Kick Start

I've been asked so many times if I have a blog, or if I blog.... So today marks a new day where I kick start a blog. I have never been much of a blogger, but I decided to start this new one in an attempt to share my family's life at the current moments. I am a sentimentalist; I enjoy capturing pictures of moments I wish to cherish forever (all of them). I love to explore, eat (A LOT!), learn, sports, gardening, and many more in which I'm sure you will learn as this goes along.

 

Last year, my family moved to New Jersey from Texas due to the military relocating us. Although things are bigger in Texas, things in New Jersey are bigger as well....Prices that is. When the school year started for our daughters we learned lunches for each child were roughly $4.00 each/day. After doing the math (I would have been spending roughly $40.00/week since I have 2 girls in school). , I thought in a means to help my family save money, I would pack our girls' lunches everyday.

 

We have an awesome produce "outlet" around us (New Jersey is the Garden State, and all the produce show for that) where they sell things in bulk for a really good price. You can get 2 lbs of apples for $2.50. I would buy fruits/vegetables that were in season or for sale to get a better value for my buck. Since my girls love fruits and vegetables, I realized I can just buy the produce there and buy the rest of the things for their lunches at the local grocery store. If you are not as fortunate as I am to have a local produce outlet, you can always research the closest farmers market near you or try bountiful baskets (this was something I learned about in Texas).

 

Did I make lunches every single day of the school year? Yes of course :) ----- ok, pride to the side.. No. I didn't. I cheated maybe a total of 2 weeks combined, which isn't too bad. There were days where we would wake up extremely late, or other days where I forgot I was lazy during the weekend and didn't do my shopping for the week (bad mom). But - for a good majority of the time, I did make a lunch every day. There were times I would pack the lunches before going to bed (ideal, but by evening I was tired), but most of the time I would pack their lunches in the mornings. I spent 20 minutes total. I'll take spending 20 minutes in the morning while my girls are getting ready for school over $40.00 that week. Honestly I saved $1,000.00 for the whole school year, this is me rounding down. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

 

With this new school year coming, I'm hoping I can continue to do the same thing and pack healthy , fun, and cost efficient lunches for my girls. So stay tuned for those posts/pictures. In the mean time, here are a few lunches from last year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feel free to comment, make suggestions, or share :-) This year I am hoping to take better pictures. Going to go grocery shopping now since school starts for my girls next Tuesday. Hope I can find some good deals. Wish me luck!

 

- Jen