UNITED STATES—The time has come America. Yes, the kids are heading back to school and with them heading back to school that means parents have to start school lunches. Preparing those lunches for children is not always fun. Why? Purchasing those items are not cheap America, and it’s going to take a bite out of the budget for many families that was slightly cut off for the past few months with school being out of session. You are talking about spending enough to cover lunches for your kid or kids (that is even worse) for five days a week or a month at best.
So, this means you have fruit, veggies, juice or lunch boxes, lunchmeat, chips and a sweet snack or two, in a typical school lunch. Hate to say it, the days of getting a pack of juice boxes of 10 for $1.50 or $2.00 is just about over. You’re going to spend about $3.00 for a box of 10. Chips, I don’t want to discuss because you could purchase them in the past for four for $1.00, it is more like $8 for a box of 18. If you have 2-3 kids, you need two boxes of those chips for the kiddos.
This is the only time I might advocate going to those club warehouses to purchase juice boxes, water, chips and snacks in bulk because you’ll save a bit more money and you’ll have enough what you need for the kids for an extended period of time. Remember, the kids are always hungry when they get out of school, at least mine are.
If you’re purchasing something sweet, its about $6 to $7 for a quantity of five. I haven’t even gotten to lunchmeat from the deli which is quite expensive. A pound of lunchmeat is about $10 and it depends on what you’re buying and if your children likes a certain lunchmeat more than others. Not to mention the purchasing of cheese, Miracle Whip or Mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. that is even more money.
On top of that fruit is costly, so apples, oranges, grapes, are higher in price than normal. A bag of grapes might make it through the week of lunches for the kids, but if you kids truly love the fruit, you might need to purchase two bags. It is better to purchase a bag of apples or oranges instead of buying single portions. You will spend more money and the goal is to maximize your funds as much as possible. The more you can stretch the more money you have later.
Once you have a good idea of what you’re purchasing for groceries for the week, you have to think about preparation. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE MORNING TO PACK LUNCHES! Why? You will forget, also the mornings can be chaotic as hell. Getting the kids up, getting them dressed, ensure they have their backpacks and homework, the lunch can be lost in the mix.
So the best thing to do is pack the lunch the night before and place in the fridge. This way the kids get involved in the process and they can easily grab that lunch and toss it into the backpack and ensure the kid is not sitting at the lunch table without any food. Yes, that has happened to me as a kid and that is the worst thing possible. In addition, packing the school lunch teaches the child responsibility.
They might still be in school, but at some point they won’t be. Handling responsibilities is a part of life and if you start at an early age it only makes things better for the child. Also I know a lot of people love those Lunchables, let’s steer clear of those. They are loaded with sodium and very processed. The school lunch is the opportunity to showcase to kids the importance of eating healthy.
Written By Davy Jones
