The allure of the Bento Box

So, to try to conserve money, I’ve made it my goal to eat out less and eat in more. At the same time it gives me a chance to try out new recipes and feed the boyfriend. So, my plan has been to cook on Sundays and Mondays for the week with enough to pack for lunch and dinner. I’ve been pretty good. To fill in the gaps and the monotony, I’ve been filling the gaps with noodle soup and dumplings. It helps that I’ve bought some new gadgets: a microwave (I know, don’t ask. How do I not have one?), a crock pot, and a Le Cruset Dutch oven. It also helps that the boyfriend is not a picky eater and an appreciative eater. But anyway, I digress.

So my mission: Find the perfect lunch box. I know its silly, but this doesn’t seem to exist. To strike the balance between uber-cuteness (yes, I did make up that word) and functionality is proving to be quite the challenge. Also, depending on what I pack for lunch, I.e. bowl of soup, doesn’t quite eat well in a square sandwich container. How about when I don’t want my rice to be a sopping mess because of that curry? Then, I found the Bento Box. I know I want one. But, will I really pack my lunch into that little 3x4 container following all the rules of all that is Bento. Some are microwave safe. Others are not. But man, they are cute! Which do I get? The ones with the secret compartment for the chopsticks? The double stacked one for a double whammy lunch? So as I decide on which to get, I will continue packing my soup in that rectangular sandwich box (j/k).

Mission #2: Bring lunch at least three times a week. I would put four, but for a person who has eaten out every meal (lunch and dinner) for the past year, I think this is a conservative goal. I may up the ante later on. I think for every day I manage not to buy lunch but make my lunch, I will put $10 into the bank. I’m curious how much money I can save up in a year.