Lunch is an expense that repeats every day

A lunch bought near the office costs little on its own. Repeated five days a week all year round, it becomes one of the biggest items in the daily budget, often more than a transport pass or the electricity bill. This calculator compares a bought lunch with one brought from home and shows the annual saving, the preparation time and how much each hour spent making lunch "pays".

It works in any currency and for any routine: office, school, university, or remote work with lunch delivered.

How the calculation works

You enter the average cost of a bought lunch, the cost of the ingredients of a homemade lunch, how many lunches a week, how many weeks a year and how many minutes it takes to prepare.

• Lunches per year: lunches per week × weeks.
• Annual saving: (bought cost − home cost) × lunches per year.
• Preparation hours: minutes per lunch × lunches per year / 60.
• Saving per hour: annual saving divided by preparation hours.

The verdict is based on the cost of the homemade lunch as a percentage of the bought one: a ratio that depends neither on the currency nor on how many lunches you have.

How much you save in a year

The table uses a bought lunch at 10, five lunches a week and 46 working weeks, that is 230 lunches a year, and changes the cost of the homemade lunch.

Even a not-so-cheap homemade lunch, at half the price of a bought one, saves more than a thousand a year in this example. The figure matters because it repeats: the same saving every year, for every year of work.

The "hourly wage" of a homemade lunch

Making lunch takes time, and time has value. Dividing the saving by the preparation hours shows how much each hour in the kitchen pays. The table uses the same example, with 7 saved per meal.

At ten minutes per lunch, each hour of preparation saves 42: for many people that is more than their net hourly pay, and untaxed. The lever for keeping this "wage" high is cutting the minutes per meal: cooking once for several days spreads the time across more lunches.

A few days a week are enough

You do not need to switch to five homemade lunches out of five. The saving grows linearly with the days, so even two or three days a week are worth a lot.

Each day a week is worth the same annual saving, 322 in the example. It is a simple way to set a realistic goal: start with two or three days and add more once it becomes a habit.

The five bands of the verdict

• The homemade lunch costs more: this happens with very cheap subsidised canteens.
• Below 25%: the homemade lunch wins by a mile.
• 25% to 40%: it clearly pays, the typical case.
• 40% to 60%: it pays, with a moderate margin.
• Above 60%: the financial advantage is thin, and quality and health matter.

How to estimate the cost of a homemade lunch

Add up the cost of a recipe's ingredients and divide by the portions. A dish of pasta, rice or grains with vegetables and a source of protein often costs just a few units per portion; with dinner leftovers the extra cost approaches zero. Include dressings, bread and fruit you take along, and if you like a small allowance for containers and cool bags.

Batch-cooked lunches

Cooking once for three or four days cuts both cost and time: ingredients bought in quantity cost less, and preparation is split across several meals. It is the technique that moves the result into the best band and raises the saving per hour. Keep meals in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for longer, following food-safety guidance.

Limits of the calculator

The model uses constant average costs and does not include cooking energy, unforeseen events, work or social lunches, or the value of lunch time spent with colleagues. The saving per hour is an indicative comparison, not an assessment of your free time. How much the pleasure of lunch out weighs is up to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do you save by bringing lunch from home?

It depends on the price gap and how many lunches you have. With a bought lunch at 10, a homemade one at 3 and 230 lunches a year, the saving is 1,610 a year.

How do I work out the cost of a homemade lunch?

Add up the cost of a recipe's ingredients and divide by the portions, adding bread, fruit and dressings you take along. With dinner leftovers the extra cost approaches zero.

Is it worth it once preparation time is counted?

The calculator tells you with the saving per hour: with 7 saved per meal and 10 minutes of preparation, each hour in the kitchen saves 42.

How can I cut preparation time?

By batch cooking for several days: the time is shared across more meals and ingredients bought in quantity cost less.

Is it worth bringing lunch only a few days?

Yes, the saving grows linearly: each day a week is worth the same annual saving. Two or three days are a good starting point.

When does a packed lunch not pay?

When lunch out is very cheap, as in subsidised workplace canteens, or when the homemade lunch is more elaborate and expensive than it needs to be.

What does the verdict percentage mean?

It is the cost of the homemade lunch divided by the bought one. 30% means each packed lunch costs less than a third of a bought one.

Does the calculator include cooking energy?

No, it counts only ingredients. For most dishes, cooking energy per portion is small compared with the cost of the food.

How many weeks a year should I enter?

Those in which you actually eat lunch away from home: for workers, usually working weeks minus holidays, often between 44 and 48.

Does it work for students?

Yes: enter the class days per week and the weeks of the academic year in which you eat lunch out.

What if I order lunch delivered while working from home?

It works the same way: enter the average order cost, delivery included, as the bought lunch.

Is the saving per hour like a wage?

It is an indicative comparison: it is not taxed income, but it also does not account for the value you place on your free time or on the pleasure of a lunch out.