Half Price LunchboxI needed a new lunchbox. My store had a clearance on coolers for cans of soda or beer. The one pictured here looks exactly like the lunchboxes two aisles over, and was half the price!
Use Wax Paper with Foods to Eliminate Plastic TasteCertain foods that I store in plastic containers end up tasting strange. I've found that using wax paper is an easy fix to keep the odd taste from getting into my foods. I simply wrap any item in the paper prior to placing it in the container or Ziploc bag.
Reusable Container Instead of Sandwich BaggiesI take my lunch to work and have been buying tubs of Hillshire Farms lunch meat. Once the tub was emptied, I had a bright idea that it could store a sandwich instead of using a baggie. The sandwich fits perfectly and does not get crushed or moist from other contents in my lunch bucket.
Lunchtime CouscousJust add 1 1/4 measures of cold water to every measure of couscous, plus some seasoning or stock powder if your couscous is unflavoured, and stir. Pop the lid on take it out with you and it will be ready when you are.
Teething Rings as Small Cold PacksAs hard as I looked, I couldn't find cold packs small enough to fit inside a lunch bag or lunch box. I finally picked up a few heart shaped baby teething rings and I keep them in the freezer. They're just small enough to keep in a lunch bag, but not so big that they take up all of the room.
Bagel in a CD CaseMaybe CDs are a bit "old hat" now, but many of us still use them and I am sure most of us would find an old CD container stashed away somewhere in the nether regions of a store cupboard.
Pita Pockets for Packed LunchesI make my lunch the night before I have classes each day. Usually I bring for lunch whatever I have leftover from my dinner. If it doesn't sound appealing, I use Pita bread pockets cut in four quarters and get inventive.
Meal Tips for Single WorkersMy daughter was challenged with working long hours and not having lots of time to prepare healthy lunches nor dinners. I came up with some hints to use as guidelines to help her continue to eat healthy while working long hours.
Snack Plastic Bag as Sandwich PocketI keep a box of Snack Plastic Bags handy. They are only about 6 x 3 inches - just the right size to fit the bottom of your sandwich in. The mess is all in the bottom of the plastic bag!
Pill Bottles for Transporting Salad DressingI take lunch to work daily. I use the empty and cleared pill bottles to carry my salad dressing. Then, no soggy salad and the size is perfect for the correct amount of dressing without drowning the salad
Use CD Packaging For Bagel ContainerMy husband took the empty domed package that originally had 30 cds in it and recycled it into a bagel sandwich holder. The hole in the bagel lines up perfectly with the post in the case.
Divide Packaged Snacks for LunchesMy kids are always begging for those packaged dessert snacks like Oreos and such for their school lunches. For a long time I usually said no because a box of 6-10 packages would run up to $6.00 and they were so high calorie.
Salad in A JarAdd salad dressing to the bottom of your jar. Then add layers of lettuce and whatever else you want in your salad. Put on the lid and take it in your lunch. The salad will not be wilted by lunch.
Recycled Real Lemon Squeeze Bottles for Ice...Why spend money on ice keepers for your lunchbox when you have a plastic lemon squeeze bottle that does the trick. Fill your lemon squeeze bottle 3/4ths with water and freeze.
Using Insulated Food JarsIf you have a thermos, you have a very thrifty money-saver at your fingertips! Instead of spending money by eating at restaurants during trips, take your meals with you! A good quality, well-insulated thermos can keep food hot for hours.
Spice Containers for CondimentsI often take veggies and dip in my lunches for work. Tonight I was looking for a small container to hold a serving of hummus for my carrots/celery. I came across a small 1 oz. spice container.
Keep Cut Apples From Turning Brown Before LunchWhen you want to send a cut up apple in a child's lunch, cut the apple in square pieces, leaving it together as you cut, then wrap a rubber band around it to hold it together. This keeps it from turning brown.
Frozen Juice as Mini Lunch Ice PacksSave Naked or Odwalla juice bottles and fill with water and freeze. These are just the right size for a child's lunch box. When they thaw, you can have cold water to drink. These are also useful for placing in a larger cooler.
Homemade "Uncrustables"My 2 girls take a bag lunch most days for school and neither cares for the crust of their sandwiches. I hated buying the frozen uncrustables from the store because of the price so I decided to make my own.
Keeping Drinks ColdMy husband used to be an auto mechanic at Firestone. Where he worked in the garage, even with the garage doors open and the huge fans blowing it got really hot in there. He liked to drink Gatorade because he said it helped to keep him from feeling dehydrated.
Pack Your Lunch Instead of Eating OutMaking lunch or dinner at home instead of "grabbing a quick bite" at work, can easily save you $20 or more each week. Take your lunch to work every day and you'll find your $1,000.00 richer at the end of the year.
Homemade Cheese and Cracker Lunch KitsDo your kids like those expensive pre-made lunch kits? I have a better and less costly idea that works for my 6 year old grand-daughter. When I need to pack her a lunch for school or a field trip, I take all store brand essentials to make the "kit".
Buy Large Containers of YogurtI used to regularly buy the small 6-8 oz. yogurts for my lunch. I would spend quite a bit on yogurt over a month's time. I have begun buying a large 40 oz. container, then spooning a serving's worth into a small yogurt container.
Bring Your Own Silverware to WorkRecently, at my work, I have been on a committee that is looking at strategic planning for the next year, 5 years, and 10 years into the future. One of the issues we have been looking at is sustainability.
Freezer SandwichesDid you know that you can freeze peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for school lunch? It's true! Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread. On the other slice, spread a thin layer of peanut butter to act as a barrier for the jelly to avoid seepage, then spread on the jelly.
Make Sandwiches with Frozen BreadThis is a tip that will help anyone who packs lunches! These days, we all need to tighten our belts and packing lunches is an excellent way to not only save money, but also to eat healthier!
Save Bags for Sack LunchesSave fast food bags that aren't grease soaked to take your lunch in on another day.
Setup a "Salad Club" at WorkAt work we have a "Salad Club." There are currently five participants so we have five different lists of ingredients which we rotate weekly. We include 2 types of lettuce, spinach and other various toppings and veggies.
Bread Bags to Pack LunchBeing a farmer and rancher's wife, we are always looking for ways to save. In the summer months, the men are in the fields a lot, and take their lunch.
Packing Hot Lunches In A ThermosMany people already enjoy this food tip, I hope you will too! Some foods you can heat up and insulate in a Thermos (besides soup). I added more ideas to the magazine I found this in.
Keeping Beverages ColdMy husband used to be a mechanic at a major automotive repair center at the mall and during the summertime I always worried about him getting too hot in the garage there.
Roast And Slice Your Own Lunch MeatsI've cut the cost by more than half by buying roasts, turkey breasts, whole chickens and turkeys and ham as they rotate on sale and roasting them solely for lunch meats.
Use Mason Jars for Lunch ItemsFor my lunches, I use wax paper to wrap my sandwiches in, but I often take soup, salad, jello, or puddings. For these I have several different sizes of mason jars.
Use Kuzies To Keep Condensation Out Of Packed LunchesI pack a lunchbox for my husband and have been having an issue with condensations. To solve this problem I am using kuzies. I have been saving kuzies from different promotions around town that are giving them away free.
Keeping Yogurt Cold in a Packed LunchMy husband puts my 6 or 8 oz. yogurt cup in a coolie cup which is normally used for cans or bottles. It fits right into the cup, and makes a handy way to keep it chilled until lunch.
Pack Messy Lunch Items In Plastic BagsWhen packing anything in your lunch container that might leak or spill (liquids, etc.), put the items in those plastic bags we all get from the produce section of our local grocery store.
Take Your Lunch in a Cloth Tote BagTo save paper and money, I take my lunch to work every day in a cloth tote bag that I bought at the Dollar Store. It is about 10x10 inch square and has a nice handle. When I come home, I just put my lunch bag in the fridge so I can find it fast in the morning.
Refill Snack Fruit CupsI am a mom of four and a very frugal. If I buy applesauce cups for the kids, I don't throw them away. I wash them and make my own fruit cups to pack in their lunch. I cover the tops with Press 'n Seal.
Saving Take-out Condiments For Lunch BagsSave those packs of mayo, mustard, ketchup, relish, lemon juice, honey, etc. Put them in a bowl in the frig. When you need some for your lunch bag there you are. No mess or fuss.
Use Recycled Gatorade Bottles in Packed LunchesI finally found a reusable plastic bottle that you can pack in a lunch that won't leak. I washed our used Gatorade bottles by hand and filled them with water. (My son adds powdered drink mix.) You can tip them any which way and they don't leak.
Freeze Lunch Sandwiches in AdvanceFreeze a week's worth of lunchmeat sandwiches for your children on Sunday night. Place in ziplock bags or plastic sandwich containers. Freeze and take out the next day right before your children leave for school. Pack in lunches.
Put Mayo Between Meat and Cheese To Prevent Soggy SandwichesMy son loves Bologna and Cheese sandwiches with Mayo, but I've always hated knowing that by lunch he was eating a soggy sandwich.
School Lunch TipsTips on school lunches from a pre-K teacher: Invest in cold packs. You can get these at dollar stores. Paired with a thermal bag, the foods you send to school with your child will be protected.
Product Review: Cereal On The GoI found a GREAT product at www.dormbuys.com called Cereal on the Go. (I tried to download a picture, but I couldn't.) It is a bowl with a fold up spoon in the lid, and a cup for milk that screws on the bottom.
Use Frozen Sandwich Rolls For LunchesMy kids take bread rolls to school for lunch so I buy a lot every week and freeze. before freezing, I cut them in half so all I need to do is to take out what I need and fill them with whatever I'm using while they are still frozen.
Transport Salad Dressing In Recycled Water BottleI like to make my own salad dressings to take to work with me to use on my salads to cut back on calories. My dilemma always comes in what to put it in that is easy and portable.
Reuse Bread Bags For LunchesThis is not destined to save gobs of money, but every saving money tip helps. I have a big family and a husband who requires sandwiches every day for work, therefore we go through bread bags FAST!
Reusable BaggiesTo save money and reduce wasteful packaging, I buy big bags of chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, etc. Then I repack them in small plastic containers for lunches. More often, however, I was packing them into snack size zip top baggies because they take up less room in my husband Michael's lunch bag.
Dose Of DressingDose Of Dressing. Don't throw away your empty prescription bottles. I use mine for a premeasured "dose" of salad dressing for my work lunches. . .
Cooking For My Truck Driver HusbandMy husband is an over-the-road truck driver and is typically gone 30-35 days, then home for 4 or 5. While he is out, I cook as if he were home. Then I freeze individual portions of whatever I cooked (labeled with date and name).
Making Lunch a Little DifferentMaking Lunch a Little Different. My DH brown bags his lunch. To make his sandwiches more interesting and to save time, I took three large frozen chicken tenders, greased them top and bottom with extra virgin olive oil. . .
Make Your Own Fruit or Pudding CupsInstead of paying extra money to buy the individual size fruit cups or pudding cups at the grocery store, just buy a large can of your choice of fruit or a couple packages of instant pudding mix.
Bringing a Thermos To WorkYou can save money by bringing coffee to work in a thermos rather than buying it there. Before filling your thermos with coffee, fill it up with hot tap water and let it sit for a few minutes.
No More Soggy Peanut Butter and JellyWhen making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for your toddler, my sons favorite, put the peanut butter on both slices of bread and then put the jelly in the middle. That way the bread doesn't get soggy!
Plastic Cutlery for Lunchesput plastic cutlery in my husband's lunches for work. After him losing a couple of my "good" forks on the job site, he's gotten plastic ever since. Those I don't care if he loses.
Keeping Packed Sandwiches FreshPut tomatoes and lettuce in a separate container and place in your sandwich later to avoid mushy bread. Also, keep your mustard, etc. in the lounge kitchen (also to avoid mushy bread).
By Crystal Podvin
Months Supply of LunchesMy hubby works construction. He used to make these sandwiches before we met. We make a month's supply of cold cut sandwiches up at a time (minus pickle, tomato, lettuce & onion). Place each in a zipper sandwich bag and place them in a box in the freezer.
Frozen Lunch ItemsI buy canned fruit & spoon into small bowls with lids (allow room for the food expanding when freezing) for my husband's lunches. Frozen cups of canned fruits and frozen sandwiches will be thawed in time for my husband's lunches. He works construction.
Keeping Sandwiches ColdMy daughter has an old-fashioned type lunch box with a thermos. Putting in one of those hard ice substitutes took up too much room, so instead I use frozen bread to make her sandwich. The bread thaws in time for lunch while keeping the lunch meat cold enough to prevent bacteria from forming.
Make Frozen Sandwiches for LunchesTo save time in the mornings, make sandwiches and freeze them on the weekend. The sandwich turns out best if you start with frozen bread. Make the sandwich on the frozen bread, then pop it back into the freezer again.
Dips For Kids LunchesI am always looking for ideas for my kids lunches since they don't like to eat at school. When I go to various restaurants to eat we usually have leftover "ranch" of any dipping containers.
Hershey's Zero Candy Bars Don't MeltFor those who don't know this, Hershey's Zero candy bars don't melt when left in a hot car, like their other candies do. Zero's are known to be the construction workers candy bar.
Drink Free WaterInstead of those expensive bottles of water people buy. I take a 32 ounce (1 liter) water bottle to the drinking fountain twice a day at work. I can gauge how much I've drank and it's free.
Save Money on Beverages at WorkI always crave a soda in the afternoon at work. Sodas in our vending machine cost $1.25. Which can add up very quickly after a week. So I buy cases of soda on sale and take 5 to work Monday morning or pop one in my purse on my way out the door.
Durable Lunch BagA very durable lunch bag can be made by turning a Splenda 9.7 lb bag inside out. My husband calls it his retirement bag, since he knows he'll probably see it until he retires in two years.
By springmaid5
Sticking to a Lunch BudgetI am not working currently as I am a care giver for my elderly parents, so I eat lunch at home. I have set myself a budget of 1 pound a day (approx. $2 American) for everything I eat, except for our main meal at night with my husband.
