If the cost of packing the kids' lunches is already starting to add up...keep reading. Jacob Brooks went shopping with Coupon General April Blum. She suggests easy ways to save on school lunches.
There was a more than $2 difference between name and store-brand peanut butter. "And then when you consider going from the smaller size to the value size, much of the time the savings are even better," Blum said.
Freshly cut deli meat can be cheaper than pre-packaged products.
Pre-packaged pasta and sauce products can have a high cost for low servings. Blum recommends making it yourself. You'll get more bang for your buck.
If there is a small price difference between two products, Blum recommends checking the price per ounce. This will make sure you're not paying more for less.
Products like Lunchables, Blum said, are overpriced and don't have much food.
"You're gonna be spending a lot more money when your kid comes home at the end of the day to feed them rather than giving them the amount that they need to eat at lunchtime."
She recommends buying deli meats, cheese, and crackers to make your own.