Back to School - Frugal Lunches for the Kids

Going back to school this year is putting a new "dent" in my budget.

I work at a private school, and with that, my two children attend the private school as well. While the discount I get on tuition is nice, I get nothing off on the cost of school lunches. Now that the cost of a full lunch has gone up to $4.50, I've decided it's time to get creative. My daughter is going into the 3rd grade and is finicky about her food. Our school offers an amazing hot lunch menu, but some of the fare is geared towards a more "mature" palate (chicken stir fry, sausage & peppers, homemade meatloaf). If she doesn't want to eat the main entree, she can choose a baked potato, the cold cut sandwich of the day, or PB&J. But I have a hard time having her lunch card punched the same for a full hot lunch, as if she chooses the potato.

So, I'm taking a page from Oscar Meyer and making my own "Lunchables". I call them "Crunchables". I buy Water Crackers, organic cold cuts and cheese, 100% juice , and slice up an apple. I've found some great plastic containers that have 4 square compartments, or you can purchase a great bento set at www.laptoplunches.com.
I have a cute cookie cutter and cut the cheese and cold cuts into cute shapes and pack them into the box, just like a lunchable, but healthier, and more environmentally friendly by using reusable containers (including the juice container).

It's just my way of getting over the new sticker shock of the new cost of lunch, but in the long run, it will save me oodles.

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