That's it. Nothing too spectacular this week - if fact, it's starting to feel a bit monotonous. Flour, sugar, milk, cheese, yogurt - apparently we like milk products and we're definitely a carb based family! I've got the basics and the grand total for today was (are you sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation?): $69.23 . Feeling quite proud of myself for that. I did have $7.00 in coupons today and I only use coupons if it makes the price of the item lower than the lowest identical product. Don't get too excited yet though - I already know I've got one more food trip this weekend. Shouldn't be more than $20.00 however, so I'm still in budget for the week (which I'm hoping is under $100).Now the other thing I thought I'd add in this week (giddy with excitement?) is "What I make my kids for lunch". You know, just in case you thought I was getting away with buying this food only for dinners or something. Much to his dismay, S. hasn't bought his lunch once this year. I did bring McD's in to share (treat) and to spend the lunch hour but really, that was it. This is a big deal apparently for kids - he feels he's the only one to bring lunch E-VER-Y-DAY! I'm sure he's not... sort of... okay, I'm not.... The thing is, the lunches at school are awful (see photo above) - except for the French toast/omelet day. I'd be all over that. What is 'Cook's special'? How about a week of Cheese pizza stix, corn dogs, popcorn chicken and hot dogs? How healthy is that?! Ick. What really, really makes me chuckle is the "SAVE MONEY: EAT SCHOOL LUNCH" at the bottom. It's $2.60 a day! That's $13.00 a week or $52.00 a month! Yah, amazing how it adds up isn't it?
I also did a little googlin' (oh, how I love googlin') just to see how other kids across the nation are eating. It's not good. There's a lot of chicken stix out there - who knew? I did come across this one site and just by the lunch menu alone I want to attend this preschool - in all fairness, it's in France and if there's one thing the French know, it's food! As an aside, if you've got time, check out her pics... it'll make you *sigh*. So, here it is... this is what I'm feeding my kid these days for lunch. It's not great either but I'd like to think it's a heck of a lot better than whatever chicken fryz are.
Monday: Lunch: Squash/banana bread with apple butter (2 pcs), orange slices, rice krispy squares. Snack: graham crackers.
Tuesday: Lunch: Chicken noodle soup (homemade from last nights supper), granola bar (also homemade - recipe from SmittenKitchen), orange slices and homemade apple crisp. Snack: pretzels and cheese (we had some leftover - he's going to be soooo excited).
Wednesday: Lunch: Crackers and cheese slices, yogurt, orange slices, squash/banana bread with apple butter. Snack: granola bar.
Thursday: Lunch: Mac & Cheese leftovers, yogurt, pineapple/coconut muffin (on the list of thing I have to make), an apple. Snack: almonds (just plain).
Friday: No school. Probably just going to make leftovers or a grilled cheese...
Now wait a second before you go! I'd like to just say that I'm not trying to get on a pedestal here or anything. You feed your family whatever you can - we're all just getting by - I get that. I'm on that budget/Lent thing and I've also found that S. really responds to what's going in and so I'm trying to make a conscious decision to make sure he's getting enough nutrition and not a lot of stuff I can't even name and quite frankly, isn't even spelled right. He's a picky kid (in a good way... sort of...). He likes his lunches to be different and he likes to be able to see what he's eating. It's my fault. I accept responsibility.... sort of...
That's an impressively small expenditure on food this week! Even more impressive is the fact that your menu sounds so good and I would happily eat one of S's lunches any day!
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was in 4th grade and moved to a new school and it seemed like everyone ate hot lunch and I'd sit down with my avocado sandwich on home-baked bread, some juice, and whatever strange (but delicious) medley of dried fruits and nuts my mom convinced me counted as dessert. I would LONG for that fabulous-looking hot lunch and dread the stares that I would get when I unwrapped the waxed paper around my delicious but offbeat sandwich.
Finally, my mom caved and gave me lunch money. I couldn't believe it when they gave me my tray -- no choices on anything but milk -- and it had some god-awful rubberized pizza-like square with pools of orange grease on top of the pepperoni ("I'm a vegetarian, you morons" I thought to myself -- as if there was any alternative -- the 80's weren't having any of that alternative lifestyle crap, you know) some horribly overcooked canned green beans, a plop of what appeared to be steamed french fries, and a (I kid you not) jello cup with canned pears in it.
I ate about 3 bites of that lunch, devoured my carton of warm chocolate milk, and never asked for hot lunch again.
As you know, Luke buys his lunch once per month (when we notice the day, which has been twice this year) on cheese pizza day. Of course, it can't just be called cheese pizza, can it? It is the max cheese pizza. Not sure what the min cheese pizza would be. Anyway, Luke takes the same lunch almost every day. Cheese sandwich on whole wheat. Fruit. Homemade oatmeal cookie. And every now and then, nuts or tortilla chips or something like that. Works for us. I just went grocery shopping and spent $110, so bravo on your frugality! Did you get that almond milk for free? I got that same kind with my "for free" coupon from Kroger. My other great deal was the dannon kids yogurt pack (the dye free one, whatever it is) for 29 cents! It was marked down and I had a dollar off coupon.
ReplyDeleteR - go figure you didn't like it! It's cause you like GOOD food, like those burritos you make...(a little excited to see that recipe??). We never had a cafeteria when I was a kid but we could buy the warm milk. It went along with the warm cheese my mom sent me with!
ReplyDeleteS - have to have a week like that every now and then right? I didn't get the milk for free - I went to GE. Good deal on the yogurt! I had a coupon but it was only for $1.00 off. I had one for $2 off on the milk though - close to zip. I love that Luke has the same thing everyday. Makes life so much easier.
Hey!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog. First question. Why do they have school lunches? Our schools have a hot lunch day one day a week and that's it. The lunch is usually pizza that is ordered from a pizza place and milk. Those are some crazy lunches. I think I would take your lunches over them any day. Can you send things with peanut butter? All our schools are peanut free. Jack is going to have a hard time next year. He wants peanut butter, jam and banana wrap everyday. Okay, how do you shop for a week for only 100 $ with 4 people? I shop once a week too and am embarrassed to say how much I spend, and Maggie doesn't even eat food yet! I am so not telling Rob about your budget.
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ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why they do but even our school in CO had an actual cafeteria. It might be that it's just easier for some people and/or to make sure no one's missing a meal. A lot of the meal plans can be subsidized based on your household income. They also have a breakfast menu at our school.
ReplyDeleteThe school isn't peanut free! It does make my life a lot easier as nuts play an part in our lunches as well. It's such a cheap and easy protein! Would Jack switch to cream cheese and jam instead? Might be a bit cheaper as well.
In regards to the $100.00, it's really not as easy as it sounds! I make a list of what I'm going to make every week (usually Sunday or Mondays blog) - for dinner, lunch, breakfasts and snacks - and then I stick to that. No store bought cereals (so far just rice krispies), no junk food, and no pre-made items. So if I want a cake, I make it from scratch. Same with things like french fries, chicken fingers and so on. Sounds a little granola'y' doesn't it? So far it's working and honestly, I don't miss any of it yet and neither does A. or the kids. I still buy beer so A's just fine and it's amazing how much the kids like home made stuff!