I appreciate the questions that I receive. I do my best to answer each question personally, however I may also include them in future blog posts. Please note that these answers are just my opinion. Sometimes my opinion changes with time because of experience or change of life circumstances.
Reader Question: Do you pack your kids school lunch?
Yes. If you could hear my yes, you would hear my non-enthusiastic response. I hate packing lunches. It is one of the things I hate the most about the school week. I don’t know why it is such a thorn in my side. I do not mean to whine. There are many worse things in life. It is simply one of those things I do not enjoy.
I do pack my children’s lunches primarily to save money. I did the math to show what I would spend if I didn’t pack. Of course, this is what I use as my motivation when I just don’t feel like pulling the lunches together.
180 days of school x $1.80 per child’s lunch= $324 per school year per child
I have 3 children attending school this year which would be the equivalent of $972 for lunches for one school year! I do not know what I spend on lunches when I pack, but I can attest that it costs much less than the $972 per year.
photosource: sxc.hu {szazesk2}
Here are 3 things you can do to keep down expenses when packing lunches:
A) Avoid pre-packaged items. Occasionally, I will snag really inexpensive yogurts or granola bars at Amelia’s to throw in lunches. However, typically I package my own items. Rarely is this ever not the most economical solution.
B) Avoid using disposable items (ie. baggies, plasticware). Instead use small containers to wash and reuse.
C) Avoid packing bottled water or boxed juice. Instead use reusable water bottles filled with water or drink of preference.
My kids do love buying lunch. We have instituted that they are allowed to buy every Friday. Happiness abounds everywhere on Friday.
Here is where I want to be clear in communicating to you. I do not want anyone to feel guilty for not packing their kids lunch. I simply am giving the reasons why I believe it is more fiscally prudent for me to pack my kids lunches.
So tell me, do you pack or buy? If you pack your school lunches, please share ways to help alleviate my packing pain.
Do you have a question regarding today's topic or any other? Feel free to leave a comment or email me at frugalflamingo@gmail.com. I will do my best to address it in a future post.
linking to Women Living Well
We buy, but we qualify for the reduced lunches at our son's school, which means we only pay 40 cents per lunch. That includes his milk. There is no way I could pack his lunches for that little.
ReplyDeleteI agree...it would be definitely difficult to pack for cheaper than $.40! :)
DeleteI pack lunches for two of our kids - I also hate packing, but I do it because I know it's healthier for them! I totally cheat, though, and buy the pre-packaged healthy snacks (smartfood popcorn, no-sugar applesauce, mini water bottles, etc.). I find that if I don't have the ability to throw it all together in less than five minutes, it won't get done! And the oldest is in middle school, where it's "not cool" to pack.
ReplyDeleteMy motivation is not usually an economic one, but what's healthiest - I know the frugality is the focus of your blog, but I thought I'd offer a counter-opinion! :) I also know that your family eats very healthy - so thanks for bringing us a two-fold focus!
Kirsten...thanks for sharing this. Actually, originally I had written about my other driving force is that I think the school lunches are not healthy at all! However, I deleted my own commentary about it because I didn't want anyone to feel doubly guilty should they chose to buy every day:) and yes...i know middle school is a whole new ball game:)
DeleteI pack--for me, but it counts! Think outside the box--I try to never pack a sandwich for myself (unless you count a burrito--I did that yesterday--or a quesadilla--which I did today). Instead, I focus on a variety of appealing, healthy, colorful things--celery sticks, apple slices, snow peas, starfruit for a treat. I love packing lunch--for me it's a moment of artistic expression. Sometimes I do fall off the wagon of frugality, but I did pretty well so far this week.
ReplyDeleteYes! Packing for yourself definitely does count! I love the idea of it being a form of artistic expression for you:)
DeleteWe pack - and are allowed to buy one day a week....usually bubba chooses tomato soup day :) And my kid is not a picky eater, so he usually takes things most kids wouldn't. (Bean and cheese burrito in his hot pack, leftover minestrone soup, egg salad sandwiches, fruit salad and cheese sticks...I'm lucky because his indiscriminate taste buds save me money! He acutally likes leftover soups!)
ReplyDeleteLove your ideas Beth! I am lucky too because my 3 packers are not picky in general, but each one of them likes different things..1 doesn't like Peanut butter, one loves it...two love the soups, one hates it...sigh. At dinnertime they have no choice what they eat, but at school I NEED to be guaranteed they will eat, so I cater a bit more. Thus, why I end up packing almost 3 different lunches each day:( I need to get a hot pack...Great idea!
DeleteAs claimed by Stanford Medical, It is indeed the one and ONLY reason this country's women live 10 years longer and weigh 19 KG less than us.
ReplyDelete(And actually, it is not related to genetics or some hard exercise and really, EVERYTHING to related to "how" they eat.)
BTW, What I said is "HOW", not "what"...
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