$pent Millennial

We have all seen the meme, or one like it. You know, the one about making your own sandwich to save $12 on a sandwich out, only to spend $47 on ingredients for the sandwich. I get it. Groceries are expensive. Everything is expensive. It is a joke, gosh! Don’t take everything so literally. 

But also, it’s not true. Nobody- okay, most average people- don’t spend $47 on ingredients for 1 sandwich. If you do, that is one heck of a sandwich! 

Now, if you want to spend the $12 for a sandwich out instead of spending money and time on groceries and preparation of one, that’s fine! I am not here to Dave Ramsey or Caleb Hammer you about it. I get it. Potbelly, Firehouse, and many others make a GOOD sandwich! But, just own it. Budget it. Decide how it fits. 

The issue with the meme is the narrative it perpetuates and the patterns it excuses for many who would be better off reckoning with the fact that… maybe making the sandwich at home- at least sometimes- might be a better idea for their budgets. 

I know people who share memes like this are often very anti-capitalist and anti-consumerist. The whole message is about the impossible prices of products these days and how expensive it is to just live, and so… duck it! But the underlying message that gets shared is actually…consume more, spend more, and stay on the hamster wheel. 

I know, because I subscribed to this type of thinking and head-burying for a long time. Too long. It was me, hi. 

Nobody was going to tell me that my morning Starbucks was the problem, or that I didn’t deserve to pick up a delicious, comforting pre-made dinner after a long day. And that’s fine. But, as much as I thought that the momentary joys and free-spirited attitude I used to justify it was me “living my best life”, it wasn’t. That became clear as the stress of debt payments, increased cost of living and lack of savings began to get to me. Suddenly the paycheck-to-paycheck life wasn’t as cute and carefree as it had been. I got tired of just getting by and never getting ahead. Eventually, no iced coffee or convenient takeout could mask the weight of the reality that was catching up with me. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, it is good and important to treat and pamper yourself. I just want to encourage people to consider the whole picture. 

To do this, I engage in what I think of as 4,000 foot thinking. (4,000 is a completely random, made up #. I have no concept of real height, etc.) I imagine myself floating out of my own little world where I cannot see the forest for the trees to gain a larger picture perspective. I watch as I make decisions like the daily coffee or weekly takeout. As I watch, I use perspective and information from the past to analyze and reconsider these decisions. Over the past years when I made these same decisions, when I said ‘yes’ to myself in this way, what was the payoff? Was it worth other, possibly bigger yeses I could have said to myself if I didn’t always say ‘yes’ to the momentary comfort and pleasure? 

Puasing and engaging in this perspective shifted something in the way I say ‘yes’ to myself. 

Now I tell myself, “Drink the Starbucks, pick up the takeout. Just know and understand that saying ‘yes’ to that means saying ‘no’ to something else.” 

There is no “right’ or “wrong”. If I want to say ‘yes’ to an iced caramel macchiato on the first real sunny day in March, that ‘yes’ is just as valid as transferring that $7 to a high-yield savings account or making an extra little debt payment, but I do it with the understanding of what I am choosing between. 

That’s just how living and budgeting on a non-profit salary is. And so, these days more often than not, I choose to say ‘no’ to Starbucks and takeout, so I can say ‘yes’ to other things. The other things aren’t always especially sexy. Lately, it has been adding to my emergency fund until it is fully funded for 6 months of expenses. Before that, it was debt payoff. 

While debt payoff wasn’t particularly fun or exciting in the moment , and it didn’t come with the daily serotonin or dopamine hits of “little treats”, not having the extra $600 in bills each month feels really, really good!

And so, while I am not here to tell anyone not to buy the $12 sandwich, I am here to show you alternative options and lay out the reality of the cost of the homemade sandwich. As an educator with a (very expensive) education in journalism, sociology, and psychology I feel it is important that people have all the information needed to make informed decisions. 

It has been a while since I posted a budget recipe to beat takeout, so here I have put together a list of a few of my favorite sandwiches to make at home that beat the cost of the $12 take-out sandwich every time for me. 

Please note that the prices are estimates based on the total cost of the item divided into the portion used for 1 sandwich/  side. While they might not be exactly accurate, I am confident to say that none of these sandwiches created with your average ingredients will cost $47 dollars… or even $12. 

Breakfast Bagel with Tater Tot Hashbrowns

Ingredients

1. Everything Bagel (32 cents) 
2. Choice of hot sauce/ spicy mayo (10 cents) 
3. 1 Egg (15 cents) 
4. Tater Tots (1 dollar) 
5. Cheese (Swiss and Provolone) (40 cents) 
6. Butter/ Oil for Pan (10 cents) 

Directions

1. Cook Tater Tots in oven- 30-35 minutes at 400 degrees 
2. Toast bagel in the oven with tater tots for an additional 5 minutes 
3. While bagel toasts, fry eggs on the stove
4. Once toasted, add cheese and spicy mayo or hot sauce to the bagel 
5. Add the egg and tater tots (optional) to the bagel 
6. Put the remaining tater tots and bagel sandwich back in the oven to melt the cheese on the sandwich and finish toasting 
7. Cook for 5 minutes at 400 degrees 
8. Serve and enjoy! 

Total Cost to make: Sandwich with Tot:  $2.07

Meat(less)ball Sub

Ingredients

Sandwich:

1. 3 Plant-Based Meatballs (Or Real Meatballs) – I prefer Impossible Plant-Based Meatballs ($2)
2. About 3 Tbsp Tomato Sauce (Dollar Tree, Hunts Garlic & Herb) (10 cents) 
3. Bread of Choice- I prefer a Sub Bun or Ciabatta roll (75 cents) 
4. 1 Slice of Provolone Cheese (20 cents) 
5. Parmesan Cheese sprinkled to taste (about 1 tbsp) (10 cents) 
6. Add Oregano or Basil to taste (10 cents)

Side:

1. Greens (About 5 oz) ($1.75)
2. Tomatoes (3 oz) ($1.00) 
3. Dressing (4 tbsp? I have no idea) (32 cents)
4. Feta Cheese (⅓ cup – always more cheese) (75 cents)

Directions

1. Bake meatballs at 325 degrees for 15 minutes as directions indicate
2. Toast bread in the oven for 5 minutes
3. Add sauce to the bottom bread, add provolone cheese top with meatballs and sauce 
4. Top with parmesan cheese and seasoning to taste (oregano, basil, etc) 
5. Toast in the oven for another 5 minutes, ‘til the cheese melts 
6. Serve and enjoy! 

Add side salad 

1. Layer Greens, Spring Mix & Spinach
2. Add Grape Tomatoes (sliced in half) 
3. Top with Dressing of Choice- I prefer Caesar
4. Optional: Sprinkle with Feta Cheese 

Total Coast to make Meat(less)ball sub with side salad: $7.07

 Comment: A bit pricy, but that is a HEARTY sandwich with an elite salad… and still not $12*

*You can likely cut the price by useing less expensive meatballs or using leftover ground beef if you eat meat…

Tuna Salad

Ingredients 

1. 1 can of tuna ($1.50) – I usually don’t use a whole can, but close to it and give a small amount to my pup. 
2. Mayonaise: 1 tbsp for the tuna, 1 tbsp to spread on bread (10 cents) 
3. Greens- Spring Mix ($1) – probably less, but just to be safe
4. Choice of Bread: I prefer a ciabatta roll ($1) – Probably less, but to be on the high end
5. Optional: Onion (Red) (sliced) (25 cents) 
6. Tomatoes (Sliced) (25 cents) 

Add French Fries – Bake on cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes

Directions

Sandwich:

1. Toast bread in the oven (400 degrees for 5 minutes) 
2. Mix tuna with Mayonaise, optional: add in black pepper
3. Layer bread with greens and tuna
4. Top with onion and tomato slices
5. Spread the remaining mayonnaise on the top slice of bread 

Side:

1. Fries (about $1.25) – say you use 1 bag from dollar tree or a fraction of a larger bag 

or 

2. Chips (about $1.25) – say you use 1 bag from dollar tree or a fraction of a larger bag 

or

3. Soup ($6- store Panera brand, lets get fancy) 

or

4. Leftover pasta (Unknown) 

or

5. Side Salad (See above) 

Total Coast to make Tuna Sandwich with Side: High Estimate: $10.10 , Low Estimate: $5.35

So, there you have it. 3 different sandwiches with sides that can be made from the comfort of you home- all for less than the $12 sandwich out. 

If you are worried about the time it will take to make the sandwich instead of ordering it on an app and picking it up, that’s fair. I would challenge you to ask yourself what you are doing with that extra 30 – 60 minutes. 

Personally, I have started listening to podcasts while cooking or preparing food and coffee. Sometimes, I even do educational,  personal, or professional development podcasts that actually help me grow in my life or career. Or I use the time to play a favorite podcast or playlist and just let go for a few minutes while whipping it up. Whether you use the time for play (dancing in the kitchen), entertainment (true crime podcast here I come), or development (self-improvement, career-focused learning podcasts, etc), the time can be well-spent, and definitely not wasted. 

But again, I will end on a reminder that if you just want to buy the $12 sandwich, that’s fine! I just recommend you be honest and realistic about all your options. Consider all your yeses and nos that go into your decision. 

What do you think? Please share your favorite sandwich. Homemade OR Takeout!