Bringing bagged lunches to work with you is a great way to save a little money. With the prices of school lunches, I’m also finding that bagged lunches for kids are also usually less expensive than having them buy lunch at school.
Bagged lunches can still be a bit pricey, though, and some of the cheaper options are usually not all that healthy. You can still put together bagged lunches for yourself and your kiddos on a budget. You just might need to shop a little smarter and think outside the lunchbox at times.
If you’re looking to make cheaper bagged lunches, try these tips.
Skip the Sugary Drinks
Cheap juice boxes may seem like cheap drinks for bagged lunches, but the cost of these can add up over time, and they’re usually quite unhealthy. Even the so-called “healthier” juice boxes that contain “100% juice” are often packed with sugar. Skip the sugary drinks altogether and opt for water instead. You can invest in a cheap reusable water bottle or just reuse some disposable water bottles a few times. For a change of pace every once in a while, brew homemade iced tea.
Portion Your Own
Those little bags of potato chips and pretzels are super easy to toss into bagged lunches, but they can also be expensive. This also applies to items like pudding and applesauce. To be honest, individual portions of food items are really not worth the price. Buy larger quantities, and portion your own little bags of potato chips in plastic bags or containers instead.
Invest in Reusable Containers
Speaking or plastic bags, just how much do you spend on those anyway? What about brown bags? If you make several lunches each week, chances are you use a lot of them, and this expense can add up. Consider investing in reusable plastic containers and lunchboxes instead. You can often find a small pack of reusable plastic containers for your bagged lunches for about the same price as a box of plastic bags, and you can reuse them over and over again.
Incorporate Leftovers
Depending on what you have for dinner throughout the week, you might be able to use your leftovers in your bagged lunches. Leftover chicken, for instance, can easily be made into chicken salad, for instance, or leftover noodles can become pasta salad. Use your imagination and get creative in order to turn last night’s leftovers into cheap bagged lunches.
Make Your Own
Lunch treats like mini muffins, cookies, granola bars, and trail mix are nice, but they can also eat up a big chunk of your budget. Try making your own treats instead to cut costs. Trail mix can be an especially cheap treat, since you can pretty much mix together just about anything, including cereal, candy pieces, and dried fruit.
Follow the Sales
For even cheaper bagged lunches, keep an eye on the sales at your local store each week. Not only will this help you save money on items for your bagged lunches, but it’ll also give you a little variety each week. Plus, with a little creative couponing, you might even be able to snag some items for free or super cheap!
