School Lunch Prices! I Spend $169 Per Month on my Children's School Lunches!!!
By schulzie
@schulzie (4061)
United States
November 1, 2008 5:15am CST
Hello my fellow myLotters! I was looking over my budget today and was figuring in how much my children's school lunches are. My children in Elementary school pay $1.90 per day for lunch and my High School age son pays $2.40 per day. At Middle School where one of my children will be going next year it is $2.25 per day for lunch. Doesn't that seem pretty expensive for the school lunches?
I remember when I attended school we had milk and graham crackers for snack time in Kindergarten and it was .05 for the milk and .01 for the graham cracker. That was .06 per day for my snack. I remember my mother had a little jelly jar with a bunch of nickels and pennies in there for me. Every morning I would go and get my nickle and penny for my snack. For lunch, she used to pack my sandwich, fruit, and milk.
I remember in High school I would always buy the burrito and it was like $.50 or $.75. Man I guess times have changed. It just seems pretty expensive to me. For my oldest son that is $12.00 a week just for school lunch! And for the other 3 it is $9.50 each. Weekly I am spending $40.50 just for the standard school lunch for all of my kids. That will go up to $42.25 every week! And monthly that is $169.00! That is insane!
Sometimes I pack them lunch but it ends up costing about the same I think. When you add it all up and look at it on paper it is fairly shocking. And then my husband is always asking me where I spend all the money!
I am going to have to share this little bit of information with him too. LOL
How about all of you out there? Do you pack your children's lunches or do you buy the school lunches? If you do buy your children's lunches how much does it cost at your children's schools?
Have a great day and happy myLotting!!!
I remember when I attended school we had milk and graham crackers for snack time in Kindergarten and it was .05 for the milk and .01 for the graham cracker. That was .06 per day for my snack. I remember my mother had a little jelly jar with a bunch of nickels and pennies in there for me. Every morning I would go and get my nickle and penny for my snack. For lunch, she used to pack my sandwich, fruit, and milk.
I remember in High school I would always buy the burrito and it was like $.50 or $.75. Man I guess times have changed. It just seems pretty expensive to me. For my oldest son that is $12.00 a week just for school lunch! And for the other 3 it is $9.50 each. Weekly I am spending $40.50 just for the standard school lunch for all of my kids. That will go up to $42.25 every week! And monthly that is $169.00! That is insane!
Sometimes I pack them lunch but it ends up costing about the same I think. When you add it all up and look at it on paper it is fairly shocking. And then my husband is always asking me where I spend all the money!
I am going to have to share this little bit of information with him too. LOL
How about all of you out there? Do you pack your children's lunches or do you buy the school lunches? If you do buy your children's lunches how much does it cost at your children's schools?
Have a great day and happy myLotting!!!4 people like this
22 responses
@onlydia (2808)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Don't they have a redused or free lunch for those who Quifiy. I'm sure you would. Well, at least here you would. Try to check into that in case you forgot. That you would and can get it. I would think so. It is not only for people on welfare. Call the scholl to redo lunch things. My girlfriend got it redused and they make $15.00 a hour and $18.00 ahour. And have 3 kids. I don't know how but they did get redused. Your friend onlydia
3 people like this
@onlydia (2808)
• United States
2 Nov 08
There was this lady on the new's. She buy's two sunday paper's and clips the coupons and when she goes to the store she only buy's what is on sale. and she uses her coupons for them. Say sale for cake is $.99 a box she has a coupon for $.40 cents off. So she pay's $.59 cents for the cake. I'm going to try that. You have to have a big note book and organize it. But she said that it take's her at least two or more hours a week to do. But can do that while playing a game or being on here. Well, maybe. But I hope you have a good day. Your friend onlydia
3 people like this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
1 Nov 08
If I put money on my son's lunch account, I figure about $10 a week. That's $2 a day. $40 a month. I don't remember to add it every week or every month though, and he doesn't ask or remind me either. I think it ends up costing more than $2 a day if he brings something from home.
When I think about what it costs ME in general for a lunch, even at home, $2 a day is pretty reasonable for a meal. A can of soup is at least $1. Something to go with it - a piece of fruit, a salad, is maybe another $1. Something to drink? $1? If I go somewhere to eat then a meal is at least $3, even the cheap route. Now I'm not saying school lunches are excellent nutritionally either LOL! I *think* my school lunches were about $1.25 or so. If my mom packed them they were about the same cost. Of course I went to school in the 80s..
My friend says her son's lunches at elementary school are about $1.
2 people like this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Yes, I went to elementary school in the 70's and high school in the 80's. Most of the time my mom packed my lunches through elementary but when I got to high school I always bought something. It was not very cool to bring in a lunch from home that "mommy" packed for you.
But, I know it is just shocking when you add it up and then look at it though. It is outrageous! And you are right, I think it is the same or more expensive when I pack their lunches. At least I know what they are eating when I pack it myself!
Thanks for your comment!
But, I know it is just shocking when you add it up and then look at it though. It is outrageous! And you are right, I think it is the same or more expensive when I pack their lunches. At least I know what they are eating when I pack it myself!
Thanks for your comment!
3 people like this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
12 Nov 08
Oh, I know! And you know what? The prices at McDonald's are getting more expensive lately too! My little ones just love McDonald's too. And it is easier, but I would rather that they eat my food. Oh well.
Thanks for your comment and have a great day!
Thanks for your comment and have a great day!
1 person likes this
@Yestheypayme2dothis (7874)
• United States
1 Nov 08
My husband and I do not have children. I remember when I was in grade school. Milk was 5 cents. When I was in high school lunch was 45 cents. For the prices you are paying for your kids, I think I would make sandwiches.
1 person likes this
@Yestheypayme2dothis (7874)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Do they have Aldi stores where you live? Most of their items are pretty cheap, but watch out for the fish from China.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
9 Nov 08
I believe milk was 25 cents when I was in school, choc, plain, or juice. Of course you're talking a 6 oz container as well. If you bought soda from a machine, it was 50 cents. Now you can't even use a pay phone at the airport for 50 cents, I think it's 75 cents now. Sodas are what now, $1.25? LOL
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
1 Nov 08
Maybe you should consider packing their lunches. If your schools are anything like others I've seen the menus at, the lunches aren't very nutritious. It would cost you half what you pay now to pack their lunches.
Lunch was $.25 when I was in elementary school but I liked it better when Mom packed my lunch.
2 people like this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Well, I pack their lunches at least half of the time but still it works out to be about that much per day when I do pack the lunch too. When you factor in the sandwich bags, the drinks, the cookies/snack, the chips, and the bread and either peanut butter and jelly or the lunch meat it all adds up really fast.
I even use coupons to buy the lunch meat or the peanut butter and jelly. I buy my bread at the discount bakery. I don't know how much more I can do to save money!
Oh, and my husband thinks that all I need is $100 a week for groceries for our family of 6! He is out of his mind!
Thanks for your comment!
I even use coupons to buy the lunch meat or the peanut butter and jelly. I buy my bread at the discount bakery. I don't know how much more I can do to save money!
Oh, and my husband thinks that all I need is $100 a week for groceries for our family of 6! He is out of his mind!
Thanks for your comment!
2 people like this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
12 Nov 08
Oh I know and he does not like to go to the grocery store at all. He says I am wasting my time clipping coupons. He is just nuts. I told him I need at least $200 a week for the groceries and he thinks I just love to waste money. Men!
Thanks for your comment and have a great day!
1 person likes this
@bjcyrix (6901)
• Philippines
2 Nov 08
Woah! That is a lot for just school lunches. That amount would be the equivalent of my Mom's monthly pay.
Why not prepare lunches and snacks for them so you'd get to save a bit of cash for a rainy day? But then again, Im not really sure of the system there.
My lunch allowance would be around $6 a week so that would be around $24 a month with todays currency exchange rates. Would just be enough for my food expenses as well as transportation but I wouldnt have any savings with that. More so if there would be emergency paper work expenses. I still have to ask since I wouldnt have any extra to pay for it myself. and Im already in college.
Why not prepare lunches and snacks for them so you'd get to save a bit of cash for a rainy day? But then again, Im not really sure of the system there.
My lunch allowance would be around $6 a week so that would be around $24 a month with todays currency exchange rates. Would just be enough for my food expenses as well as transportation but I wouldnt have any savings with that. More so if there would be emergency paper work expenses. I still have to ask since I wouldnt have any extra to pay for it myself. and Im already in college.
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
9 Nov 08
I too thought the school lunches were expensive until I started making lunch and sending it and I realized that it was about the same price and my son did not like it. He preferred buying lunch with his friends.
To put it in perspective ...how much does a kids meal cost at McD's?
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25781)
• Canada
3 Nov 08
no i dont think packing a lunch for your kids would cost the same. i buy everything on sale (that way our daughters also get a great variety of lunch foods). they take left overs (they have access to a microwave) and i buy large bags of snacks and they get them in a small baggie for their lunch. i bet i dont spend more than a dollar a day on each one of their lunches.
1 person likes this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
5 Dec 08
Wow...they sure have gone up. When I went to school we got free snacks in elementary...a milk and cookie, I think it was. In Junior High and High school the hot lunch (a tray with a main dish, a side dish, a fruit or veggie, a roll and a drink) was $1.00 or you could go through the express line and get pizza, sandwich or hot pocket type thing (each one came with a drink) and they were each a $1.00. Most of the time we'd brown bag it and a couple times a month we'd go through the express line.
I'd definately start brown bagging it and find ways to cut the cost and buy bargains or sales to save some money.
[b]MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~
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1 person likes this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
5 Dec 08
Yes, when I went to High School I used to get a burrito for $.75 and a coke for $.50. Sometimes I would get french fries too for another $.75. I don't think I ever took a sack lunch from home in High School.
I pack their lunches about half the time and buy lunch the other half. I do buy their lunch stuff on sale, still it is really not that much cheaper than the school lunch.
Thanks for your comment and have a great day!!!
Thanks for your comment and have a great day!!!
1 person likes this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
12 Nov 08
My kids like both to be honest with you. However my daughter prefers to buy her lunch and my son prefers to bring a sandwich, etc. from home. Kids are funny that way, they are little individuals.
Thanks for your comment and have a great day!
Thanks for your comment and have a great day!
1 person likes this
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
9 Nov 08
I will not pay out for my kids to have their lunch at school so I do them a packed lunch. I mean I have two kids in school and so it would cost me an absolute fortune. The teacher says it is good value for money and it probably is but my children are not used to eating a big meal at lunch anyway they always only ever have a sandwich which I can make them for a fraction of the cost.
1 person likes this
Thanks for your comment and have a great day!
@mimico (3617)
• Philippines
2 Nov 08
I think the prices are reasonable. I spend more than that for lunch hehe! If you really want to save money, then do try packing lunch from home. If it ends up cheaper, then go ahead and do it for your kinds, but I think there won't be a big difference in terms of savings. You can't really compare lunch prices when you were a kid yourself because that was way back in time. The value of money has dwindled over the years, so one dollar 10 years ago is not the same as a dollar now. I do hope the government will subsidize food because it really is beginning to be more expensive these days...
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11383)
• United States
2 Nov 08
I only have one child in school right now. The two oldest are in college. It is terrible the price they charge for lunch. The worse part is the fact that the lunches are terrible! Last year we packed lunch for my son. He did not like what they served and well I thought it was way too expensive! This year he is at high school and they have better selections with a salad bar and such. So he is getting lunch at school this year. I would say pack their lunches! It would be far more beneficial financially as well as nurtitionally!
1 person likes this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Yes I prefer to pack their lunches too. I have seen the food and it just looks terrible! Sometimes though my kids, especially my 10 year old daughter loves to get the fish sandwich at school (yuck!) or the pizza.
I would just as soon pack their lunches every day, but sometimes I forget and then it gets late and I am just too tired. That is usually when they eat at school or if they ask to. It is just so expensive any way I do it though.
Thanks for your comment!
1 person likes this
@katrhina23 (1282)
• United States
2 Nov 08
wow ! that is very expensive. have you tried making sandwiches for them and compute how much you can save?
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Yes, I buy the bread at the discount bakery and it is like .99 a loaf, sometimes .75 if I am lucky. The peanut butter I buy when it is like 3/$5.00 and I use a coupon on all 3. Then the jelly I buy with either coupons and/or when they are on sale. I buy the big bag of chips for like $1.88 or $2.00 when they are on sale, and I got the Capri Sun for 10 bags for $1.97 at Wal-Mart. The cookies are on sale too.
It still adds up. There is hardly any way around it.
Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for your comment!
1 person likes this
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Yup, that is expensive. In fact, it'd be cheaper to buy your kids' lunches elsewhere. Like a fifty cent off brand soda and chips from a vending machine + leftovers from last night's dinner.
I'm not quite yet out of high school, and I'm homeschooled in any case...so I just eat whatever we have at the house. I don't have kids either lol.
Just thought I'd post my agreement: that's pretty insane.
1 person likes this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
2 Nov 08
You are lucky that you are at home then because it is a lot cheaper to eat the leftovers for lunch. That is what I do when everyone is at school. Since I am a stay at home mom now I don't need to go to a fast food place for lunch any more. I used to do that when I worked, but now that I am at home I save money by eating leftovers or a can of soup or a sandwich.
Luckily for me - my 3 smallest kids all hate soda so I don't have to worry about that expense! It is just really frustrating how much everything costs nowadays!
Thanks for your comment!
1 person likes this
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
1 Nov 08
Oh my, you are paying a ton of money for school lunches. My daugher is in elementary school and she brings her lunch, but I give her 50 cents a day for a snack. MY two boys are in high school, their lunch is $1.75. One of my boys spends $2.75 a day because he buys a gatorade every day. I don't give him the extra dollar, he brings his own money. Both of the boys say that they eat chicken usually for lunch and it is really good. If they like it, that is worth the $1.75. I would just about die if they raised it to $1.90 a day!!!I also remember when lunches ere very inexpensive. I use to eat a bag of chips, an ice cream sandwich and a lemonade every day in high school. I am sure it wasn't even a dollar for all that! Times sure have changed.
1 person likes this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Haven't they changed though? Man, $1.75 for them! That is a pretty good deal right there! I hope they don't raise your prices too. People tend to think that .15 here and there is nothing, but at the end of the week and the end of the month it does really add up! Especially when you have more than one child attending school.
Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for your comment!
1 person likes this
@YoungInLove (1254)
• Canada
2 Nov 08
lol you think thats expensive? You have no idea. When i was in kindergarden milk was 50 cents, and hot dogs on fridays were $1.00. If you go into any higschool cafeteria these days you wont be surprised to find a meal thats gonna cost $4.00 or more. Thats considered cheap to, paying 4 bucks for lunch. Thats just with the food, not including the couple bucks your gonna pay for a drink and whatnot.
1 person likes this
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Wow! That is super expensive for you! Where do you go to school? Or where did you go to school? A hot dog is $1.00? You can buy a package of 8 hot dogs for $3.00 at Wal-Mart! And $4.00 at the high school cafeterias? Wow...
Boy, I thought my kids' lunches were all expensive! I am shocked!
Thanks for your comment!
Boy, I thought my kids' lunches were all expensive! I am shocked!
Thanks for your comment!
1 person likes this
@Little_Boy (448)
• India
2 Nov 08
Yes. The world is changing very quickly. The price of every item is increasing day by day. Specially the price of food items has increased manifolds. The increase of food price has been the burning issue in this year. Every country has been suffered by this crisis. The inflation has increased alarmingly. As a result you cannot by any item that you could do a few months ago. So, it is not very surprising that you have to spend much more for the lunch of your children than you used to do for yourself when you were a student. Those days are past. Buying food item in cheap rate is now possible only in dream!
I will advise you to give more time in myLot, so that you can earn half of that amount from here! Happy myLotting.
1 person likes this
@ThirdMillion (604)
• United States
1 Nov 08
Wow! I never really thought about how much I spend on my children's school lunches. I spend $2 a day each for two of my children now, so with 20 school days per month on average, that's $80 per month. I have two more children that will be in school soon, so that will double the amount to $160 per month. Wow, I never realized how much it added up to. Hmmmm
1 person likes this
@mrsfred96 (85)
• United States
1 Nov 08
That is really expensive. I have 2 girls and I pay $1.50 for each of them per day- that price includes milk. Our school offers very healthy options that the kids love- and for that price I can't afford not to let them buy their lunch at school. Your school really needs to look at what they are doing with their money because that is just way too high.
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
2 Nov 08
I know it is so expensive! I bet that that $1.50 will go up soon. I was paying $1.50 not too long ago for the ones that are now $1.90. Everyone is raising their prices for everything. My kids love the school lunches, but it is just killing me!
Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for your comment!
1 person likes this
