Comments on: Does a frugal culture exist in your workplace?

By: Don’t Feed the Alligators » Blog Archive » Weekly Feeding 8-3-2008

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:40:26 +0000

[...] wonders if a frugal culture exists at your work place. He feels obligated to eat out with coworkers for fear of missing [...]

By: rocketc

rocketc — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:19:29 +0000

MITBeta, great idea, I think I will look into this.

By: MITBeta @ Don't Feed The Alligators

MITBeta @ Don't Feed The Alligators — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:40:06 +0000

My workplace is a mix of brown-baggers and take-outers, but most people still end up eating in the conference room. My suggestion is that if lunches out turns out to be a required part of the job that you check with you tax preparer to see if you can claim at least some of the expense as a deduction. It certainly seems to me that if your boss is making you go and pay your own way that this is a deductible expense.

By: LC

LC — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:39:37 +0000

My workplace sounds about halfway in between your old and new jobs. Around here, if we schedule a meeting around lunchtime, it is catered (company-paid), so many people can get their lunch for free almost every day. Maybe suggest that to your management. To them, the cost for each meal is far less than the extra hour of productivity per person (that is if you are ok with the idea of not getting a lunch break).

But I would also just change your mindset from “that is a lot of extra money I have to spend just for lunch” to “This is part of my job and this is how much I need to spend to have a say in company decisions.” Then automatically deposit $20 per paycheck into a savings account so you don’t miss it. Then I would make a point to go out to lunch at least once a week with the group, perhaps with your own ideas of what you’d like to discuss (work related). You may actually find that they are not discussing business and haven’t been missing out. I would still say go every now and then just to maintain relationships with your co-workers.

But I also think it’s a good idea to join a gym or “invent” appointments or errands for your lunch break.

By: deepali

deepali — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:53:14 +0000

This is a tough one. Adding in a day or two a week for the gym could help. Perhaps suggesting lunch-in a day a week would also be good. But it does sound like 1-2 times a week, you’ll have to go out, especially if there is decision-making going on. Reminds of that Friends episode where Rachel takes up smoking… I never saw the end of it, wonder what she worked out.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:35:24 +0000

If there a lot of restaurants around where you work you can always try to introduce the go and buy it then meet back at the office and eat together. Then just slip in your brown bag. We did this a lot at my old office because A) many of the favored take out place did not have a lot of seating B) you all didn’t have to eat at the same place. As for the coffee, I got a thermos from Walmart and it stayed warm until after 2pm+. Just say you like your home brew better. Or at my old office we had one of those hot/cold water cooler and a friend made french press coffee no one thought he was cheap b/c it was french press.

By: Monroe on a Budget » Does a frugal culture exist in your workplace?

Monroe on a Budget » Does a frugal culture exist in your workplace? — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:06:58 +0000

[...] Rocket Finance has this post Does a frugal culture exist in your workplace? [...]

By: The Friday gathering - Annoying scrapers addition

The Friday gathering - Annoying scrapers addition — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:01:31 +0000

[...] Does a frugal culture exist in your workplace? [...]

By: rocketc

rocketc — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:15:42 +0000

I was afraid of that answer . . . it will be a lot easier to add a budget item when my house sells.

By: plonkee

plonkee — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:42:47 +0000

Oooh, starting up seminars is a good idea. As is saying that you need to keep yourself in shape (as long as your pride isn’t too harmed by this idea).

But, at the end of the day I think you’re going to have to add it as a budget line. If they really go every single lunch time, then you’ll need to go sometimes, and probably a lot more often than you’d choose to.