The Smartest Way to Remember to Bring Lunch to Work

I’ve made a pretty big effort to bring my lunch to work this year. Not only am I saving a ton of money (those $12 New York salads add up!), but I also feel like I’m eating a little healthier. What I’ve learned is that meal planning and prepping is a lot of work. First you have to find the recipe that speaks to you, then you have to actually grocery shop and make the damn thing. And after all this — the most essential step — you have to remember to actually take your lunch to work.

When I was starting out I found that this last point was what was tripping me up. I’d make something tasty for lunch, and in the morning I’d forget about it until I was halfway to work. The worst! So annoying! What a waste! But this doesn’t have to be you.

Rachel Wilkerson Miller, senior lifestyle editor for BuzzFeed, has a brilliant tip about remembering to take your lunch to work. She suggests that you put a clothespin on the purse or bag before you go to bed. This clothespin acts as a physical reminder to bring your lunch to work. So, in the morning, when you’re rushing out the door and you grab your bag you’ll be see the clothespin and remember to take your delicious lunch out of the fridge. So smart! No more alarms to set or notes to write yourself.

“I recently just started sticking a clothespin on my purse as a visual reminder that there’s something I need to take care of,” she explains on BuzzFeed. She also notes that she started keeping the clothespin in her purse to remind herself to bring stuff home from the office (you know, like that lunch box you have in the office fridge).

Have you ever tried this?