The average cost of a packed lunch for school has topped $6 as Americans struggle to afford everyday necessities.
The back-to-school season is always pricey for parents, with the cost of supplies, new clothes, and the superhero or princess backpack that your kid insisted on. The rising cost of groceries has added to that burden at a time when budgets are already tight.
The average daily cost of a packed lunch is now $6.33, up two percent from last year, according to the global accounting firm Deloitte.
“It feels like almost week to week that our groceries are becoming more expensive when we’re not buying extra things,” Alexandra Thompson, a 31-year-old from Union City, Tennessee, recently told USA TODAY. “There’s no joy in living this way.”
The price of groceries rose 2.7 percent in July from the previous year, according to the Consumer Price Index, which the government uses to track the cost of goods and services over time.
open image in galleryWhile many school districts offer lunch served in the cafeteria for free, or at a reduced price, fewer children automatically qualify due to changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program made under the Trump administration.
Children from families that receive SNAP automatically qualify for free school meals.
As of July 21, more than one million children have lost SNAP benefits as a result of the changes, according to the Washington, D.C. think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, making it harder for these kids to get free lunch.
open image in galleryIf you plan to brown bag it, Jacque DeVille, a producer for Louisiana news outlet KSLA who spoke to a child nutrition expert, has listed some tips for cutting costs when preparing school lunches.
Parents should choose full-size items instead of individually packaged portions and, if you have room in the budget, buy pantry goods such as nut butters in bulk.
Batch cooking can also help busy parents in the morning; just try to switch up how you prepare the dish.
“One rotisserie chicken can stretch across several different lunch recipes throughout the week,” DeVille said. “So kids aren’t eating the same thing every day.”