I’m really enjoying putting this Small Wins series together because it’s all about those tiny habits that make life feel easier without adding anything overwhelming to your week. These first few months of the year can feel long and a bit draining, so gentle, realistic wins feel like exactly what we all need right now. 😀
And if you’re already doing this week’s small win anyway, then you get extra brownie points and can absolutely feel free to skip this one and move on. Sometimes it’s nice to realise you’re already ahead!
This week’s small win is one of the simplest of the whole series of money wins – all I want you to do is think about tomorrow’s lunch the night before and make a plan.
That’s it. No huge meal prep session, no batch cooking pressure, no perfectly portioned containers lined up neatly in the fridge. Just a quick moment the night before where you decide what you’re going to have for lunch tomorrow and if you can, get it ready.
Because let’s be honest — most of the expensive lunches happen on the days when we’re tired, stressed or rushing around. That’s when the “I’ll just grab something” moment strikes… and suddenly you’ve spent £5, £7 or even more on a lunch you could easily have made at home.
By deciding the night before, you remove the temptation completely. It could be:
leftovers from dinner
a portion from the freezer
a quick sandwich
or a bowl of soup you batch cooked earlier
It doesn’t have to be fancy or Instagram-worthy. It just has to be lunch.
It also makes mornings feel calmer because you’re not stood in the kitchen trying to figure out what to take or debating whether you’ve got time to nip to the shop and I can practically guarantee that you will be saving money.
And the savings genuinely add up. Even cutting out one or two “grab something quick” lunches a week can make a noticeable difference over a month.
I work from home two days a week and then do two days in the office and my days are pretty full either way so lunch needs to be quick and easy. This week, so far I’ve had ham sandwiches (in homemade bread and using up leftovers from Sunday dinner) for my lunch on Monday in the office and at home on Tuesday I had soup from the freezer.
I don’t work Wednesdays but I have thought about the next couple of day’s lunches and have a small portion of leftover potatoes from tea tonight that I will chop up and have in a salad with some shredded chicken and a couple of boiled eggs. I know it’s not really salad weather but we have mince and Yorkshire puds for tea tomorrow night so this feels like a good light lunch to go with that at home. Back in the office on Friday I have will be having a sandwich again so it depends what I fancy, I could get a portion of shredded chicken out of the freezer on Thursday night and make some chicken mayo or I can go with tuna from the cupboard. I will do one of the other though which will avoid the £5 plus spend in the canteen.
Join me next week for the next Small Win in the series, another tiny, realistic habit that makes everyday life easier without much effort at all.
I’d love you follow me on Twitter and it would be amazing to see you over on my Facebook page and on Instagram. If you’re interested, you can find out more about me here and while I’ve got your attention, if you’re wondering why some of my posts lately are a little bit less frugal then have a read of this post. 😉
Talk to me...