Packing a lunch can be cheaper than buying lunches at delis or take-aways. Plus, you save time at work when you bring your own lunch compared to walking or driving to the local takeaway and waiting in line. Bringing your lunch to work is a quick way to save over a $100 a month.

The brown bag lunch—such an old-school idea. I’m sure you remember the days of fishing through your lunch in the cafeteria in anticipation of what was inside the bag, trading with friends whose moms cut off the crust and had the best chips around. Well, packing your lunch isn’t just for kids anymore.

Do you realise how much money you could be saving by skipping the lunch date and packing your lunch? Some estimate that the average person would save $1,500 a year. That’s right; it’s no spare change. With the average take-away lunch costing anywhere from $5 to $10 a day, depending on where you live, you save a pretty penny by packing what you have at home.

Don’t have time in the morning? Pack your lunch the night before when you are packing your kids’ lunches. Whether it’s a sandwich and yogurt or a microwaveable meal, it will cut your cost by half. If you have some leftovers from dinner, pack them for a little variety. If you feel like you’ll miss getting out of the office, take your packed lunch outside or join co-workers in the lunch room.

Packing your lunch may not be as exciting as getting a cooked meal from a restaurant, but imagine what you could do with an extra grand every year? I’m sure the positives would outweigh the negatives, when you pack your lunch, you know you are bringing a healthy meal and you might just save some calories too!