How to Lower your Spending on Packed School Lunches

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By Kristina N
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Lower your Spending on Packed School Lunches

School lunches that are purchased at schools can become expensive. If your family does not qualify for free or reduced lunches, and you have resorted to packing lunches, you are probably finding it expensive as well.

School lunch services also provide many individually priced sides, such as fruit juice, ice cream, cookies and more. If your school requires kids to have a lunch account, where you fill it will spending money, you are most likely spending a large amount of money. When kids are given their lunch account number, they do not have discipline to simply choose the basic lunch. With all those extra items there for them to look at, they are too tempted to buy them, hence running up your spending.

Here are a few tips on how to lower your costs when purchasing food for school (or even work) lunches.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

detailed shopping list
cash instead of credit cards
discipline in spending
child's input on desired foods
refillable water bottle, child safe
refillable lunch bag or tote
washed and dried waxed cereal box liners

Step 1

First, consider how the lunch is packed. Use refillable lunch containers that are eco-friendly. Save money on plastic bags, paper bags, and plastic water bottles. If you do send individual drinks in lunches, consider ones that can be recycled such as Capri-Sun drink pouches, and recyclable water bottles.
Step 2

Purchase items on sale and if you can, with a coupon. Coupons are sometimes issued for name brand products that cost more.
Step 3

Instead of buying snack items in individual boxed packages, buy in bulk, or full size bags or boxes. Divide them into refillable snack containers. Buy bread on sale and store extras in the freezer.
Step 4

Tidbit Snack

Skip the chips, bars and treats and make them yourself. For example, make your own muffins, and grain bars. Cut them and wrap them with cut pieces of recycled waxed cereal bags, instead of plastic bags. So many crunchy snacks can be made versus buying them.

The tip here, is to go through your cupboards and look for leftover broken pretzel pieces and/or cereal that is not enough for a bowl of cereal. Toss them into the mixture before coating with oil. Don't waste those leftovers, and create a tasty, very inexpensive lunch snack.

TIDBIT SNACK RECIPE

1 package oyster crackers
(toss in leftover broken pretzels, or cereal)
1/4 cup of oil (can use olive oil)
1 dry package of Ranch flavored salad dressing

Mix all ingredients in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Mix until coated. Pour onto a baking sheet with 1 inch sides and bake at 250°F for about 20 minutes. Stir to ensure even baking.
Step 5

Stop buying individual sized jello, pudding, fruit, applesauce and cheese sticks. You can save a lot of money buy buying jello and pudding mixes on sale, and making it at home. You can buy large sale priced jars of apple sauce and large cans of fruit. Simply send these items in reusable lunch containers. As for the cheese sticks, simply purchase block cheese on sale, slice into lengths for lunch packing's. The prices on cheese sticks are terribly high.

Comments

theladyboo said

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on 9/11/2009 Keep a lock on the fridge :) My boys go through it like a pack of wolves.

on 9/11/2009 Don't forget to put a lock on the fridge. That is one reason why I no longer buy the packaged snacks because my boys will sneak them out of the boxes like a junk food junkie.