People used to make fun of me at the UT Vet School for bringing leftovers in tupperware every day for lunch. Whatever I ate the night before I'd just bring it to lunch and microwave it and eat it for lunch. Over 17 years I bet I saved thousands of dollars. I also had $220/month taken out of my check and put into a 403B account so that when I was laid off I had $250,000 in my 403B account. That is why when I was laid off I wasn't completely terrified.

I tend to eat the cheapest microwave meals at work, those $0.88 Michellinas meals. Not a ton of food, but enough to get me to the end of the work day. That and a can of some drink (usually iced tea) bought in bulk means even if I only spend $5 for a sub on Friday it still costs about as much as my lunch the rest if the week.

The problem is that sometimes I get stuck out of the office at lunch (such as a 3-hour round trip to the Lansing crime lab or if I'm out doing bikes). Then I usually hit Subway, especially if I'm getting bikes (it's a lot of cutting, lifting and hauling, builds up an appetite quickly!)

It's VERY easy to spend a lot on food in this town. But it's possible to avoid those traps too.