Hey all, hoping someone can give me some advice that maybe I have overlooked.
In my current job I work at a restaurant, and we get a lunch (entree salads, pizza, sandwiches, a few other odds and ends) as well as a soup or salad for free.
We also get free beverages, luckily we are a Pepsi restaurant and I have no problem avoiding it, my temptation might be too great if we had Coke, so I stick to 90% water with the occasional Pink Lemonade or Sierra Mist.
Pros:
- I haven't paid for a lunch in 2.5 years and counting, huge savings.
Cons:
- The menu gets pretty stale after a while and you have to change it up or risk going crazy. Because of this limiting myself the the few healthier (but not truly healthy) options only lasts a while.
- Because I consider it part of my total compensation, to bring lunch from home is doubling my losses
- It is definitely unhealthy, and I almost always eat too much
Some strategies I have tried before:
Get my money's worth. i.e. Eat it all. Certainly wrecks the second half of my day after a gluttonous lunch, although the small benefit of being full and then eating smaller dinners which helps me sleep better.
Grab a container and take home half of the meal, this helps my health, but usually results in a fridge overflowing with leftovers and a lot of waste. Wife can take some, but we also inevitably have leftovers from dinners through the week too.
Bring a lunch, but like I said, this one hurts my brain, since I'm not only not receiving my free lunch, but paying to bring something.
Eat some, toss the rest. I'm sure this is better for me in the long run, but I also hate wasting food.
Anyone willing to provide me with an "A-ha!" moment?