Supermarkets have these containers that are a lot like the old Tupperware containers but they're made of a very thin very tough plastic. They're a really good size for an entree to microwave for lunch at work. They're generally around 50 cents each for a set of five, so even if you use them and throw them away each time they cost a tenth as much as going to McDonald's or Subway. My favorite size is the "soup and salad" size.
Usually when we cook a meal at home there is enough left for one or two lunches. A chicken leg from the cacciatore, some sauce, on a bed of rice, that's one lunch. If it's chili, fill it up an inch to an inch and a half with chili, put a slice of cornbread on top, not underneath, so it won't get soggy. Spaghetti is pretty obvious. Slightly less than half the container is generally enough.
For breaks, learn the value of a peanut butter sandwich, a banana, or a piece of fruit instead of those 75 cent snacks from the machines. If you feel like you just have to have a bag of chips, split it between two breaks.
Sometimes I like bottled water, sometimes I refill the bottles with tap water depending, and you can make Kool-Aid and refill water or soda bottles. Soda pop generally costs 25 to 33 cents per can in the 12 packs so you can save money by buying 12 packs instead of out of the machine. Generic drinking water can cost as little as 15 cents for a half liter in a 24 pack.
If you work in the heat and use a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade be careful with it. Those drinks generally need to be taken with equal amounts of water. It saves money to cut a bottle of a sports drink with an equal amount of water, half the money that you spend on them, so you're both making the drinks work better and saving money.
Another thing that I do is make up some Hamburger Helper and divide it between four or five containers. That's between one and two dollars for the mix, depending on the sales, and about two dollars for hamburger or ground turkey. That costs 75 cents to a dollar for a meal. I like the free lunches better that you can get from freezing leftovers but sometimes you don't have enough leftovers. They can also be used for lunches when you're off work or unemployed.
