As I’ve mentioned multiple times on this site, some time in the last few years I managed to kill my appetite so effectively that I’ve resorted to packing protein packs and/or granola bars in my lunch when I go to work, just to make sure I’m eating something. (And yet I’m consuming enough calories/burning few enough comparatively, that I’m still not noticeably losing weight from it. Ugh. And still hungry an hour later when I no longer have the opportunity to eat because all I could eat when I had that chance was a dang protein pack.)

That, combined, with the age-old advice to “save money by not going out to eat,” inclines me to think this is moderately better than going out to Burger King on a weekly basis, even if the Whopper JRs are the perfect size (when I actually have the appetite to eat a whole burger) to pack in my lunches.

But just recently I realized, thanks to their $5 JR Duo deal, Burger King would actually be cheaper than my preferred “lunch kit”

Not even joking, this plus maybe a piece of fruit is “lunch” for me.

Not a huge difference, dollar per dollar–around here we’re talking about $5 for two lunches versus approaching $6 for two (not counting sales tax in either case)–but factoring that I always get the bacon and cheese Whopper JR because the duo deal is the only way I can get these extras without paying out the nose for them, and suddenly there’s a much bigger savings.

The real question, therefore, is that of its impact on my physical health. The JR is certainly a more substantial meal than the protein pack–again, when my appetite allows–and by ordering that instead of a full Whopper it’s easier to avoid the temptation to overeat, but there’s always the question of whether I need all of the bread that I simply cannot convince myself to remove and the pros and cons of any other ingredients.

Whatever, I might still keep doing this. At least once per week. Rack up those reward “Crowns” while I’m at it. (Vaguely related, I also just realized I should be due a freebie due to a “challenge” that was going on last month. I’ll have to remember to get that before it expires… and help my dad figure out how to use his freebie while it’s still valid if he hasn’t finally used it already. While I like the reward function I miss when we didn’t all need accounts for every little thing.)