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KCtheMommy
Guest
LOL lady, you are like the school lunch guru. You should copy and paste this into your blog.My grandpa was a butcher, too, a union meat cutter!
Another bonus to retread parenting.
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Another bonus to retread parenting.
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redtech
Guest
My grandpa was not a butcher but Iâve gotten some great tips on packing lunches! Thanks everybody!!!
Thanks everybody!!!
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OutinChgoburbs
Guest
Well, Iâve been making them since I was 9 or 10. I shouldâve learned something in 40-some-odd years.LOL lady, you are like the school lunch guru. You should copy and paste this into your blog.
Another bonus to retread parenting.
Good idea. I will put it in there along with some assistance ideas for grandparents, aunts, etc. who take in related children.
R
Red_Meg
Guest
As one who also doesnât like to pack lunches, but also likes convenienceâ
price out some of the convenience stuff. Iâm not talking Lunchables-- they really are way expensive-- but with some careful shopping Iâm usually able to stock up on juice boxes for $.20 each (i.e. $2 for box of 10) and lunchbox snacks (think granola bars, rice krispie bars, fruit snacks, etc.) between $.015-25. $.25 is the most I will spend for an item that goes in a lunch. Fruits and veggies are generally pretty low-cost as well, because I just pass over the stuff that I deem too expensive. Those big 5-lb bags of baby carrots keep a long time in the fridge and it takes all of 10 seconds to throw a fistful into a sandwich baggieâŚ
Some of mine are happy with PB&J almost every day (very cheap) while others really want bagels (about $.50 apiece.) The high schoolers are starting to trend towards soup cups plus a thermos of hot water.
I can pretty much get anybody a lunch for maybe a little over a dollar, maybe a little under. Since the school keeps raising the prices (I think elementery is now $2.50, high school is now $3) itâs still very much a win situation for us. I pay for the kids to get one school lunch a week, up front at the start of the year. Some of them have already blown through their full lunch allowance for the year, and now theyâre just out of luck-- nothing but home-packed lunches from here on outâŚ
Margaret
price out some of the convenience stuff. Iâm not talking Lunchables-- they really are way expensive-- but with some careful shopping Iâm usually able to stock up on juice boxes for $.20 each (i.e. $2 for box of 10) and lunchbox snacks (think granola bars, rice krispie bars, fruit snacks, etc.) between $.015-25. $.25 is the most I will spend for an item that goes in a lunch. Fruits and veggies are generally pretty low-cost as well, because I just pass over the stuff that I deem too expensive.
Those big 5-lb bags of baby carrots keep a long time in the fridge and it takes all of 10 seconds to throw a fistful into a sandwich baggieâŚSome of mine are happy with PB&J almost every day (very cheap) while others really want bagels (about $.50 apiece.) The high schoolers are starting to trend towards soup cups plus a thermos of hot water.
I can pretty much get anybody a lunch for maybe a little over a dollar, maybe a little under. Since the school keeps raising the prices (I think elementery is now $2.50, high school is now $3) itâs still very much a win situation for us. I pay for the kids to get one school lunch a week, up front at the start of the year. Some of them have already blown through their full lunch allowance for the year, and now theyâre just out of luck-- nothing but home-packed lunches from here on outâŚ
Margaret
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OutinChgoburbs
Guest
I think Margaret has made some very good points here. Pricing by the individual unit is crucial.
And in some families, a serving of cereal for a 1st grade girl who is a picky eater is going to be different than a serving of cereal for a 10th grade on the football team. So itâd be a good diea to break it down to the smallest common denominator, the youngest childâs unit, and see how much each person uses in those terms.
And in some families, a serving of cereal for a 1st grade girl who is a picky eater is going to be different than a serving of cereal for a 10th grade on the football team. So itâd be a good diea to break it down to the smallest common denominator, the youngest childâs unit, and see how much each person uses in those terms.
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KCtheMommy
Guest
You know what I was just thinking?
I can get lunchables on base for $1.50 each. Sometimes only $1.25!
Thatâs probably cheaper than making all that stuff, oh and time saving to boot.
HmmmmâŚ
Mentioning the butcher thing was only to relate how it is I came to own a meat slicer â I inherited it.
I can get lunchables on base for $1.50 each. Sometimes only $1.25!
Thatâs probably cheaper than making all that stuff, oh and time saving to boot.
HmmmmâŚ
Mentioning the butcher thing was only to relate how it is I came to own a meat slicer â I inherited it.
C
Cat
Guest
Another post from Mean Mommy!
Make them pack their own lunches. A child should be able to make a decent lunch from the time they are about 9-10 years old, and clean up after themselves. There is no excuse for packing the lunch for a child older than 10, unless they pay YOU to pack it for them (50 cents a lunch).
YOU shop and pay for the food, THEY pack it and eat it. You shouldnât have to do ALL the work.
Also, give them a âlunch allowanceâ that will allow them to buy one or two school lunches per week. That way, if they are too tired or busy to pack their lunch, they can buy lunch. But they have to plan carefullyâif they use up their allowance early in the week, they canât have more to use on Thursday or Friday!
And if they donât use the lunch allowance to buy school lunch, itâs theirs to keep for something else.
Make them pack their own lunches. A child should be able to make a decent lunch from the time they are about 9-10 years old, and clean up after themselves. There is no excuse for packing the lunch for a child older than 10, unless they pay YOU to pack it for them (50 cents a lunch).
YOU shop and pay for the food, THEY pack it and eat it. You shouldnât have to do ALL the work.
Also, give them a âlunch allowanceâ that will allow them to buy one or two school lunches per week. That way, if they are too tired or busy to pack their lunch, they can buy lunch. But they have to plan carefullyâif they use up their allowance early in the week, they canât have more to use on Thursday or Friday!
And if they donât use the lunch allowance to buy school lunch, itâs theirs to keep for something else.
K
kage_ar
Guest
The web site says that the Ham and American Stackables Lunchable isYou know what I was just thinking?
I can get lunchables on base for $1.50 each. Sometimes only $1.25!
Thatâs probably cheaper than making all that stuff, oh and time saving to boot.
HmmmmâŚ
Mentioning the butcher thing was only to relate how it is I came to own a meat slicer â I inherited it.
Size: 3.8 OZ
Upc: 4470002448
This contains ham, american cheese, crackers and a drink pouch).
At $1.25, that works out to $5.26 per pound.
Considering that I can go to Kroger today and buy T-bone steak for $5.99 per pound⌠I am pretty sure that your cost to to put together a lunchables at home would be less expensive in the long run (unless you are doing a T-bone and brie with hand rolled flat bread âLunchableâ).
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OutinChgoburbs
Guest
I let the girls have Lunchables a couple times, so I could see what was really in them.
One Lunchable does not a girl fill. They need like 3 Lunchables. Even the big Lunchables donât work. My girls are not fat by any means, but they are very good eaters.
One Lunchable does not a girl fill. They need like 3 Lunchables. Even the big Lunchables donât work. My girls are not fat by any means, but they are very good eaters.
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armywife
Guest
Our Catholic school had free/reduced lunches. We qualify for reduced so itâs only $.40 per lunch. If my DD doesnât want the main dish they can get pb&j or a big salad and still get the rest of the lunch (the veggie, fruit or whatever else.) Way cheaper than buying food for lunches.
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OutinChgoburbs
Guest
I spent some time breaking down prices for the suburban Chicago area:
bagel- 15¢ each bagel, from Aldi.
Two pieces of wheat bread- 42¢. (Great Harvest)
8 ounces milk- 20¢.
8 ounces homemade chicken veg. soup- 25¢.
3 ounces of roast beef- 53¢ (5 pound roast at $2.50, taking 1/2 pound off for gristle and such, then dividing 72 ounces into 3 ounce packets).
2 TBS peanut butter- 10¢.
A bag of homemade popcorn- 10¢ to 15¢, depending on how big is the bag.
Homemade carrot sticks from the big 5 pound bag- 5¢ for a big handful.
Homemade celery sticks- 15¢ to 20¢, dpending on what kind of celery.
Raisins from a box put into a baggie- 2¢.
Homemade GORP with raisins, walnuts, M&Ms, and Aldi Cheerios- 25¢.
Sandwich baggie of cereal- 17¢.
Lettuce at 99¢ a head for a sandwich- 1¢
Mayo, mustard and stuff like that comes out to about 1/2 penny each.
So for a lunch with a roast beef sandwich on wheat bread, a bag of GORP, some carrot sticks, and a cup of milk- $1.44.
A lunch that includes homemade soup will bring it up to a whopping $1.69.
bagel- 15¢ each bagel, from Aldi.
Two pieces of wheat bread- 42¢. (Great Harvest)
8 ounces milk- 20¢.
8 ounces homemade chicken veg. soup- 25¢.
3 ounces of roast beef- 53¢ (5 pound roast at $2.50, taking 1/2 pound off for gristle and such, then dividing 72 ounces into 3 ounce packets).
2 TBS peanut butter- 10¢.
A bag of homemade popcorn- 10¢ to 15¢, depending on how big is the bag.
Homemade carrot sticks from the big 5 pound bag- 5¢ for a big handful.
Homemade celery sticks- 15¢ to 20¢, dpending on what kind of celery.
Raisins from a box put into a baggie- 2¢.
Homemade GORP with raisins, walnuts, M&Ms, and Aldi Cheerios- 25¢.
Sandwich baggie of cereal- 17¢.
Lettuce at 99¢ a head for a sandwich- 1¢
Mayo, mustard and stuff like that comes out to about 1/2 penny each.
So for a lunch with a roast beef sandwich on wheat bread, a bag of GORP, some carrot sticks, and a cup of milk- $1.44.
A lunch that includes homemade soup will bring it up to a whopping $1.69.
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funnyyetsavvy
Guest
My daughterâs Catholic school orders from local restaurants-Pizza Hut, etc.
They offer add on options like yogurt and salad.
We order for 4 days a week which runs about 11.oo and on Tuesdays I pack lunch. I generally like her to have hot lunch so I use my Thermos for soups and mac n cheese and such.
At the start of the year I bought two massive containers of Peanut Butter-then the school said no peanut productsâŚoh well, we donated them to the school food shelf drive.
We also have to provide a snack each day tooâŚwe get everything in bulk from BJâs warehouse so it costs less.
They offer add on options like yogurt and salad.
We order for 4 days a week which runs about 11.oo and on Tuesdays I pack lunch. I generally like her to have hot lunch so I use my Thermos for soups and mac n cheese and such.
At the start of the year I bought two massive containers of Peanut Butter-then the school said no peanut productsâŚoh well, we donated them to the school food shelf drive.
We also have to provide a snack each day tooâŚwe get everything in bulk from BJâs warehouse so it costs less.
S
Spots
Guest
Starting in 2nd grade, my mom made us make our lunches in the morning- perhaps that can help with making them?
We would also make the jello-fruit/pudding cups in reusable containers, and take those.
We never had âdessertsâ unless she had made cookies/cake recently, and we either used paper bags, or a lunchbox until it got holes in it. Lunchboxes will last a LONG time, especially if you wipe them down at least once a week (or as needed if a lid wasnât put back on tightly).
Also- they donât have to have sandwiches, esp if they donât like them. I had one friend that had beans and hotdog slices every day. Itâs something she would eat that kept decently until lunch. I took soups much of the time- weâd make a batch every 2 weeks, freeze anything beyond a couple days use in containers, and heat those up at school. So, think about what your kids may like, or ask them what theyâd want for lunch-see what other kids bring.
We would also make the jello-fruit/pudding cups in reusable containers, and take those.
We never had âdessertsâ unless she had made cookies/cake recently, and we either used paper bags, or a lunchbox until it got holes in it. Lunchboxes will last a LONG time, especially if you wipe them down at least once a week (or as needed if a lid wasnât put back on tightly).
Also- they donât have to have sandwiches, esp if they donât like them. I had one friend that had beans and hotdog slices every day. Itâs something she would eat that kept decently until lunch. I took soups much of the time- weâd make a batch every 2 weeks, freeze anything beyond a couple days use in containers, and heat those up at school. So, think about what your kids may like, or ask them what theyâd want for lunch-see what other kids bring.
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