As the end of the summer nears and the new school term approaches, you might be wondering how the rising cost of living is going to impact your family.
READ: 8 ultimate tips to slash school uniform costs
Last month, staggering inflation data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the rising price of groceries accounted for almost half (44%) of inflation from June to July. We've previously shared how going green in the kitchen can help keep bills at bay, as well as how to reduce your food waste by £720 per year, but how can you save money on your children's school lunches?
With help from Richard Price, director of online supermarket Britsuperstore, we've put together six simple ways you can cut down costs on your kids' packed lunches - without compromising on taste or nutrition.
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Plan your school lunches and meal prep
Buying in bulk is a simple way to keep the cost down on your next supermarket shop. While fresh ingredients tend to go off quickly, kitchen staples like pasta, rice, snacks, biscuits, rice cakes and dried fruit have a much longer shelf life and can be bought in abundance to help save money.
If planning your children's lunches for the next month is too overwhelming, try thinking about the next fortnight of packed lunches, making use of multipack discounts and bulk-buy savings.
LOOK: 28 best kids' lunch boxes, flasks and water bottles that parents will love, too
Use budget shops for lunchboxes
Shops like Home Bargains and B&M are great for good value new lunch boxes and water bottles, helping to keep your child's lunch fresh during the day, and stopping it from going to waste. We also love this versatile lunchbox with separate compartments available on Amazon, simply pop it in the dishwasher at the end of the day.
BIBURY Lunch Box, £11.99, Amazon
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Use all leftovers
To help save time and money on additional lunch ingredients, always use up all of your food and create leftover meals that children enjoy for their lunches throughout the week. Roast dinner on Sunday? Save the meat to make delicious sandwiches or keep aside some extra veg to make veggie burger patties for the week.
Avoid pre-prepared food
Although it may be tempting to reach for a meal deal, evidence suggests purchasing ingredients and cooking from scratch can often save you money. Of course, there's a time and a place when a ready meal calls, but choosing savings over convenience is always a no-brainer.
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Think purchasing a pot of pre-cut 300g melon pot (around £2.85). Although quick and easy, it's likely far more expensive than buying a whole melon (around £1.40), which will give you far more for your money.
Batch cook and freeze
Batch cooking your children's lunches can save you both time and money while ensuring your kids get a nutritious lunch across multiple days of the week. Pasta dishes are easy to make in bulk and can be safely frozen, as are banana muffins, mini quiches, chicken pastry pinwheels and more.
Banana muffins make a great grab 'n' go school snack
"To save even more money, try batch cooking with meat substitutes as items such as beans, lentils or chickpeas are often cheaper than protein sources. Not only is this good for your wallet, but it’s also great for the environment," adds Richard.
Don't forget about unbranded goods
Are branded goods always better? You might prefer to be picky over your labels, but your kids certainly won't care! Shopping supermarkets' own labels and value ranges can save you hundreds each year.
In 2021, Which? revealed Aldi as the cheapest supermarket of the year, with a basket of 22 branded and unbranded goods costing £24.03. This is 38% cheaper than Waitrose, at £33.06.
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