The Best Lunch Deals For Those On A Budget

Dec 11, 2018 | 9 min read
Hey, I'm Hayden and food is my passion in life. Unfortunately, food can be expensive, and that's where my love for coupons comes in. I'll be sharing my favourites so you can eat and save more! Follow me on Instagram @aucklandcouponguru for more deals!

DON’T BE BOUJEE, HERE ARE 9 DEALS TO SAVE MONEY AND NOT STARVE. FROM VELVET BURGER TO MACCAS, WE GOT YOU COVERED.

Forgetting to take lunch to work or uni is like a stab to the heart (or wallet, which is basically the same thing). It now means that you’ve got to spend the little money you can conjure up to buy something suffice to eat.

Unfortunately, as University is in the city and we are students, we find ourselves in a bit of a paradox. Food prices can honestly be ridiculous, with the humble pie costing around $6 as only the most ‘boujee’ establishments are found in town. Fortunately, I have encountered these problems in my time here and have discovered the power of coupons to help combat against capitalism. So here are just a handful of my favourite most delicious, nutritious, and overall best value for money lunch deals I have found in and around town!

1. Velvet Burger: 2-4-1 Tuesday

Velvet Burger

Starting off with an absolute classic, Velvet Burger’s ‘2-4-1 Tuesday’ is a staple in any students bank statement. As the deal suggests, you can order any of the delicious burgers they have on offer, the cheapest being the ‘Mini Beet’ which is a smaller (still decent sized) version of the ‘Beet Drop’ for $7.90, going all the way up to the beast known as the ‘GoneBurger’, which practically has every ingredient ever and is priced at $17.50.

TOP TIP
Now although this may seem a little pricey for a student as they are gourmet burgers, if you jump on their website on a Tuesday, place your order, and enter the coupon code of the month before paying (this month’s being ‘HOTTIE’), you will receive two burgers for the price of one! This deal has gotten me through countless hunger filled days at uni alongside many money tight situations, as it won’t set you back in pocket at all. If you were to go halves on the deal with a friend it’ll cost you as little as $3.95 for a fresh, tasty, gourmet burger, and who can say no to that?

Where:
Velvet Burger Fort St & Federal Lane.

When:
Every Tuesday.

Vege Option:
Yes

Conditions:

  • Only available online.
  • Discounted burger must be of equal or lesser value.
  • Customer must enter the coupon code of the month before payment (this month’s being ‘HOTTIE’.)

2. Elliott Stables: $10 Lunches

Chicken Skewers

If burgers aren’t your thing I’ve got another top notch Tuesday lunch deal for you. If you pop into Elliott Stables between 11am-2pm, every single restaurant will be offering a special $10 lunch deal ranging from many different cuisines so there’s something for everybody! You go for Italian and get a hearty bolognese, all the way to Japanese with a teriyaki chicken donburi. No matter your choice you’ll get a proper quality meal for only $10 and most places also offer cheap drink options as well, so you can dine like an absolute champion.

Visit here for more information on all the offers.

Where:
Elliott Stables, Elliott St.

When:
Every Tuesday.

Vege Option:
No

Conditions:
Between 11am-2pm on Tuesdays.

3. Cafe Midnight Express: Lunch Specials

Cafe Midnight Express offers some of the best damn Mediterranean & Turkish food in Auckland, hands down, and they also offer some of the best value too! If you pop in between their lunch hours of 11.30am-2.30pm any day of the week (okay, well besides Monday) you will be treated to their amazing 12 dollar lunch menu. This banger of a menu includes both meaty and vegetarian friendly options, including the classic doner kebab alongside 7 other options to choose from! But their lunch deals don’t stop there. You can also get a barista made coffee or tea for just $2.50, beer for $6, wine for $7, and they even have a $5 dollar dessert menu with the classics like cheesecake of the day and the more traditional baklava. Overall, Cafe Midnight Express is definitely a top contender for lunch any day of the week, if there was ever any doubt.

Where:
Cafe Midnight Express, Victoria St West

When:
Tuesday-Sunday

Vege Option:
Yes

Conditions:
None.

4. Mai Thai: Lunch Specials

Mai Thai Pad Thai

If you want some good quality Thai food at a reasonable price, look no further than Mai Thai’s special lunch menu. Normally not the cheapest Thai restaurant around, although defintiely one of the nicest, Mai Thai is now offering customers some quality dishes on their menu at a small price. You can nab any of the following, ‘Pad Med Mamuang’ (stir fry dish with chicken, cashew nuts, and veges), ‘Green Curry’, and ‘Too Hoo Pad Med Mamuang’ (same as before, but with tofu instead of chicken and is spicy) for just $13.50! Alongside this they’re offering spirits, wine and tap beer for just $6 a pop if you’re feeling a little extra. So go live a little and avoid all that uni work that is piling up with some nutritious, wholesome Thai food.

Where:
Mai Thai, Victoria St West.

When:
Every Monday-Saturday.

Vege Option:
Yes

Conditions:
None.

5. Pitalicious: Flavour of the Day

Flavour Pitalicious is an amazing little spot hidden in Vulcan Lane off Queen and High St. They have hundreds of combinations on offer for you to craft your perfect pita, with 10+ salad choices, 3 different cheeses, a big range of sauces and proteins, 3 different hummus options, and rellish if it wasn’t enough. They are in my opinion the front runner in the pita game, and are also quite a bit cheaper, because this is a coupon blog and what did you expect? If you pop in from Monday-Friday Pitalicious offer their ‘Flavour of the Day’, which ranges from Falafel to Satay Chicken, they genuinely have it all. You can order a small pita for only $6 or a large for just $8! Also the large is pretty massive, as they pack the bad boys to the brim, so a small would definitely do you for lunch, and lunch for just $7 is a steal.

Where:
Flavour Pitalicious, Vulcan Lane.

When:
Monday-Friday.

Vege Option:
Yes

Conditions:
None.

6. Freeman & Grey: Pizza Specials

Freeman & Grey is a nice restaurant found in the heart of Ponsonby, but instead of charging ‘Ponsnoby’ prices, they offer wholesome good food at a reasonable price. Although, it is their crazy pizza deals that are absolutely out of this world. If you pop in between the hours of 12-2pm and 5-7.30pm you can get any pizza off their huge range for just $5 (valued up to $13.90!).

TOP TIP
With options like chicken, brie and cranberry, and bacon, basil pesto and ricotta, you know you’re gonna get a proper feed for just some pocket change. Furthering from this, if you simply text ‘Freeman (youremail)’ to 4664 you’ll receive a FREE pizza of your choice at any time! Like sure Dominos and Pizza Hut have their 5 dollar menu, but it’s not even in the same league as Freeman & Grey.

Where:
Freemany & Grey, Ponsonby Rd.

When:
12-2pm & 5-7.30pm.

Vege Option:
Yes

Conditions:
None.

7. McDonalds App: Coupons

After years and years of surfing through fast food coupons, McDonalds has finally stepped into the game. By downloading their app and signing up you can have access to their nifty coupons page! It’s packed with a range of deals, like a medium barista coffee and a bacon and egg McMuffin for only $6, or if you’re super hungry you can grab a Big Mac, a McChicken and a small fries for just $10!With 10+ deals available at any given time you’re bound to find something you’re looking for to give you that classic ‘Maccas run’ hit. Also as a bonus for the students, McDonalds offers us cheap ‘student fries’! All you gotta do is present your valid I.D when ordering and bam, half price medium chips.

Where:
Locations all around New Zealand.

When:
Everyday.

Vege Option:
No

Conditions:
See coupon conditions on application.

8. Aroma Curry: Special Grabone Deal

Who doesn’t love a banging curry? Yes I know, you can generally get a cheap Indian meal anywhere in Auckland, but this deal from Aroma Curry adds that little bit extra! For just $10 you can grab a medium sized curry (which is quite hefty), rice, and a garlic or plain naan! The food here is so much better than your average token Indian food court option, offering a wide range of meaty and vegetarian choices, there’s definitely something for everyone!

To grab this deal you’ve go to head onto the Grabone website, where you can purchase it. From here all you’ve got to do to redeem is simply show them your voucher at the counter, it’s as easy as that!

Where:
Aroma Curry, Rialto Mall, Newmarket.

When:
Everyday till 31st December.

Vege Option:
Yes

Conditions:
See deal conditions on Grabone website.

9. Better Burger: Special Niesh Offer

Better Burger Flat Lay

You surely didn’t think that a Niesh blog coupon list would be without a coupon from Niesh themselves did you? Well they offer up heaps of amazing deals as you probably know, but my absolute favourite has to be the ‘free fries with any purhcase’ from Better Burger. With their fries costing $4 on their own it is most defintely a purchase you don’t want to have to make, but what makes this coupon so great is that it can be redemmed with ANY purchase. If you just feel like a heap of fries you can order 1 packet of fries and just nab another 1 free.You could get any burger, even the cheapest hamburger and STILL get the free fries, this deal is an absolute banger. All you’ve got to do is redeem the coupon on your Niesh app at the Better Burger counter, show the cashier, and you’ve got ya free chips!

Where:
Better Burger Vulcan Lane and Britomart

When:
Everyday.

Vege Option:
Yes

Conditions:
None.