My grocery bill dropped $120 a month just by swapping one meal a day

I used to grab a $12 sandwich and drink from the deli near my office every lunch. After 6 months of that I added it up and it came to over $250 a month just on lunch. I started making big batches of chili and rice on Sundays, about $4 per portion with canned beans and ground turkey. Three months later my credit card statement showed I was saving about $120 each month. I still eat out once a week but the rest is packed from home. Has anyone else seen a big drop in spending just from changing one habit like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_bennett3d ago

That's a solid savings. Meal prepping on Sundays really does add up over time. I did something similar with my coffee habit, traded the daily cafe latte for a french press at home and saved almost $90 a month. It's funny how those little daily choices sneak up on you financially.

kelly.parker3d ago

Holding back on takeout coffee is smart but $120 a month seems high unless you were buying like 2 lattes a day. A single $5 latte 5 days a week is more like $100 a month. Not trying to be that guy but math matters when we're talking savings.