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Simplifying the Sandwich

Whether you work from home or brown bag it at the office, sandwiches are still the king of lunchtime. There aren’t many foods more humble or delicious, and making them at home has always been a frugal eater’s delight. 


How do you make a good sandwich for cheap? When a Redditor asked the r/Frugal community about ways to skip paying Boar’s Head prices, there was a deluge of ideas. Here are nine of our favorite cheap sandwich inspirations. 

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Rotisserie Chicken

You can get a ton of sandwiches using just one chicken — not to mention, it makes for the perfect leftover sandwich. One user mentions frying up the skin to make chicken skin BLTs, and that sounds terrific.

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House Brands

Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and many other supermarket chains have their own line of house brand meats, and they’re almost always cheaper than Boar’s Head. Trader Joe’s certainly isn’t the cheapest of anything on this list, but you’re getting top-shelf stuff.

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Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

To skip meat entirely, grilled veggies are a tasty option. “Lately I’ve gone to more veggie sandwiches,” one Redditor says, “with roasting or grilling up any cheap produce in season; peppers, squash, tomatoes, roasted carrots, or beets.”


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The “Salads”

Tuna salad, egg salad, and chicken salad are all cheap and easy sandwiches. Cans of tuna are generally a dollar or less, making it a far cheaper option than high-end lunch meat.

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The Good-Meat-Filling-Veggie Method

There are ways around cutting out the good stuff. One Redditor suggests buying Boar’s head, but adding “more ‘filler’ to your sandwiches: cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, whatever veggies you like. They’ll be more nutritious, fill you up more, and you save on the deli meat by eating less of it.” Smart.