Comments on: Coffee, Lunch Spending Tops Tax Refunds

By: Brad Lowry

Brad Lowry — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:03:52 +0000

Advice to Pack a Brown-Bag lunch is great advice (just now on air).

Better Yet!
(from profile of someone I saw years ago)

Pack TWO Brown Bag lunches — one for you, and another to give to a homeless person on your way to work. You’ll still save money and make a real difference in someone’s life.

Original guy noticed how bad he felt as he walked by the Homeless on way to work, and had an “Ah-Ha” moment when he paid the $35 lunch bill.

PB & J and an apple x2 is less than half what I used to spend eating out.

By: Carol Foster

Carol Foster — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:54:06 +0000

Why does Accounting Principals, a “recruitment and staffing” company, conduct a survey about lunch spending? What are they trying to sell? Where is the data behind this report? I practice tight budgeting, but folks, don’t beat yourself up too much about this and your personal situation. Remember, only the folks who have computers, internet, and the time to read and comment on this report are participating in this discussion.

By: newcountryman

newcountryman — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:28:06 +0000

I never did understand Starbucks. And most people go out for lunch just to get away from the office.

By: David

David — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:07:15 +0000

It should be pointed out that obviously no one will save $2000 by bringing a lunch – you’ll just spend the money at the grocery store instead of somewhere else. You may save a little money for sure, but most people will still be spending in the thousands.

By: The_Mick

The_Mick — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:53:51 +0000

I worked as a teacher where we teachers were making about 2x what the secretaries and custodians and warehouse workers were. But the teachers, with only 25 min. for lunch, almost always brown-bagged it and either brought a thermos of coffee or set up a group pot in a teacher’s lounge. The others often went out to lunch, sent someone out to 7-11, etc. for coffee, and tended to buy sodas and snacks from the vending machines. When one warehouse worker asked me how I could afford to go on overseas vacations, I pointed out that if he brown bagged his lunch, bought his sodas in bulk at Costco, and brought a thermos of coffee from home each day, the savings could pay for trip to France, the Holy Land, an Aegean Cruise, etc. for him and his wife every other year. He was stunned. People don’t realize how much money they waste. In, retirement, I’ve got the time and have become a much better comparison shopper and have the time to stop at a few stores and save a couple hundred on groceries each month.

By: Give Me a Break

Give Me a Break — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:07:58 +0000

This is the same philosophy my Dad taught me 50 years ago – bringing your lunch saves a fortune, especially with microwave ovens available at the workplace. As to the refunds being used to pay off debt – bull ! Trips to Vegas, big screen TV’s, and the latest electronic gizmo is where those refunds are going. 35+ years of tax preparation has taught me that, clients come in year after year with debt balances increased, even though they were going to use the refund to pay them down.

By: Sheila

Sheila — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:46:08 +0000

$2,900 average tax refund? So the IRS is keeping $250 of the average person’s money every month interest free? Sheeeeesh – re-do your withholding so this stops! Use your own money, or, if you can do without it every month as it goes to the IRS, put it in savings – at least you’ll make a little on it. If that $250 per month was put towards debt every month, interest charges would go way down as well.