ScLoHo's Really?

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Lunch?

Want to save $500? Check this out from the DLM blog last week:

How to Make Great Packed Lunches for Work

Posted: 17 Sep 2009 05:49 AM PDT

A lot of us are in the habit of buying lunch out each day. I don’t mean we’re all enjoying three-course lunches with wine – for most people, it’s just a sandwich and maybe a bag of chips and a drink from the nearest store.

The problem is, when you’re sinking a few dollars on lunch five days a week, every week, the cost soon adds up. Buying a sandwich out is probably costing you around $3-$6 a pop; making that same sandwich as home would likely cost about a third of what it does in the store, around $1-$2.

So why don’t more of us brown-bag our lunch? In most cases, I think it’s simply habit. Of course, there’s always the excuse that we’re too rushed in the mornings – but that’s pretty easy to overcome.

Finding Time to Pack Your Lunch
Firstly, you’ll probably spend just as much time standing in line at the store as you will making a packed lunch at home. It only takes five minutes to put together a sandwich (I used to make my sandwiches whilst cooking my oatmeal for breakfast!)

Set your alarm clock ten minutes early, and you’ll have plenty of time to make yourself some lunch. If you find it really hard to get out of bed in the morning, you can make sandwiches ahead of time and freeze them (don’t include lettuce or other salad greens if you’re freezing sandwiches). Just grab one out of the freezer before you head out the door to work, and it’ll have defrosted by lunch time.

Storing Your Lunch
If you’ve got a fridge at work, keep your lunch in there. It might be a good idea to label your lunch bag with your name and the date (that way, no-one’s gonna accidentally scoff it, or chuck it out).

If you don’t have access to a fridge, just keep your lunch in an insulated lunch box that will stay cool. You can get these for a few bucks, and if you refrigerate them overnight, they’ll keep your food cool and fresh till lunchtime.

Avoiding Sandwich Boredom
As well as the perceived “hassle” of packing a lunch, many people feel that it’ll quickly get boring. Don’t fall into the “ham sandwiches again?” trap: vary your lunches to keep them interesting. Here’s some ideas.

Sandwiches: There are loads of different types of bread to try. Pitas, tortilla wraps and bagels all transport well – and using different breads will encourage you to vary the fillings.

Salads: Instead of a sandwich, why not make a big salad for lunch? Include some lean protein (like cold chicken, boiled egg, tuna or prawns) and some carbohydrate (pasta, rice or couscous work in many salads, or just take a few crackers to eat on the side).

Leftovers: An incredibly simple way to make lunch with next to no effort is to cook a bit extra at your evening meal the night before and pop it in an air-tight box. I’m very partial to cold stir-fry; if you’ve got access to a microwave at work, you’ll have even more options. (Remember not to reheat rice, though.)

Extras: Try to include a piece of fruit or a handful of veggie sticks with lunch – too many of us don’t eat any fruit or vegetables during the workday. You might also want to throw in a treat like a cookie or a small bag of chips. Look out for multibags of “treat sized” portions – far cheaper than buying candy bars and chips from the vending machine at work.

If you’re stuck for packed lunch ideas, have a search on Google – there are hundreds of sites packed with great suggestions. You can also buy books of packed lunch recipes, though these tend to be aimed at parents making lunches for their kids.

Do you buy lunch out? Is it really a convenience or treat – or just a habit? Could you save $2 or more a day (that’s $10 a week, almost $500 in a full working year) by taking a packed lunch to work?

Written on 9/17/2009 by Ali Hale. Ali is a professional writer and blogger, and a part-time postgraduate student of creative writing. If you need a hand with any sort of written project, drop her a line (ali@aliventures.com) or check out her website at Aliventures.

Photo Credit: Dplanet::

Why you should not quit...

As I was at the Firefly this morning, cleaning out some emails, I found this and decided that this message needs to go out to my friends and family:

Trying times are no time to quit trying

When the going gets tough, such as it is for so many right now, it's time to make a trip to the zoo for inspiration. That's where you'll find my ingredients for success: a hide like a hippopotamus, the courage of a lion, the memory of an elephant, the perseverance of a beaver, the endurance of an Alaskan sled dog, the speed of a greyhound, the agility of a monkey and the stubbornness of a mule.

One of those traits, perseverance, stands out during down times, when we are so often tempted to give up.

Marshall Field, the famed Chicago department store merchant, once offered a list of 12 reminders to those who would have happiness and success in life. Number two on the list was perseverance.

In building a firm foundation for success, Forbes Scrapbook of Thoughts on the Business of Life listed 20 steps, including perseverance.

One of the greatest pleasures in life is doing what people say you can't. When things seem bleakest, you have to carry on to succeed.

Businessman H. Ross Perot said: "A lesson I've learned from the lives of great inventors ... the most successful people in the world aren't the brightest. They are the ones who persevere."

And finally, oil magnate John D. Rockefeller added: "I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."

I'll never forget watching The David Susskind Show years ago. He had three guests on who were self-made millionaires. These men, in their mid-thirties, had averaged being in a dozen different businesses before they hit it big.

The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it; so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many people have thrown up their hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success?

In business, prospects may seem darkest when really they are about to turn. A little more perseverance, a little more effort, and what seemed a hopeless failure may turn into a glorious success. There is no failure except in no longer trying.

History abounds with tales of perseverance. Theodore Geisel died in 1991 at the age of 87. Before he died, he wrote 47 books that sold more than 100 million copies in 18 languages. What most people don't know about Dr. Seuss is that he didn't write his first book until he was 33 and it was rejected by 28 publishers before Vanguard Press picked it up.

Then there was a little girl from Tennessee who was born to face poverty, obesity, a broken home and physical abuse. Today, Oprah Winfrey is one of the most admired celebrities in the world.

Similarly there are many tales of experts who were convinced that the ideas, plans and projects of others could never be achieved. However, accomplishment came to those who said, "I can make it happen."

The Italian sculptor Agostino d'Antonio worked diligently on a large piece of marble. Unable to produce his desired masterpiece, he lamented, "I can do nothing with it." Other sculptors also worked this difficult piece of marble, but to no avail. Michelangelo discovered the stone and visualized the possibilities in it. His perseverance resulted in one of the world's masterpieces—his statue of David.
Even the great Thomas Edison discouraged his friend, Henry Ford, from pursuing his fledgling idea of a motorcar. Convinced of the worthlessness of the idea, Edison invited Ford to come and work for him. Ford remained committed and tirelessly pursued his dream. Although his first attempt resulted in a vehicle without reverse gear, Henry Ford knew he could make it happen. And, of course, he did.
"Forget it," the experts advised Madame Curie. They agreed radium was a scientifically impossible idea. However, Madame Curie insisted, "I can make it happen."
Finally, as you read these accounts under the magnificent light of your environment, consider the plight of Benjamin Franklin. He was admonished to stop his foolish experiments with lightning. What an absurdity and waste of time! Why, nothing could outdo the fabulous oil lamp! Thank goodness Franklin knew he could make it happen.

You too can make it happen!

Mackay's Moral: Never give up: The mighty oak was once a little nut that held its ground.