Is buying your lunch really more expensive? A very serious investigation.

I have a lot of bad habits. I stay up way too late, I can't go a day without a Diet Coke, and I seldom have the foresight to bring my own lunch to work. The result? I hand over at least $16.50 a day for a Greek rice bowl. Granted, it is a delicious Greek rice bowl. But it's not exactly economical.

Or, is it?

Watch: 'This Glorious Mess' on money and career. Post continues after video.

With the Cozzie Livs as it is, I — like Carrie Bradshaw — couldn't help but wonder… how much money do my ~more organised~ coworkers actually save by bringing their lunch from home?

I mean, by the time they've bought all the ingredients from their local supermarket, surely their homemade Greek rice bowl is on par price wise with my $16.50 one from the café… right? Right?

I figured the only way to find out was to conduct a ~very serious~ Sherlock Holmes-style investigation.

Hat. Pipe. The works!

via GIPHY

First, I visited my local café — Street Espresso (not sponsored, but I highly recommend) — and bought my go-to Greek rice bowl. Delicious, as always.

Behold, the Greek rice bowl. Image: Supplied

Then, I hit the supermarket to work out how much it would cost to recreate the meal at home.

Here's the price breakdown:

• Yellow capsicum - $2.48

• Red capsicum - $2.48

• Zucchini - 78c

• Mushrooms - $2.30

• Snap peas - $4.30

• Beans - $3.45

• Broccoli - $1.95

• Chicken breast 600g - $10.80

• Seasoning - onion powder ($2), oregano ($2), dill ($2), thyme ($2) - $8 total

• Parsley - $3.20

• Rice - $1.80

• Kidney beans - $1.10

• Alfalfa sprouts - $2.50

Total = $45.14

Before you clutch your pearls, there are a few caveats to note!

Firstly, if I were to purchase all of these ingredients, they would stretch across roughly three meals, by my conservative estimate. That's $15.04 per meal.

Secondly, if I were to make this meal at home for myself, I actually wouldn't buy the yellow capsicum, mushrooms, kidney beans, or alfalfa sprouts. Don't worry, I'm not wasteful — I do eat the entire café bowl when I purchase it, I just wouldn't include these ingredients in my own version.

That would bring the total price down to $36.76, or $12.25 per meal.

And finally, I already have most of these ingredients sitting at home, which would mean even more savings each week, particularly for longer term items like seasonings and rice.

So, the verdict — is it actually more expensive to buy your lunch every day?

Well, yes… but also? It's not that much more.

Based on my very scientific investigation, my homemade Greek rice bowl comes in at around $12.25 per meal, while the café version sets me back $16.50. That's a difference of $4.25 per day, or roughly $21.25 per work week. Not exactly chump change, but also not the life-altering savings I was hoping for.

Now, if you're the kind of person who lives for meal prep and thrives on the smug satisfaction of bringing your own lunch, then congrats! You're saving a solid $1,000 a year (assuming you actually stick to it and don't panic-buy a sushi roll on your lunch break).

But if you value time over money — or, let's be honest, just can't be bothered — then that extra $4.25 a day might be worth it for the convenience of a freshly made, no-effort meal.

Ultimately, it comes down to your priorities. If you're trying to cut costs, bringing your own lunch is the better option. But if you, like me, have accepted that you will never be a meal-prep girlie, then hey — enjoy your overpriced café lunch.

Life's too short to feel guilty about a Greek rice bowl.

Feature Image: Getty