Save like a pessimist, invest like an optimist." - Morgan Housel | "Pick a bushel, save a peck!" - Grandpa
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SmileyFace
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by SmileyFace »

VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:43 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:38 pm I am constantly amazed that people try to make this point. Does the act of traveling to and from a restaurant, being seated, and then waiting for your food (then the bill) not take time? I've discussed ad nauseum how I handle it and I do not suggest that everybody can or should do it like we do BUT the last time I went out to eat, the simple act of waiting for our food and then the bill (not including travel) probably took half as much time as I spend preparing food for an entire week.
I look up to you on all health-related discussions. But you just don't understand the attraction of being in a nice restaurant, with a nice group of people, with nice people around you, and a nice waitress smiling to everybody. A restaurant meal is not, or at least should not be, about the expediency. One enjoys the atmosphere while waiting for the meal, during the meal, and waiting for the bill. When I eat out, I am frustrated when a waiter serves you too fast and let you out too soon.

Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre wrote long books while sitting in cafes.

Victoria
I much prefer the restaurant experience when my work day is done. If there is a decision between having a quick lunch and getting done by 6pm to go spend dinner and time with my family versus having a long lunch and not getting done with my day until 7 or 8pm I choose the former.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by VictoriaF »

CyclingDuo wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:46 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:23 pm
CyclingDuo wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:09 pm
KlangFool wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:00 pm
LiterallyIronic wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:53 am

Still seems weird to base your retirement on "personal and professional considerations" rather than financial, though. :shock:
LiterallyIronic,

It is financial. At a median income of 150K, spending 600+K in the house will kill your savings much more than the $10 to $20 lunch.

KlangFool
Yes, in that case. Ouch.

However, for the rest don't forget that the big three are:

1. Housing
2. Transportation
3. Food

Getting all three right are the key to wealth accumulation. Get one wrong, you might still be fine. Get two wrong, and good luck. Get all three wrong - and forget about it! Klang, your example is one who really gets it wrong on the housing issue. So wrong, that it wipes out all three items where a $2 lunch vs. a $10 lunch won't help much at all.
The Bogleheads only have the big two:
1. How much you make.
2. How much you spend.

If #1 is significantly higher than #2, you acquire assets and retire on your terms.

Victoria
Hi, Victoria.

Not trying to disagree with you on that at all. The Big Two as you mention are simply a more simplistic view of make more than you spend. Nothing wrong with that view at all.

If you include that the BH Big Two means that in a typical 50/20/30 budget (or pick whatever formula is one's favorite fiscally responsible formula), basic housing/transportation/food (the big three I mention) are covered under the 50% portion of the how much one spends. That leaves the 20% for saving, and the 30% for discretionary use (wants). It's just a step beyond the simplistic view and may or may not help people see where an imbalance may be occurring.

Klang and are I were pointing out that if you get the main portion of the "spend" wrong (the 50% for needs), living paycheck to paycheck and never accumulating wealth (outside of a windfall) simply probably isn't going to happen. Certainly, data claims to show something is in imbalance based on savings rates in the US.

That being said, if one actually wanted to spend some of their 30% (discretionary or wants) on lunch - that's fine as long as everything else stays in balance.

I just point out the Big Three that sucks most people's money - no matter what they make - and can lead to imbalances to the point of preventing wealth accumulation. I actually brown bag my lunch more for caloric reasons (skinny Arsed bike racer), but don't mind saving the cash while I am at it to spend on other things more important to me.
Hi CyclingDuo,

When it comes to the spending part of the Bogleheads "Big Two," there are many more ways to fail than the three you have mentioned. For example, people may lose money in gambling, some become alcoholics or drug users, some are shopaholics and spend more on designer clothes than others spend on their meals, some have outsized medical bills.

In Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina the first line is "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Translated into the Bogleheads language, "All prudent Bogleheads spend and save alike; each loser loses in their own way."

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
stoptothink
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by stoptothink »

VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:43 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:38 pm I am constantly amazed that people try to make this point. Does the act of traveling to and from a restaurant, being seated, and then waiting for your food (then the bill) not take time? I've discussed ad nauseum how I handle it and I do not suggest that everybody can or should do it like we do BUT the last time I went out to eat, the simple act of waiting for our food and then the bill (not including travel) probably took half as much time as I spend preparing food for an entire week.
I look up to you on all health-related discussions. But you just don't understand the attraction of being in a nice restaurant, with a nice group of people, with nice people around you, and a nice waitress smiling to everybody. A restaurant meal is not, or at least should not be, about the expediency. One enjoys the atmosphere while waiting for the meal, during the meal, and waiting for the bill. When I eat out, I am frustrated when a waiter serves you too fast and let you out too soon.

Victoria
I don't debate that, not in the least, I am different in that regard. That being said, what does that have to do with totally ignoring the time factor of going out to eat? How many times has it been brought up in this thread that going out to eat saves time? Geez, how much time are people spending preparing their brown bag lunch? If it is more than even walking to your car to drive to a restaurant, you have an issue - one which is easily solved. I do all the grocery shopping for our household and prepare a kindergartner's brown bag every morning, I have a decent idea about how much time it takes to prep and clean up for a regular lunch.
tim1999
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by tim1999 »

I never bring lunch to work from home unless it's leftovers from a restaurant dinner the night before. Spending a couple of extra bucks a day to eat in the work cafeteria or local fast casual place ($5-9 range) is an affordable luxury and I don't care if it will mean that with compounding interest I won't have an extra $68,000 or whatever on my deathbed.
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Crimsontide
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by Crimsontide »

stoptothink wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:58 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:43 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:38 pm I am constantly amazed that people try to make this point. Does the act of traveling to and from a restaurant, being seated, and then waiting for your food (then the bill) not take time? I've discussed ad nauseum how I handle it and I do not suggest that everybody can or should do it like we do BUT the last time I went out to eat, the simple act of waiting for our food and then the bill (not including travel) probably took half as much time as I spend preparing food for an entire week.
I look up to you on all health-related discussions. But you just don't understand the attraction of being in a nice restaurant, with a nice group of people, with nice people around you, and a nice waitress smiling to everybody. A restaurant meal is not, or at least should not be, about the expediency. One enjoys the atmosphere while waiting for the meal, during the meal, and waiting for the bill. When I eat out, I am frustrated when a waiter serves you too fast and let you out too soon.

Victoria
I don't debate that, not in the least, I am different in that regard. That being said, what does that have to do with totally ignoring the time factor of going out to eat? How many times has it been brought up in this thread that going out to eat saves time? Geez, how much time are people spending preparing their brown bag lunch? If it is more than even walking to your car to drive to a restaurant, you have an issue - one which is easily solved. I do all the grocery shopping for our household and prepare a kindergartner's brown bag every morning, I have a decent idea about how much time it takes to prep and clean up for a regular lunch.
It takes me 30 minutes on Sunday to prepare my lunches for the ENTIRE week (including 18 minutes to boil the eggs for my salads). I prepare them assembly line style, each costing ~$2.50. A comparable lunch from our unsubsidized caferteria would run around $15. Going out, forget about it, you'll lose that coveted parking spot in the garage. I've been doing this for the last 20 years... Money in the bank!!!
WanderingDoc
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by WanderingDoc »

nm451 wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:24 pm I live in Hawaii. You can definitely save money if you like cooking and shop reasonably smart. It probably takes me about a hour each day to prep/cook/clean for 2 people. But I enjoy cooking so for me it is equivalent of most people who like watching TV. I don't consider it lost time.

Looking at my grocery costs, it costs me about $10 a day for all my meals. My girlfriend averages about $12 to eat out for lunch and this does not include the cost of her breakfast/dinner. It is hard to figure out exactly how much my lunch costs because most of the time it is leftovers. I would estimate my lunch is about $3 per day so I save roughly $8 per day just for lunch. The money I save just gets spent on my obsession with foodie stuff so it evens out between us.
I have lived in Hawaii for 6 years. My monthly food expenses were roughly $1500-2000 per month. When I wanted to cook, the grocery bill was over $100 to make two courses for 2 people.. so I never found that shopping for groceries was worth it. Soo many good places to eat on King St. and on Kapiolani Rd.. makes me miss it just thinking about it!
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by HomerJ »

cantos wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:17 pmSo for example, engineers: you're wondering why that fellow engineer got promoted but he never does anything and is actually bad at what he does?
He may have got promoted to management, but who wants that crappy job?

The best part about engineering and IT and programming that you actually DO get promoted (on the technical track) for your skill and knowledge, not who you know.
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HomerJ
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by HomerJ »

Regarding time, I eat at my desk, so my boss doesn't have any problems with me arriving late or leaving early because I'm NOT out of the office for 45-60 minutes every day during lunchtime.

Multiple times, he has come by with a problem, and I'm the only one there, and I take care of the issue. This gives me great flexibility on my hours.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by angelescrest »

I find myself bringing lunch because I am increasingly busy, and it's easier to get work done and be productive without trying to fight my way through the cafe line or eating the unhealthy options nearby. In a previous job and better city, it was great going out to lunch. Really broke up my day. Can't have everything I suppose.
nm451
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by nm451 »

WanderingDoc wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 8:48 pm
nm451 wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:24 pm I live in Hawaii. You can definitely save money if you like cooking and shop reasonably smart. It probably takes me about a hour each day to prep/cook/clean for 2 people. But I enjoy cooking so for me it is equivalent of most people who like watching TV. I don't consider it lost time.

Looking at my grocery costs, it costs me about $10 a day for all my meals. My girlfriend averages about $12 to eat out for lunch and this does not include the cost of her breakfast/dinner. It is hard to figure out exactly how much my lunch costs because most of the time it is leftovers. I would estimate my lunch is about $3 per day so I save roughly $8 per day just for lunch. The money I save just gets spent on my obsession with foodie stuff so it evens out between us.
I have lived in Hawaii for 6 years. My monthly food expenses were roughly $1500-2000 per month. When I wanted to cook, the grocery bill was over $100 to make two courses for 2 people.. so I never found that shopping for groceries was worth it. Soo many good places to eat on King St. and on Kapiolani Rd.. makes me miss it just thinking about it!
My total monthly food budget for just myself is $800 so that is inline with what yours is. If I lived in town also then I would probably have to up my budget because of all the options available. Out of curiosity how were you spending $100 cooking for 2 people? For the first UH game of the year I made Prime Rib, shrimp, scallops, oysters, poke, etc for 7 people and it barely went over $150.
Slacker
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by Slacker »

HomerJ wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:15 pm
cantos wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:17 pmSo for example, engineers: you're wondering why that fellow engineer got promoted but he never does anything and is actually bad at what he does?
He may have got promoted to management, but who wants that crappy job?

The best part about engineering and IT and programming that you actually DO get promoted (on the technical track) for your skill and knowledge, not who you know.
Where I work, you definitely are NOT getting promoted if you never do anything and are bad at the job. I've seen guys with 20yrs in industry and graduate degrees from ivy league schools get let go for not being able to keep up with the work demand (low quality and/or low production). I am already promoted up to the top levels I can achieve anyway (without going into management, which I never want to do again).

Schmooze and network all you want, it won't get you promotions where I work unless you somehow convince other people to do your work for you. Since we don't work on teams and have individual work product, this is highly unlikely.

I definitely love this aspect of my current pseudo-engineering / psuedo-legal role.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by CyclingDuo »

VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:55 pm When it comes to the spending part of the Bogleheads "Big Two," there are many more ways to fail than the three you have mentioned. For example, people may lose money in gambling, some become alcoholics or drug users, some are shopaholics and spend more on designer clothes than others spend on their meals, some have outsized medical bills.

In Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina the first line is "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Translated into the Bogleheads language, "All prudent Bogleheads spend and save alike; each loser loses in their own way."

Victoria
Ah, didn't think about those with the outsized medical bills - not to mention the other things you bring up with the gambling/booze/drug/addiction.

Still, the big three where the majority fail are within our control.
Last edited by CyclingDuo on Fri Sep 15, 2017 7:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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gkaplan
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by gkaplan »

I got my first job after I was discharged from the army was at a large downtown Chicago bank (Harris Trust and Savings Bank). Harris had a cafeteria, subsidized, so I ate there nearly every day. My next job was working for a small Chicago bank in Albany Park (Albany Bank and Trust Company).
They too had a subsidized cafeteria, a very small one. I too ate there. My next job was at Santa Monica Bank. They did not have a cafeteria, so I brown-bagged it, unless I was taking someone out to lunch (usually on Friday). Every since then, I have brown-bagged it, except on very rare occasions
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by WanderingDoc »

nm451 wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:12 pm
WanderingDoc wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 8:48 pm
nm451 wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:24 pm I live in Hawaii. You can definitely save money if you like cooking and shop reasonably smart. It probably takes me about a hour each day to prep/cook/clean for 2 people. But I enjoy cooking so for me it is equivalent of most people who like watching TV. I don't consider it lost time.

Looking at my grocery costs, it costs me about $10 a day for all my meals. My girlfriend averages about $12 to eat out for lunch and this does not include the cost of her breakfast/dinner. It is hard to figure out exactly how much my lunch costs because most of the time it is leftovers. I would estimate my lunch is about $3 per day so I save roughly $8 per day just for lunch. The money I save just gets spent on my obsession with foodie stuff so it evens out between us.
I have lived in Hawaii for 6 years. My monthly food expenses were roughly $1500-2000 per month. When I wanted to cook, the grocery bill was over $100 to make two courses for 2 people.. so I never found that shopping for groceries was worth it. Soo many good places to eat on King St. and on Kapiolani Rd.. makes me miss it just thinking about it!
My total monthly food budget for just myself is $800 so that is inline with what yours is. If I lived in town also then I would probably have to up my budget because of all the options available. Out of curiosity how were you spending $100 cooking for 2 people? For the first UH game of the year I made Prime Rib, shrimp, scallops, oysters, poke, etc for 7 people and it barely went over $150.
Maybe I was a bad shopper. When I felt like cooking someone, it was usually something Tim Ferriss recommended so $$$$.

During my first year there I was doing the Yelp 365 (write 1 review per day for a year) so my food expenses were closer to $2500/mo. Probably closer to $1500 towards the last couple years. But I was always trying out new restaurants and going back to the places I loved. I don't think I would have spent that much on food if I'd lived in NYC!

I was actually single.. I would say I payed for ~65% of food on dates, and my date payed ~35% in my estimation. Either way, food at the hospital cafeteria was really cheap for lunch so that helped. I lived in Waikiki but I usually ate in town. Do you stay near Aiea?
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by sambb »

Its not about cost of lunch, its about ROI. So many threads on BH are about cost. If someone's ROI is higher by going out, then go for it. ROI can be in time, money, connections, and can be advantageous either way. ROI is the key. Dont see why cost matters. ROI can be achieved by staying in, or by going out, depending on one's situation.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:45 pm
aristotelian wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:38 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:04 pm
First, I highly appreciate that you are speaking out. Every time I see posters touting cereal, juice, or peanut butter as healthy food I cringe.
What is wrong with peanut butter?
1. A toxin aflatoxin in peanuts.
2. Eating a paste rather than chewing raw nuts.

Victoria
I recently switched my "sinful treat" from PB (ground up at my health food store) with frozen blueberries to some peanuts and frozen blueberries. It tastes about the same, and the bowl is easier to clean :D I don't eat added sugar or artificial sweeteners, but if the sugars in blueberries kill me, well, I'll live with that (did I really just say that?). As far as aflatoxin goes, ignorance was bliss, thanks?

Back to brown bagging. My wife's admin puts a sandwich in front of her at noon, but it often remains uneaten by the end of the day. Son has breakfast and lunch catered or cooked onsite (exceptionally good and healthy food) at his summer internship and next-year employer. The thought of being out of the office for an hour while the markets are open is a non-starter, and they are on opposite ends of their careers. Interesting to me that a senior leader (DW) is much less well taken care of by her employer than our son is, but that's a topic for another time.

ETA: I assume we are not counting steel cut oats as "cereal." That's a staple for me, and I look forward to it every day, pretty much 7/week.
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robbster
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by robbster »

What you've failed to include in the calculation is the value of your time.

You have to plan the meals, buy the ingredients, buy the container(s), prepare the food, dispose of the waste in preparation....

If your time is worth $10 an hour * X hours = what's your total cost.

NOW calculate your ROI.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by KlangFool »

Folks,

I really do not care whether people choose to brown bag their lunches and/or drive an old used car. But, the problem I have is some folks claimed that they are frugal because they brown bag their lunches and drive an old used car. And, they try to lecture me on how I should save money. The truth is they have a big expensive house and they save close to nothing. I had heard and seen enough of this in my neighborhood from my peers.

It usually goes like this:

My peer: How could you go out lunch every day and buy a new car? Aren't you wasting your money?

Me: I could buy a new car and go out lunch every day because I do not buy an expensive house like you. I save plenty of money. I contribute to the max of my 401K account. How much do you contribute to your 401K?

My peer: I cannot afford to save for retirement. I need to pay my mortgage.

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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by Bmac »

Interesting thread that has begun to devolve a tad. I have essentially brown-bagged lunch for most of my career out of both frugality and necessity. It doesn't seem like there have been many responses from the physicians on this forum, but as a surgeon there are many days where "lunch" is spent at the desk finishing up charting, etc. for the patients seen in the morning before the afternoon clinic gets started. And on busy operating days one is lucky to sneak a bite between cases if the OR staff is even semi-efficient with turnover. No time to get to the cafeteria. Networking has never been an issue. I don't know any docs who go for sit down lunches in the middle of the day except for very rare circumstances. Just a different perspective from outside the megacorp world of many posting here. :D
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by mak1277 »

If you think you're better than someone because you brown bag every day, you're a jerk.

If you think you're better than someone because you go out to delicious meals every day and never brown bag....you're a jerk.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by dsmil »

My brown bagged turkey sandwich and yogurt probably costs me around $2.50 per day in groceries, and going out everyday would be around $7, so it's worth it to me. I read the paper, have lunch and coffee provided by my company, and save $1k on food for the year.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by new2bogle »

bungalow10 wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:43 pm Eat away from your desk, with other people. If that means buying a lunch, buy a lunch. If you can brown bag and want to brown bag, brown bag.

Just don't eat at your desk.
I eat my lunch at my desk everyday. Your comment makes no sense.
wrongfunds
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by wrongfunds »

Where has LadyGeek vanished? This thread has been "spoiled" for a while now and really needs to be "thrown out" in the trash. Every time I read new replies, I get the Groundhog Day feeling.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by KlangFool »

new2bogle wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:01 am
bungalow10 wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:43 pm Eat away from your desk, with other people. If that means buying a lunch, buy a lunch. If you can brown bag and want to brown bag, brown bag.

Just don't eat at your desk.
I eat my lunch at my desk everyday. Your comment makes no sense.
new2bogle,

How do you meet people from the other department of your employer if you eat your lunch at your desk every day? Especially those folks that do not work with you directly. Or, you think that it does not matter. How do you know that your thinking is correct?

I am a networking engineer/architect. I connect people. I want to know and understand the people and process that the network is supporting. I want to know and understand the business and application that the network is supporting. It is useful and helpful for my job and career.

KlangFool
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by stoptothink »

Crimsontide wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 8:36 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:58 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:43 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 6:38 pm I am constantly amazed that people try to make this point. Does the act of traveling to and from a restaurant, being seated, and then waiting for your food (then the bill) not take time? I've discussed ad nauseum how I handle it and I do not suggest that everybody can or should do it like we do BUT the last time I went out to eat, the simple act of waiting for our food and then the bill (not including travel) probably took half as much time as I spend preparing food for an entire week.
I look up to you on all health-related discussions. But you just don't understand the attraction of being in a nice restaurant, with a nice group of people, with nice people around you, and a nice waitress smiling to everybody. A restaurant meal is not, or at least should not be, about the expediency. One enjoys the atmosphere while waiting for the meal, during the meal, and waiting for the bill. When I eat out, I am frustrated when a waiter serves you too fast and let you out too soon.

Victoria
I don't debate that, not in the least, I am different in that regard. That being said, what does that have to do with totally ignoring the time factor of going out to eat? How many times has it been brought up in this thread that going out to eat saves time? Geez, how much time are people spending preparing their brown bag lunch? If it is more than even walking to your car to drive to a restaurant, you have an issue - one which is easily solved. I do all the grocery shopping for our household and prepare a kindergartner's brown bag every morning, I have a decent idea about how much time it takes to prep and clean up for a regular lunch.
It takes me 30 minutes on Sunday to prepare my lunches for the ENTIRE week (including 18 minutes to boil the eggs for my salads). I prepare them assembly line style, each costing ~$2.50. A comparable lunch from our unsubsidized caferteria would run around $15. Going out, forget about it, you'll lose that coveted parking spot in the garage. I've been doing this for the last 20 years... Money in the bank!!!
I've detailed many times on this board how I prepare almost all the weekly food, for a family of four, in a matter of a few hours each Sunday, and for costs which are literally a fraction of what the normal family spends on food. I understand we take this much more serious than other people. We do it because we prioritize our health, both physical and financial, to an extreme (and you may argue that isn't "healthy" either, and I respect that). We all do things which aren't rational, I have a lot of shoes for a man and a $15k garage gym. Saying eating out saves time or money or it is integral part of your job (it may be in some industries, but that isn't my experience) just comes off as an excuse. If you enjoy professionally prepared food or the experience, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with that. I judge no one for having different priorities than I, but I do have a hard time with the rationalizations.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by beyou »

My company went out of their way to build a very high end gourmet cafeteria with nice seating and a large variety of food.
They wanted it nice enough so that people could both network with coworkers in a common area.
I do spend more $ there than if I brought food, but I have a very long commute which would limit bringing foods that could spoil.
I also like the food in our cafeteria and in the area outside my office, much better than what I would bring from home.
Healthy delicious food is not something I am looking to cut back on.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by new2bogle »

wrongfunds wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:09 am Where has LadyGeek vanished? This thread has been "spoiled" for a while now and really needs to be "thrown out" in the trash. Every time I read new replies, I get the Groundhog Day feeling.
Then stop reading it.
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stemikger
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by stemikger »

I work midnights (downtown Manhattan). Not a lot of places are open that time, but the places that are range from 10 to 15 for lunch. It's worth it for me.
Choose Simplicity ~ Stay the Course!! ~ Press on Regardless!!!
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stemikger
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by stemikger »

new2bogle wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:01 am
wrongfunds wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:09 am Where has LadyGeek vanished? This thread has been "spoiled" for a while now and really needs to be "thrown out" in the trash. Every time I read new replies, I get the Groundhog Day feeling.
Then stop reading it.
+1

Ditto!!
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by new2bogle »

KlangFool wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:13 am
new2bogle wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:01 am
bungalow10 wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:43 pm Eat away from your desk, with other people. If that means buying a lunch, buy a lunch. If you can brown bag and want to brown bag, brown bag.

Just don't eat at your desk.
I eat my lunch at my desk everyday. Your comment makes no sense.
new2bogle,

How do you meet people from the other department of your employer if you eat your lunch at your desk every day? Especially those folks that do not work with you directly. Or, you think that it does not matter. How do you know that your thinking is correct?

I am a networking engineer/architect. I connect people. I want to know and understand the people and process that the network is supporting. I want to know and understand the business and application that the network is supporting. It is useful and helpful for my job and career.

KlangFool
KF,

I meet people in various departments based on the work I do. It impacts many different groups/projects. I can meet with them at any time via internal IM, phone/Skype or walking into their office.

If you are talking about brown nosing for career progression - yes lunch is one way to do it. I think there are more effective ways in my current company so do not need to watch other people slurp and/or wolf down their lunches. And to clarify, by "everyday" I meant most days. I will go out to eat once every two or three weeks when there is a group going (yes, for brown nosing. For my actual work, there are much better ways to understand needs than meeting over lunch).
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by KlangFool »

new2bogle wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:15 am
KlangFool wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:13 am
new2bogle wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:01 am
bungalow10 wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:43 pm Eat away from your desk, with other people. If that means buying a lunch, buy a lunch. If you can brown bag and want to brown bag, brown bag.

Just don't eat at your desk.
I eat my lunch at my desk everyday. Your comment makes no sense.
new2bogle,

How do you meet people from the other department of your employer if you eat your lunch at your desk every day? Especially those folks that do not work with you directly. Or, you think that it does not matter. How do you know that your thinking is correct?

I am a networking engineer/architect. I connect people. I want to know and understand the people and process that the network is supporting. I want to know and understand the business and application that the network is supporting. It is useful and helpful for my job and career.

KlangFool
KF,

I meet people in various departments based on the work I do. It impacts many different groups/projects. I can meet with them at any time via internal IM, phone/Skype or walking into their office.

If you are talking about brown nosing for career progression - yes lunch is one way to do it. I think there are more effective ways in my current company so do not need to watch other people slurp and/or wolf down their lunches. And to clarify, by "everyday" I meant most days. I will go out to eat once every two or three weeks when there is a group going (yes, for brown nosing. For my actual work, there are much better ways to understand needs than meeting over lunch).
new2bogle,

If it works for you, great.

<<If you are talking about brown nosing for career progression - yes lunch is one way to do it. >>

Not necessary brown-nosing. Just to know people. I only go out lunch with my peers.

<<I can meet with them at any time via internal IM, phone/Skype or walking into their office. >>

1) There are plenty of folks that I could not reach unless I know them ahead of time via lunch.

2) And, some of the most useful resources will kick you out of their offices for any ad-hoc visits. They are busy enough that they could choose not to respond to you for a very long time.

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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by Slacker »

VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:45 pm
aristotelian wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:38 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:04 pm
First, I highly appreciate that you are speaking out. Every time I see posters touting cereal, juice, or peanut butter as healthy food I cringe.
What is wrong with peanut butter?
1. A toxin aflatoxin in peanuts.
2. Eating a paste rather than chewing raw nuts.

Victoria
I've never heard of aflatoxin before so I looked it up.

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/cau ... aflatoxins

Doesn't seem like anything to worry about in the USA based on the information provided at the link above.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by lthenderson »

bungalow10 wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:43 pm Eat away from your desk, with other people. If that means buying a lunch, buy a lunch. If you can brown bag and want to brown bag, brown bag.

Just don't eat at your desk.
I always did it that way as well. Though being white collar, I always went down to the factory floor and ate my lunch with the assembly, welding and manufacturing people. I found it helped my job as an engineer to be in contact with the people who made my designs.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by alfaspider »

Slacker wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:44 am
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:45 pm
aristotelian wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:38 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:04 pm
First, I highly appreciate that you are speaking out. Every time I see posters touting cereal, juice, or peanut butter as healthy food I cringe.
What is wrong with peanut butter?
1. A toxin aflatoxin in peanuts.
2. Eating a paste rather than chewing raw nuts.

Victoria
I've never heard of aflatoxin before so I looked it up.

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/cau ... aflatoxins

Doesn't seem like anything to worry about in the USA based on the information provided at the link above.
I think the only thing really wrong with peanutbutter over just eating the nuts is when additional oils or sugars are added. Some brands add a ton of sugar.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by LiterallyIronic »

KlangFool wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:13 pm My example is very prevalent in the real world. Many folks believe that they should buy a house 3 to 4 times their gross income. After that, nothing else matters.

KlangFool
Many of us have to. My gross income is $60,000. You can't get a house in my town for less than $180,000. There just aren't any in that price range. We did get a 1262 square foot house for $209,000, though, which is 3.5 times my gross income. But we put $60,000 down, so our loan is actually $149,000 or 2.5 times gross income. Sometimes you just gotta do what you can.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by KlangFool »

LiterallyIronic wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:52 am
KlangFool wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:13 pm My example is very prevalent in the real world. Many folks believe that they should buy a house 3 to 4 times their gross income. After that, nothing else matters.

KlangFool
Many of us have to. My gross income is $60,000. You can't get a house in my town for less than $180,000. There just aren't any in that price range. We did get a 1262 square foot house for $209,000, though, which is 3.5 times my gross income. But we put $60,000 down, so our loan is actually $149,000 or 2.5 times gross income. Sometimes you just gotta do what you can.
LiterallyIronic,

<< Many of us have to. My gross income is $60,000. You can't get a house in my town for less than $180,000.>>

You do not have to buy a house. You choose to buy a house. You could rent an apartment or something.

<< But we put $60,000 down, so our loan is actually $149,000 or 2.5 times gross income. Sometimes you just gotta do what you can.>>

There is an opportunity cost of 60K. That 60K could earn 6% to 8% for you. It is between $300 to $400 per month.

You choose to increase your housing expense by buying a house. After that, it is very hard to save any money. I hope it is worth it for you.

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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by H-Town »

KlangFool wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:32 amNot necessary brown-nosing. Just to know people. I only go out lunch with my peers.
KlangFool
Klangfool:
It seems like you said your peers don't make good choices (buying big house, brown bag lunch, and drive old cars), why hang out with them?

Should you go out to lunch with people with great mind, potential clients, potential employers/referrals, mentors, and your mentees?

I find that my peers don't make good choice and I don't need to waste my time on them.

You enjoy going out for lunch - which is fine. You ignore the benefits of not eating out - which is fine. You bought a smaller house so that you can have good saving rate and it's really not worth it to you to brown bag lunch at work - which is also fine. Most younger folks do not make good choices like you do (generally), so I encourage them to save wherever and whenever they can.

Some posters above scoff at the idea of having an additional $200,000 (more or less) saved from not eating out for lunch. Remember it's a year worth of salary at some point in your career, or it's worth a single family house down here in Texas. I would take that $200,000 in a heartbeat.
Time is the ultimate currency.
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Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

Post by KlangFool »

thangngo wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:00 pm
KlangFool wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:32 amNot necessary brown-nosing. Just to know people. I only go out lunch with my peers.
KlangFool
Klangfool:
It seems like you said your peers don't make good choices (buying big house, brown bag lunch, and drive old cars), why hang out with them?
thangngo,

They may not be financially smart, it is not necessary that they are not good at something else. They are subject matter expert at some special area.

Learn from their strong points and weaknesses.

When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them.
- Confucious

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