That deli worker in Brooklyn showed me a $3 lunch hack I still use

I was grabbing a sandwich at this little spot near my job in Brooklyn, and the guy behind the counter saw me eyeing the $8 combo. He just shook his head and pointed to the side menu for day-old bagels, like 4 for a dollar. He said, 'Get one of those, grab a $2 tub of cream cheese from the cooler, and you got three lunches for under $3.' I thought he was joking, but I tried it, and he was right. I started doing that twice a week, toasting the bagels at home for breakfast or lunch. Saved me like $15 a week for months until I moved. Has anyone else found a sneaky deal like that from a worker who just decided to help you out?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth_butler758d ago

I actually saw a TikTok last week where a guy in Chicago showed a similar move at his local bodega, using the day-old bread and a can of tuna to make two meals for less than $2. It's wild how much money you can save just by asking or looking at the stuff nobody notices. Did that bagel trick ever get old for you, or did you find new ways to mix it up?

jordan1848d agoMost Upvoted

People sleep on asking bodega workers what's about to expire, but those guys usually know exactly what needs to move and will hook you up if you're cool about it. One time I grabbed a whole sleeve of slightly stale croissants for free and turned them into breakfast sandwiches for the whole week with some eggs and cheese. The real hack is building a relationship with the staff so they start setting stuff aside for you before it even hits the discount rack.