Brown Bag Savings Calculator

Calculate how much you can save by bringing lunch from home instead of eating out

Eating Habits

Work Days Per Week

Current Lunches Out Per Week

Planned Brown Bag Lunches Per Week

Cost Comparison

Average Cost of Eating Out

Average Cost of Brown Bag Lunch

Potential Savings

Weekly Savings

$0.00

Savings each week by bringing lunch

Monthly Savings

$0.00

Potential savings every month

Annual Savings

$0.00

Potential savings every year

Savings Breakdown

Detailed Comparison

Category	Eating Out	Brown Bag	Savings

This calculator provides estimates based on your inputs. Actual savings may vary. Print Results

This calculator reveals how much money you can save by bringing lunch from home instead of eating out - and how those savings can grow when invested.

How It Works

1. Compare your lunch costs (home vs. takeout)

2. Enter your work schedule

3. See daily, annual & lifetime savings (with investment growth)

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Key Inputs

Field	Example Value
Average takeout lunch cost	$12.50
Average homemade lunch cost	$4.25
Workdays per week	5
Weeks worked per year	50
Years to calculate	10
Investment return (optional)	7%

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Savings Formula

Daily Savings:
Takeout cost - Homemade cost

Annual Savings:
Daily savings × Workdays per week × Weeks per year

Decade Savings (invested):
Annual savings × [(1 + r)^t - 1]/r
(r = return rate, t = years)

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Example Calculation

Scenario:

• Takeout lunch: $12.50

• Homemade lunch: $4.25

• Work 5 days/week, 50 weeks/year

• Invest savings at 7% return

Results:

Metric	Amount
Daily savings	$8.25
Annual savings	$2,062.50
10-year value (invested)	$30,480

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Why Brown Bagging Matters

• The average office worker spends $3,000+/year on lunch (Forbes)

• Investing those savings could grow to:

  • $150,000+ in 20 years

  • $500,000+ in 30 years

• Additional benefits:

  • Healthier eating

  • Reduced food waste

  • More consistent budgeting

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Cost Comparison Table

Lunch Type	Cost	Annual Cost (250 workdays)
Fast food	$10	$2,500
Restaurant	$15	$3,750
Homemade	$4	$1,000
Potential Savings		$1,500-$2,750/year

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Advanced Features

• Meal prep cost breakdown (ingredient-level pricing)

• Health cost savings (potential reduced medical expenses)

• Time investment (calculating your effective hourly wage for meal prep)

Pro Tip: Making extra dinner portions for next-day lunch doubles your savings with minimal extra effort.

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Try It Yourself

Quick Estimate:
Every $10/day lunch habit costs you:

• $200/month

• $2,400/year

• $72,000 over 30 years (without investing)

• $245,000 if invested at 7% return