When you shop in the supermarket, you benefit from economies of scale. This means that you receive lower prices on groceries because the supermarkets buy enormous quantities of goods from their suppliers at deep discounts. When you shop at a deli, visit a restaurant or get your lunch from a vending machine, you are not benefiting from these types of discounts. Most places where you can buy your lunch include a 100% markup (or more) in the cost of their food and beverages. You are paying simply for the convenience of not having to bring your lunch to work or school.
During a recession, it is not wise to buy your lunch for two or three times what you’d expect to pay for the same items in a grocery store simply to have the convenience of not bringing your lunch with you.
To put this tip in perspective, let’s assume the average lunch consisting of a sandwich, chips and a drink costs ten dollars to buy. Had you purchased the items in a grocery store, the same lunch would cost you around three dollars. Sure, you’d have to make the sandwich yourself but you just saved $7. When you assume 250 working days in the year, your lunch savings amount to more than $1,700.
Is there something else you’d rather spend $1,700 on or is your deli sandwich really worth that much?
