The cost of convenience

Convenient, pre-packaged snacks for school lunchboxes could come with a hefty price tag.

A study from Mozo found parents could save $432 per year per child by ditching pre-packaged snacks in favour of buying in bulk and portioning out lunchbox snacks.

Mozo Money spokesperson Kirsty Lamont said pre-packaged food came at a considerable mark-up.

“Parents might be surprised by the accumulated cost of convenience, with packaged cheese and crackers costing $2 per serving, compared to just 51 cents when making at home from a packet of crackers and block of cheese,” Ms Lamont said.

“Dried fruit was also expensive when pre-packaged, with sultanas costing $0.50 for an individual serve, rather than just $0.17 for a rationed amount from a larger packet.”

Packing your own snacks also leads to a reduction in disposable packaging and can be used as a learning opportunity for children.

“While time-poor parents may grimace at the thought of portioning out raisins and cheese slices, packing lunchboxes can take as little as 10 minutes the night before,” Ms Lamont said.

“Pre-packaging snacks can also serve as a wonderful opportunity to involve your kids and make it a math exercise.

“Using kitchen scales, ask them to measure out their snacks for the week and pack their lunchbox themselves.”

Tips for lunchbox savings

• Buy snacks in bulk for greater savings
• Avoid the aisles of overpriced snack packs and portion out dried fruit, crackers and other snacks into reusable containers, pouches or snaplock bags.
• Slice your own cheese and meat to avoid the mark-ups on the pre-sliced versions.
• Check the school guidelines around snacks, for example “no nuts” policies.

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