Thinking seriously about bringing your lunch to save a few bucks? Truth be told, I actually prefer packing the midday meal. The morning coffee run? That's another story. But the idea that my lunch is ready when I want it, that I know exactly what's going into my food and (most importantly) that I don't have to stand in line somewhere and listen to some annoying jerk bark into his cell before realizing it's his turn to order. But brown-baggin' it does not necessitate an actual bag. I store grub in a lunchbox by Sigg, the Swiss company behind those ubiquitous aluminum water bottles. It's lightweight, water-tight and comes in three colors, but I like the old-timey manliness of the plain metal.

$25 to $30, at Amazon.com