Looking back at my five most recent lunch outings, I tallied the receipts, which totaled a whopping $40.45. That is just one week’s worth of lunches. At that rate, I am spending more than $160 a month on lunch. Ouch! That’s almost $2,000 a year!

Brown-bagging it is a sure way to save some bucks. Let’s take a look at my grocery bill for one week’s worth of groceries to pack for lunch. I’ll include the list so that you know I am getting plenty to eat:

-one loaf of whole grain bread
-one package of deli turkey
-a jar of mayonnaise
-several pieces of fruit and a package of fresh strawberries
-ready-to-eat carrot sticks
-individual packets of yogurt and applesauce

Of course, what you pack in your lunch is up to you so the cost will vary, but the concept is clear. My bill at the supermarket came to $19.20. That sure beats spending more than $40 a week. Not to mention, some of that food will stretch longer than a week, such as that jar of mayonnaise.

Save additional money by recycling your grocery bags to cart your lunch to work. Stop by your local bank on the way home Friday, deposit that extra $20 into savings and then pat yourself on the back.

At year’s end, you’ll be close to $250 richer!