Do find it more expensive to pack your child's lunch or have them buy it in the school cafeteria

Question

Do find it more expensive to pack your child's lunch or have them buy it in the school cafeteria

Answer 1

I have 4 kids and do both. I have one who likes lunch from home and one who does half and half and two who take only school lunch. I think lunch at school can get expensive because for example the way it works here is they have an account and a number and you put money in their account and then they get their lunch. the problem is they don't limit it...my son has often got two lunches in one day and it eats away at the money in the account and makes it seem as if I am feeding more than one kid. I don't know why the school doesn't regulate that.

Answer 2

I end up spending more packing a lunch, but the school lunch portions are too skimpy for a growing ten year old, and they don't get seconds.

Answer 3

same

Answer 4

Now that my youngest is starting kindergarten I will have three children in school and the basic hot lunch is $2.25 each x 3 = $6.75 a day x @ 20 days of school = $135.00 a month? That's about what we pay for our electric bill. No thank you.

I can get wonderful, healthy food for much less than that and it will fill up my 6'9" 250# 15 year old boy, satisfy my thinking-of-trying-vegetarian 12 year old girl, and have things my happy-go-lucky five year old boy LOVES.

Answer 5

Cost issues aside, at least when you pack their lunch, you can know you're sending them to school with something healthy.  I have seen some of the garbage that cafeterias try to pass off as "lunch," and I wouldn't want my child eating it.

Answer 6

its a toss up. his schoollunch is 2.50 plus milk. IF he only eats one lunch. at 14 he wants extras some days.

but if i pack lunches im really bad at sticking to a basic plan lunch. i tend to get bored packing lunches and spend more money to make it more exciting. course then those lunch items turn into snacks and i end up giving him lunch money.

sigh.

i need a new system.  

Answer 7

My parents found it more expensive, but now we get reduced priced lunch which is 40 cents a day. Including milk, but not including a la carte items  

Answer 8

i think packed lunch is cheaper if you stick to a regular sysetm. and school food is unhealthy and gross so in a long run youll be paying those overwight bill from the doctors ;]

help me?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 9

My daughter's lunch increased this year from $2 to $2.25 which includes milk.  She loves eating the lunch at school and frankly, I let her buy everyday. We are given a monthly menu so I can see exactly what she's going to be having that day.  We're not made of money, but I know she's getting a  nice nutritious meal at school which I don't know if I could match if I made it for her.  

My son is the other extreme, he NEVER buys his lunch at school.  I make his everyday, which I why I don't mind letting my daughter buy hers everyday.

Answer 10

well, they buy extra stuff at school - so prolly packing is cheaper.

and also - the cafeteria food is VERY healthy - popcorn, baked chips, low fat yogurt, non-fat subs, salads!!