If you work for a financial company like I do (maybe this applies to other types of firms as well?), make sure you're maximizing your "OT Meal" Allowance whenever you qualify. Our company policy is if you stay past 7p, you get to purchase up to $20 of food and charge it on the company. If you're a younger person such as myself, and that's pretty much normal hours anyway, be sure to take advantage when you qualify.
My move was to find a place right around the corner that had salads with chicken and avocado for like 9.89 after tax and just get two, one for dinner, one for GF or for lunch the next day. 3x per week for the year and you're at about $3,000. Layer in the ability to maximize company lunches and dinners and that's another $1.5k easy, though admittedly a softer number.
Of course, would I spend this myself on takeout salad, no, so the real value saved is probably less, but hey, don't ignore the policy if you've got it.
June 12, 2018 at 12:21PM
