How two slices of bread could help your overdraft

Whether it’s a cheap and cheerful egg and tomato on plain white bread or something more exotic involving a ciabatta loaf and several fillings, we can’t get enough of take away lunches.

Yet, regardless of what some of the more calorie-laden fillings may do for our waistlines, they’re certainly bad news for your financial health.

Even with the `meal deals’ that are offered by some chains, it’s easy to spend £4 a day on your lunch. Do that every day and the cost quickly adds up. To £20 a week, £80 a month or close to £1,000 a year. Enough to make a difference to most household budgets.

Making a sandwich is a simple matter, why are we willing to pay so much to get someone else to do it?

It’s not just lunchtimes that sees us spending money unnecessarily in this way.

New research from American Express suggests the average commuter spends almost £100 (£94.97) a month on travel treats for their journey to and from work. Coffee and other energy drinks are the most popular purchase with commuters spending £16.93 a month. A further £16.49 a month is spent on snacks such as crisps, chocolate and fruit, and £13.44 on breakfast on the way to work.

More than a fifth (22%) of the 3,000 adults surveyed reported that they indulge to cheer themselves up. A further 29% cite having a ‘stressful day’ as the main factor that sways them towards snacks.

So, next time you are wondering what to do about that overdraft or credit card bill, do yourself a favour and grab a couple of slices of bread.

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