I know the kids JUST got out of school but this is a GREAT time to start planning for school lunches! In the last week we’ve seen several items that are great for home packed lunches on sale:
Drink Boxes
Sandwich bags
Crackers
Since the goal is to pay the rock bottom price for items we use a lot this is the week to start planning school lunches. My children are creatures of habit and like the same items day after day. This is what I have begun to do:
1. Make room in the pantry for school lunch items. Keep this dedicated space so you don’t find your self rummaging around on a Wednesday morning trying to find something for Junior’s lunch and then find yourself buying a $3 lunchable at the grocery store after he misses the bus.
2. Make a list. Yes, I am a list lover! Have your kids (if old enough) write down some of the items they’d like for lunch next year. If they want PB&J- add peanut butter, jelly, bread, etc. Include sandwich bags and napkins, plastic cutlery, etc. Don’t forget the drink!
3. Start looking for deals. If a weekend special comes around on Juice Boxes- snatch it up. A deal on peanut butter? Stock up.
4. Think about making life easier. I recently talked about DIY uncrustables. We did this last year and it worked so well so we will be doing this again. We make a month’s worth in one night- saves SO much time!
5. Think about making lunches cheaper. Sometimes we can get amazing deals on individually packaged items but many times buying full size packages and dividing them up ourselves can be the more economical way.
I know it’s hard to think about school when we’re lounging by the pool and playing on the beach- but a little bit of work now can save you a lot of money later!
My oldest is about to start kindergarden and I hadn’t even thought of lunches for her yet. Thank you. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.
My oldest is 9 so a bit older but this has been her routine lunches (some combo of these) for years: Jelly sandwich (see my DIY lunchables), Pringles (found the cutest container that is shaped like them to keep them from being crushed!) yogurt (gogurts freeze really well!), juice box or reusable water bottle (they make nice collapsable ones that are easy to carry home empty in the lunchbox), cookies, crackers, cheese cubes (often cheaper to take an 8 oz bar and cut up yourself!) or cheese sticks (depending on the sale), carrot fingers (again whole carrots are often cheaper than baby or presliced) and some ranch dressing.