Sack Lunches that Save Time and Money

It’s that time of year again.  It’s time to think about going back to school, and what to pack in your child’s sack lunches.  Many families choose to send their child’s lunch to school with them to save money, but even sack lunches can get expensive.  This is especially true when buying those pre-packaged individual serving size packages and containers.  So, how can you save money with sack lunches, without sacrificing nutrition and without spending lots of time in the kitchen?

Plan for the Week Ahead

Plan your child’s lunch menu for the week, and before a trip to the grocery store. Check out grocery sale ads, too.  Plan for both nutrition and foods your child enjoys.  Some moms find it helpful to keep a master list of sack lunch menu ideas to choose from for quick planning.

Once home from the grocery store, get your child involved by having him help you prepare some of his lunch items for the coming week.  By getting your child involved with the preparation, you teach your child lessons in cooking, and the value of a dollar saved.  Best of all, you will spend quality time together, and may even have fun!

Make Your Own Individual Serving Size Packages

You can buy reusable, individual serving size containers at Wal-Mart or other discount stores, and use these to make your own pudding and fruit cups, store dip for veggie sticks, and many other foods.  Just make sure the lids fit snuggly and won’t leak.

You can also save money by making your own individual size packages of chips, veggie sticks, trail mix, and so forth.  Your biggest expense will come from purchasing snack-size bags, however, you will be saving money by putting a little effort into making your own and not buying pre-packaged goods.

Money-Saving Sack Lunch Ideas

To get you started, here are some ideas to make your child’s sack lunch nutritious and appealing:

• Sandwiches prepared on different breads:  as a wrap in a tortilla; in a pita; on an English muffin, croissant, bagel, or biscuit.
• Sandwich fillings:  bologna, turkey, ham, beef, tuna, tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, BLT, peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and banana slices, or a variety of cheeses.
• Individual serving-size containers or packages:  pudding, fruit, jell-o, fruit or veggie dips, cheese cubes, baked beans, chips, vegetables or veggie sticks, pretzels.
• Other main-dish ideas:  use leftovers, chili, soup, stew, chowder, macaroni and cheese, macaroni salad, potato salad, stir-fry, or fried rice.

Not Just for Sack Lunches

These ideas aren’t just for school lunches.  Save money on picnics, camping trips, road trips and even vacations!  Make ahead and pack into a cooler for a quick, easy and cheap snack or lunch.

by Crystal Killion