Frugal Lunch Box Ideasby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 06 Oct 2009 08:37 AM Okay, we are into October now, long past the time when back to school lunches were new, and I could get away with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Plus, my son is starting to talk about some of the cool snacks that some of the other kids bring. I want to be able to keep my son happy, while providing a nutritious lunch and snacks, and also saving money. On a recent trip to Target, I asked him to point out some snacks and lunch food that he would love to see make it to his lunch box. Mind you, I did have to warn him that we weren't actually going to purchase much, if anything, but that I wanted to see what his interests are so I could plan some things that would be less expensive. Here are the items he picked, along with my solution. Yogurt tubes My son's appetite rivals a teenagers, and he is only eight (and before you ask he inherited his dad's thin, eat-all-you-want build). I would probably have to pack two or three of those tubes. Instead, we decided to go for a regular full cups of yogurt, and he was happy to pick the flavors. The store brand was fine, so we saved a bunch there. Brownie Bites and Blueberry Muffin Bites Talk about price! A box of these bites might not see as though they cost much, but again, there is hardly any product in each bag. Three little bites cost a fortune. Instead, I can use my mini-muffin tin to bake homemade brownies and muffins, and then package them myself. Pizza Pizza day is always a hit, and I almost gave in to this one until my son said he prefers not to wait in line in the cafeteria. There are two ways to make pizza. One is as a "lunchables" sort of kit, providing the raw ingredients (toast pita bread or flour tortillas then cut out in circles with a cookie cutter), or as an inside out pizza, using sauce, cheese and two flour tortillas. This outing was really fun for us and got our creative juices going, so I am looking forward to doing it again soon. You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here! Related Articles: 20 Ways to save $1 or More Today Cutting Down on the Cost of Eating Out Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags Food, Kids, lunch, school Discuss this article
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