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Hey, what did you do for lunch today?

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Or what are you planning
for the week ahead?

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If buying lunch out is your go-to,
you might be spending thousands

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more per year than you realize.

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Let's talk about the huge
savings hiding in your lunch bag.

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Hey there, and welcome
to your daily Ask Ralph.

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I'm Ralph kicking off the week with you
Row and Ray along in our series, the Joy

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of Living Below Your Means all with the
goal of breaking the cycle of financial

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shame and doing it with confidence.

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Last week we tackled some foundational
habits today, a big daily expense lunch.

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Let's talk about that midday meal.

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When lunchtime roll around at work,
or maybe when you're out running

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errands, what's your typical routine?

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Is it grab and takeout?

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Is it hitting a deli?

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Or maybe it's going out with coworkers?

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It often feels easier, often feels
more convenient, or maybe it's

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just what everyone else does, do
you ever really calculate the cost

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that $10, $12, or maybe even $15
lunch, that adds up incredibly fast.

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Maybe you tell yourself you're too busy to
pack or packing seems like a huge hassle.

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That habit of regularly buying
lunch out and often underestimating

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its massive cumulative cost and
also overlooking savings potential

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because packing seems inconvenient.

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Well, that's the single challenge
we're focusing on today.

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It can be one of the biggest
silent budget killers.

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But here's the thing,
you need to understand.

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Much like the daily coffee, the cost
of convenience at lunchtime is steep.

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Spending $12 on lunch five days
a week is roughly $240 a month.

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That's nearly $3,000 a year.

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Think about what else you
could do with that money.

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You could pay off debt.

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You could work to build savings and maybe
even give more generously, because here's

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the truth, good stewardship involved is
looking at these major recurring expenses.

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It just does see pack.

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And lunch isn't just about saving money.

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It's often healthier, can save you
time during your actual lunch break.

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It encourages planning and diligence, all
things the Bible speaks positively about.

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So now you're probably asking
Ralph, well, how do we capture

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those significant savings and break
that expensive lunch buying habit?

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Well, lemme just tell you.

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The single high impact solution is to
commit to packing your lunch from home.

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Now, I know it might seem daunting at
first, but, but let's keep it simple.

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Let's face it.

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Leftovers are your friend.

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Often the easiest way is just make a
little extra at dinner the night before,

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maybe consider simple sandwiches or wraps.

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These are quick, easy, and affordable.

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How about salads in a jar?

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You can prepare components ahead for easy.

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Grab and go.

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Maybe make some soup or some chili.

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Hey, make a make a batch on the weekend
for several lunches during the week.

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' cause here's the truth, packing your
lunch consistently is really impactful.

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You can save you some serious money, as
we saw, potentially hundreds per month.

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A lot of times it's often healthier.

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You can control the ingredients and
you can control the portion sizes.

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It's a huge time saver because it frees
up your lunch break for relaxing or

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walking or reading or connecting with God.

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It's a great time for prayer and
it can help build discipline by

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reinforcing planning and intentionality.

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Something we talk about
on the show all the time.

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The solution is powerful and practical.

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Pack your lunch.

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Well, okay.

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Let's get practical.

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Here's your one action step for
today, planning for the week ahead.

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First thing I want you to do
is to estimate your savings.

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I want you to think honestly about
how often you buy lunch and what the

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average cost is, what you're spending
every day, and then I simply want you

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to multiply it out for a month because
seeing that number, that can provide a

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tremendous amount of motivation and you
might just be surprised by the results.

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The next thing you gotta do is
you gotta make that commitment.

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You gotta decide today that you're gonna
pack your lunch starting tomorrow, or the

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next workday for a set period of time.

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Maybe for you, you aim for this
week or for the rest of the month,

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but put it on your calendar.

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'cause as I always say, what
gets measured gets done.

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And then I want you to
plan your first pack lunch.

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You know, ask yourself what will you pack
for tomorrow or for the next opportunity?

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It's time to keep it
super simple to start.

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Maybe it's leftovers, maybe it's
that quick sandwich and some fruit.

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But you gotta decide now so
that you're ready for tomorrow.

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Which leads me to the big
key thing you gotta do.

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You gotta prepare ahead
tonight before bed.

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Take that five to 10 minutes to
actually pack it or get the components

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ready so it's easy to grab in the
morning on your way out the door.

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So now you're asking Ralph, why
should I commit to packing lunch?

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Well, because it directly attacks one
of the largest want spending categories.

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For many people, it is
definitely a want it.

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It frees up substantial money
and it puts you back in control.

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It replaces a costly convenience habit
with a mindful planned action that

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benefits your wallet, potentially benefits
your health, and certainly your schedule.

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Well, let's pray together.

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Father God, thank you
again for your provision.

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Lord, we acknowledge that
convenience often cost us more

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than we realize, both in money
and sometimes even in stewardship.

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Lord, I pray for my friend
listening as they commit to

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packing their lunch more often.

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Lord, give them the motivation,
the discipline, and the

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energy to follow through.

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Lord, help them find simple ideas and make
a sustainable habit, and may the resources

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saved be used wisely for your purposes.

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Lord.

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Lord, we just thank you for the
opportunity to be diligent in

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these practical areas of life,
and we ask this in Jesus' name.

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Amen.

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Alright, you can do this.

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You totally can.

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I have confidence in you.

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So start simple.

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Prepare ahead tonight and enjoy
the savings and maybe even a more

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relaxing lunch break tomorrow,
because here's the key takeaway.

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Every packed lunch is a win.

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Now we've hit a couple of big
daily spending habits, but now

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what about those sneaky charges
that hit your account every month?

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Be sure to join me back here tomorrow on
Ask Ralph, we're gonna be looking at one

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of those sneaky charges, so get ready
to potentially find some free money.

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You don't wanna miss
that on tomorrow's show.

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And if this episode motivated you to pack
lunch, please share it with somebody.

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You can find resources and links
in the show notes@askralph.com.

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So until tomorrow pack, well save
well and keep seeking him first.

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Let's keep working towards becoming
a financially confident Christian.

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So God bless you and have a great day.