Five ways to save money on your packed lunch

It’s usually cheaper to cook lunch at home than to buy food on the go. But over the past year, the prices of grocery store lunch staples have risen.

We’ve rounded up some top tips on how to keep costs down when preparing a packed lunch for work, school or a day trip.

Caroline Job started the blog and YouTube channel Lunchbox World when she had different ideas for her three children’s lunch boxes. She enters an identical list of items into various supermarkets’ online shopping apps to see which item is cheapest and looks for discount codes.

Though it might take a little longer, Caroline says it’s made a big difference as she’s noticed the prices of various produce, like pickles or eggs, have gone up.

If you buy your groceries from city center convenience stores, they may charge more – so you can save money by going to a large supermarket to stock up.

You can also consider swapping out your favorite branded snacks for private label versions.

Caroline also suggests taking a look at the cupboards, fridge or freezer before doing the grocery shopping to make sure you’re not doubling down.

“Have a plan on what meals you’re going to cook and what you’re going to have for lunch this week,” she says.

She adds that working with best-by dates has been a “game changer” for her to ensure food doesn’t go to waste.

“I’m now rearranging my menu for the week over time — if the ham runs out, I’ll use that up today and have a chicken sandwich tomorrow.”

Ritesh, a father of two from Hounslow, adds that preparing various items has helped him manage a tight budget.

“Our kids love rice pancakes, so we often make the mix the night before and have it for breakfast and combine it with something else for lunch,” he says.

It can be frustrating when a lunch box comes back from school at the end of the day completely untouched.

But the freezer can be a big help when it comes to packing a larger variety of food on the menu for the week.

The NHS Better Health website recommends keeping a small selection of different types of bread in the freezer, such as bagels, pittas and wraps, cereal or multigrain bread. Putting a piece of parchment paper between each one makes it easier to just pull one out when it’s frozen, Caroline suggests.

And if you’re looking for a snack option, frozen fruit is usually cheaper than fresh, especially out of season.

Frozen fruit counts towards your five daily servings of fruit and vegetables. There is less waste and you can choose the exact amount you want to use.

With food prices rising at their fastest rate in 45 years, Dr. Charlotte Evans – associate professor at the University of Leeds specializing in nutritional epidemiology and public health – said the nutritional value of packed lunches could fall as budgets tighten.

She argues, “Replacing homemade products with the cheapest, prepackaged snacks like chips or chocolate chip cookies could be the first place people look for savings.”

While it can be tempting to reach for something that saves time, ready-made options in stores can often be far more expensive and less nutritious.

dr Evans suggests building your own Japanese-inspired compartmentalized bento box to use up leftover items in your fridge or cupboard.

“It’s a great way to use up lots of little bits – a wrap, some lettuce or carrots, some bean chili from the night before.”

The British Nutrition Foundation suggests packing a small handful of mixed dried fruit or nuts in reusable grocery bags or sealed containers to keep in the cupboard to make your own easy snack.

And if you have some free time, growing your own cress for your egg sandwiches could be a fun family project too—and cheaper than buying it at the supermarket, too.

Batch cooking is a great way to save money and time in the long run, says personal finance expert Rachel Wait.

She says pasta dishes are easy to make in bulk, as can bean stews, soups or muffins.

You could just make some more for your dinner and use the leftovers for your lunch box the day after.

“Cooking with legumes like beans and lentils can be a cheaper alternative to meat and also help add bulk to meals,” she points out.

dr Evans adds that adding additional salad ingredients like lettuce or cucumber to a sandwich could also help reduce costs.

“It can make a sandwich look a lot more appetizing — different textures, colors… It makes it look like a real sandwich, and if you eat more veggies, maybe use a little less expensive stuff like cheese and ham.”