4 Ways to Save Money on Lunch + Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

With my husband working outside of the home, a big expense for us is his lunch. When he eats out a typical lunch runs him about $10. That’s about $200 a month on lunch! That’s just crazy in my opinion. Now, I’m not against my husband eating out here and there but every day just isn’t an option. I wanted to share some of the ways we save money on lunch.

4 Ways to Save Money on Lunch

1. Dollar menu items are awesome for lunch! You don’t need a huge meal at lunch, so spending $2 or $3 is usually enough to hold you over until dinner time.

2. Keeping snacks at my husband’s desk has also been extremely helpful. There are days when he just decides not to take a lunch but he doesn’t have to go hungry since he has snacks at his desk. When we do our Costco trip, I make sure to pick up protein bars, almonds, beef jerky and other things that will help keep him full.

3. Bringing leftovers from home has never been easier with Reynolds. I simply pack up the leftover dinner, put it in a Reynolds™ Disposable Heat & Eat containers and he’s set for the next day. This has been a huge saver for us! Make sure to read below for my chili recipe that is always a great lunch leftover. Find these Reynolds™ Disposable Heat & Eat Containers at your local Walmart store in the food storage aisle.

4. Since my husband does like to eat out at lunch, I’ve created a monthly budget for his lunches. Each month he gets a set amount of money for eating out. He knows once that money is gone, there is no more eating out. It works great!

Slow Cooker Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 3.5 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon black ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 46-oz. can tomato juice
• 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 2 15-oz. can tomato sauce
• 16-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 16-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Shredded cheese green onions and sour cream, to top with

Instructions:

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain meat and set aside.

Add the butter to the skillet then add onion, peppers, garlic and parsley. Cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the spices and mix till well combined.

Add the tomato juice, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, ground beef and vegetable mixture into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, green onions and corn bread!