Back-to-school lunches for kids: How to save money
HOUSTON - It's almost time to start packing back-to-school lunches for your kids. But that's an added expense on many already tight budgets. So we consulted the Lunchbox Dad for tips to cut the cost down to bite-size.
Lunchbox Dad Beau Coffron is known for making creative lunches for kids and saving money. His first tip is to get kids involved and have them choose what they want to eat to prevent food waste.
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"Let’s pick strawberries and blueberries. I did this with my son the other day. Let them choose. He chooses what he wants in his lunch, and I know he’s making a healthy choice no matter which one he chooses," said Coffron.
Use a reusable lunch box.
Buy generic brand foods, which saves 40%, and buy in bulk.
"This 100 pack comes in just under $10, so you can add them to 100 lunchboxes for less than 10 cents a lunch," said Coffron, referring to a box of Fruity Snacks.
Make extra food when making dinner, and use the leftovers for lunches.
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To add the ingredient of fun, Lunchbox Dad says cut foods with cookie cutters.
"I use cookie cutters on the bread, the meat the cheese, and the fruit," he said, showing us a lunch cut to look like flowers.
Think about themes.
"Like this lunch on a stick right here, from the chicken to the fruit kabobs," he showed us another lunch.
And write your kid a note.
"Share something encouraging about your kids, or a lunch note just telling your kids how much you love them. This is something every parent can do, and every kid will love," said Coffron.
The Lunchbox Dad interview was sponsored by Sam’s Club.
You can find more of his money-saving tips and lunchbox ideas on his Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook.