Friday, May 8, 2009

Frugal Living Friday: Cold Lunches


Welcome to Frugal Living Friday! Each week I will feature a tip that can help us stretch our budget and live more frugally! If you have a tip that you want shared on Frugal Living Friday, let me know and you could become a guest blogger for a day.

Taking a lunch with you to work or packing a lunch for your child to take to school can save you a lot of money! My son's school lunch costs $1.75 per day. That is $35 a month for only one child! That is one cost I am not willing to pay. According to The Hillbilly Housewife, you can prepare a nice sack lunch for around .50 cents. What a money saver!

Packing lunches can be tiresome as well as boring....what to pack? It can be easy to get tired of a sack lunch, always eating the same things.

Here are some frugal and easy ideas:

carrot sticks
celery sticks
boiled eggs
sliced apples w/dip or peanut butter
applesauce
homemade muffins
canned fruit (I use home canned fruit or canned pears, my son's favorite)
jello
sandwiches (mix it up by cutting the bread into shapes with cookie cutters)
yogurt
leftovers

One way to keep costs down as well as help the environment is to use re-usable containers instead of disposable or plastic baggies. Use a thermos or water bottle instead of pre-packaged juices. Use Tupperware containers filled with applesauce or yogurt from home instead of the individual portions sold at stores. Use re-usable totes instead of paper sacks.

Last year when Target was having their school supply clearance I picked up several ice packs for 75% off to use in their re-usable lunch tote. They work better than blue ice and don't leak either.

What do you put in your kids' sack lunches? What do you put in your sack lunch? Any tricks, tips, or advice to share?

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3 comments:

Candice said...

Quesadillas and bean burritos are easy to put together. Occasionally as a sandwich alternative, I make "Lunchables" by packing some crackers, sliced ham or turkey, and sliced cheese, these are items we always have on hand.

Marne said...

Great ideas Candice, thanks!

Shana said...

My little girl always loves a good basic salad. So, I do use paper bowls, forks, etc, but I keep it simple. Lettuce. Tomatoes. Carrots. Ranch dressing. She's usually pretty happy with that.

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