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Home > Things I Don't Do - Number 2

Things I Don't Do - Number 2

March 25th, 2008 at 06:03 pm

Turns out the last "don't do" I posted wasn't so unusual. I actually get my hair cut by someone else, but many of you responded that you cut your own hair!! I am so impressed. I've done some trimming occasionally, but never a full cut. I suppose with my curly hair I could actually get away with it. I'll let you know if I try it.

The second thing I don't do is pay for my kids to eat the lunch the school provides. They pack their lunch everyday. The school lunch is $1.80 per day. With two children that is $3.60 per day. If they took their lunch everyday of the school year I would spend about $650 on hot lunches. I would estimate that I spend about $0.85 per child per day. This means I spend just over $300 per year for school lunches. A savings of $350!!

Now, I can't say that this came about just to save money. My oldest just preferred to take her own lunch so she had more time to eat. This all began in kindergarten. She tried the school lunch, but the routine of it was just stressful on her.

My youngest daughter also tried hot lunch, but decided it was cool to have a lunch box with characters on it! So, packing our lunch is just the way we do it. I really think they eat better because they have more time and get a variety of different foods to eat.

My husband also takes his lunch. Turkey sandwich, banana, and granola bar washed down with his favorite diet coke. I won't calculate how much that saves us...but I know that it does. He also helps keep our fridge clear of leftovers.

11 Responses to “Things I Don't Do - Number 2”

  1. disneysteve Says:
    1206474110

    Not sure this one is too unusual either. My wife packs DD's lunch every day. We do occasionally give her 50 cents to buy a treat, like ice cream. And DD will use some of her allowance money to buy a cold drink. But other than that, she brings her food from home.

  2. disneysteve Says:
    1206474146

    Forgot to add that I also pack my own lunch every day. DW works part-time and packs hers as well.

  3. nance Says:
    1206477182

    I had to smile when I read that title.

  4. creditcardfree Says:
    1206478017

    Nance...I thought about that yesterday when I typed number one...maybe I should have skipped 2!! Smile

  5. NJDebbie Says:
    1206483637

    Last year I spent a bundle on school lunches. This year I told my kids they are to bag it at least four days out of the week. I asked my son if he liked the mozzarella (I know it is spelled wrong)sticks and he said they were disgusting. He was pretty angry that he blew his one day of school lunch on them. Needless to say, he was starved when he got home from baseball practice. Mom to the rescue: leftover white rice and beans (Spanish style). He was so hungry he couldn't wait for me to done with dinner.

  6. homebody Says:
    1206494009

    Back to the hair thing, I cut my own too and then have DH trim it up if I did it uneven. My hair is very thin and fine and it literally takes 3 minutes to do it.

    My Marine SIL gets his hair cut every week. Yes I should tell YD to get some trimmers and do it herself.

    At age 50 I am finally starting to think about coloring my hair. It's irritating to look like the oldest sister when I am actually the youngest, because my 3 and 8 year older sisters color their's! I will do it myself when I start which probably will be soon.

  7. merch Says:
    1206536068

    The one thing I don’t do is pack a lunch. I never have and never will. I just have this weird thing with food. I have a hard time eating leftovers. It’s just a thing I have. I have tried but I just can’t seem to get over it. Oh well.

    My wife says “we could save $8 a day if you brought your own lunch.”

    This from my wife who gets $200 haircuts every 3 months. Actually, the cost is more – parking in the city ($15), lunch ($25-$35), and a $200 haircut.

    But, budgeting comes down to your priorities. And after lights, food, shelter; everything else becomes what’s important as a family. Some people may splurge on eating out or date night. We splurge on the wife’s haircuts and my $8 lunch.

    I do save money on coffee. We have a Keurig at work. Awesome!! Brews one cup of coffee at a time. No more Starbucks or Dunkin’.

  8. creditcardfree Says:
    1206538613

    Merch: I absolutely agree that budgeting is priorities. We skimp here and there to make sure we have retirement and college funded. We have our splurges too...wine!!

  9. luxlivingfrugalis Says:
    1206551897

    Merch- you don't have to take leftovers in a lunch kit. It can be 'new' food!! Big Grin

  10. disneysteve Says:
    1206555610

    merch, I agree with lux. You don't have to pack leftovers. I make a sandwich. I bring tuna. I bring a frozen meal. I bring homemade soup or something else that we make in a big batch and freeze in single-serve portions. I have yogurt and fruit. All kinds of things you can pack for lunch without eating leftovers.

  11. frugaltexan75 Says:
    1206673995

    I don't have any kids . . . but I do pack my lunch 99% of the time. I have found the easiest thing for me is a burrito. I make two pounds of pinto beans in my crockpot - which comes out to ~33 1/2 cup portions (which I freeze).

    Then at work I toast the tortilla while my bean mixture is warming up. In the bean mixture is the 1/2 cup pinto beans, 1/4 cup egg sub, and ~1/2 cup frozen veggies. It's very filling, nutritious and very cheap. I estimate that my lunch comes out to less then $1 a day.

    Once in a great while I will get a meal from the deli. The least I can get out of there for (just a sandwich) is $3. But the one I usually get (spinach and swiss chesse pita) + a deviled egg + 2 cookies is $5.86. Definitely not something I can get very often. (Healthwise and Money wise)

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