Kevin O’Leary Says You Go To Work And Spend $15 On A Sandwich, ‘What Are You An Idiot?’ — It Costs You 99 Cents To Make One At Home

Lunch rarely feels like a financial decision. It feels like convenience, a quick break, maybe a small reward in the middle of a workday. But according to “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary, that daily habit adds up faster than most people realize — and he has little patience for the math people ignore.
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In a 2023 TikTok video, O’Leary delivered one of his characteristically blunt reminders about everyday spending, calling out expensive lunches and coffee runs as quiet budget killers. “You go to work, you spend 15 bucks on a sandwich—what are you, an idiot?” he said, arguing that small, repeated purchases can quietly drain thousands of dollars a year without people noticing.
Over time, he said, those daily choices compound. “You start to add that up every day, it’s a ton of money.”
He said the issue shows up most clearly among younger workers early in their careers, especially those earning around $60,000 a year in larger cities, where daily convenience spending can quietly pile up. According to O’Leary, small purchases like takeout lunches, coffee runs, and other routine expenses can add up to as much as $15,000 a year when left unchecked.
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Real Cost Of Everyday Convenience
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What Happens After The Savings
Once you’ve saved that $15,000 a year by mastering the art of the 99-cent turkey club and the home-brewed roast, a new question shows up: what do you actually do with all those sandwich savings?
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