Do You Buy School Lunches?
February 18, 2009 by Karen Weideman
Filed under food, frugal living, poll, saving money
When we worked at the group home, we spent so many hours working each day that I usually did not have time to pack my daughter’s lunch. It was hard to pay the $1.70 each day for her to eat, but it was a chosen convenience for us.
Now that we’ve moved and I’m working from home again, I’m packing her lunch every day. One reason is because I want to monitor what she’s getting and how much she’s eating. The main reason though is the price. School lunch for elementary students is $2.30!!! Of course, rates are higher for older children and adults.
If you’re thrifty, you can pack your child a healthy lunch for less than $1 per day. Yesterday’s lunch for my daughter was a turkey and cheese sandwich on whole grain bread, sliced peaches, and a cup of milk. I pack her a Munchkin straw cup that has a valve in it, so that the milk doesn’t leak. Of course, there is a large ice pack inside to keep everything fresh.
I’ve done the math and figured that if I bought school lunch for her everyday, it would cost about $46 per month! Ouch! That’s a good part of my grocery bill.
Please vote in our poll to the right and let us know if you buy school lunch. We’d also like your thoughts below in the comments. Thanks!
image by me
Yes, we pack lunches every day, very seldom do we let them buy lunches at school. I had strict orders for the school not to allow my son turkey, yet they did. By the way, he’s allergic and they knew. I make darn sure now what they are giving. Plus the other school allowed the kids to pick what they got. My daughter would only eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich, no I’m not okay with that.
We pack lunch. With four kids in school, it was a ridiculously expensive proposition to buy lunch every day. I managed to find 3 large lunchbox six snap-lock boxes on clearance for $1.50 each and made my own bento style boxes using odds and ends of small storage containers and then made my own insulated lunch totes to carry them in with fabric I had on hand and an insulating drape. My oldest is in high school and after a few months ended up going back to school lunch for social reasons and it’s okay, it works out better for him this way. The younger three are still packing lunches though and I like knowing what they are eating.
Yes, it is definitely more frugal to pack a lunch, but I am already finding out with just preschool, that she will eat what the school gives her for a snack, ie veggies or fruit, but if I pack it she won’t touch it. So in Turkey Butt’s case, paying for her to eat lunch when she starts school will probably be more healthy. And that is a very sad statement to make.
My son is very picky so I pack his lunch everyday.
My son is starting Kindergarten in the fall and I plan to pack a lunch for him. I even bought him a lunch box last year after they went clearenced!
I pack daughter’s launch every morning. Our school lunches are $2.80 a day–OUCH!!! She is also on medication that the side effect surpresses(SP?) her appitite and she would throw everything away. I try to pack her alot of finger foods so she gets a choice and when I check it at the end of day most of it is still there. Ex: ham slices–2 bites of one, crackers one gone, grapes handfull and left 2, slice of cheese still there and drank half water bottle. So school lunches are a total waste for our family
I pack my boys lunches and my hubby and my own every day! (actually I make them the night before) They only had one school lunch last year when my 8 yr olds back pack accidentally got left in my van when I dropped him off at Grandmas in the morning. Our school lunches are $3.50!! It is a small private school that has to use local fast food like Papa Johns pizza, or Wendy’s burgers and then add ons like fruit cup, milk/juice, carrots, and cookie. Not terrible but too expensive for us to do regularly and can’t see what they didn’t eat.
My kids are picky and I like to provide healthier choices. I also like to see what they don’t eat, which at their ages 6 & 8 the still bring home what they don’t eat.
My 8 yr old will eat most any sandwich- crust off, Whole wheat that is not dry. My 6 yr old not a good sandwich eater except sometimes tuna. I mix albacore and the cheaper chunk light together as a compromise for cost and quality.
I offer 100% fruit leather “stretch island” a mix of whole grain snacks and not whole grain. I grew up strictly w/health food and resented it as a child. I try to offer a mix of healthy and fun foods so as not to deprive my kids of absolutely everything their friends eat. I prefer cane sugar vs corn syrup or splenda. I give them Capri Sun 100% juice pouches and a bottle of water.