Save Money With DIY School Snacks

**This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**



As school days have become more hectic and crowded, our children now eat lunch just two hours after breakfast.  As a result, their teachers ask that they bring in a snack to help them get through the school day without being hungry.   Sometimes it can be tempting to purchase pre-packaged snacks, but is the time saved really worth the extra cost?  We pack our own snacks, check out these examples below:

DIY School Snacks - BIG money saver!

 

First up?  Cheezits.  You can buy the family size box or purchase the individual mini bags.

DIY School Snacks

21 ounces for $3.98

DIY School Snacks

15 ounces for $3.98

As you can see, both packages are $3.98.  However the family size box is 21 ounces, and the individual pack box is 15 ounces.  If you buy the large box and bag them up yourself, it’s only about $0.23 a serving, whereas the individual packs are $0.33 each.

Next up are Goldfish crackers.

DIY School Snacks

30 ounces for $6.98

DIY School Snacks

12 ounces for $4.48

DIY School Snacks

16 ounces for $2.38

Individual bags of Goldfish crackers cost $0.37 each.  If you buy the large box and bag them up yourself, it’s $0.23 a serving.  And if you take it a step further and purchase the off-brand Whales crackers, it’s only $0.15 a bag!

Another favorite in our home?  Yogurt covered raisins.

DIY School Snacks

$1.98 for an 8 ounce bag, or $2.98 for 8 boxes

An 8 ounce bag of yogurt covered raisins is enough for 8 snack bags, at only $0.25 each.  If you get the prepackaged boxes, the cost increases to over $0.37 per serving.

As you see from the pictures above, buying in bulk is always cheaper than buying individually packaged snacks.  Separating treats into snack bags only takes a few minutes, and can save several dollars each week.  My kids like to pack their own snacks, and it’s easy for them to do with a measuring cup.  It’s also a great way for them to build on their math skills!

DIY School Snacks

Packing snacks at home is simple!

For a quick review of the money we save by packing snacks ourselves, check out the numbers below:

For a week of prepackaged snacks:

Cheezits (x2): $0.33 x2 = $0.66

Goldfish: $0.37

Yogurt covered raisins (x2): $0.37 x 2 = $0.74

Total snacks for the week for our family: $1.77 per child x 6 = $10.62 ($382.32 for the year)

 

For a week of DIY snack bags:

Cheezits (x2): $0.23 x 2 = $0.46

Whales: $0.15

Yogurt covered raisins (x2): $0.25 x 2 = $0.50

Total snacks for the week for our family: $1.11 per child x 6 = $6.66 ($239.76 for the year)

While it may only seem like pennies each week, the savings really do add up.  Over the course of a school year, we save can save over $140 just by purchasing large packs of snacks and bagging them ourselves.  Of course, there is also the added cost of the snack bags themselves, but they cost about $0.02 each, which only adds up to another $20 over the span of the school year.  Reusable snack bags would drop that cost even lower.  If you REALLY want to save big, try making your own snack mixes and granola bars!

DIY School Snacks

Put snacks in a tub and let kids pick their own!

Could you use an extra $100 a year?  That’s enough to pay our gas bill, or 2 months of water, or 2 months of cell phone service.  Every little bit adds up, and counting pennies is a big part of staying within our budget.

Do you pack your child’s snacks at home?  Or do you feel like the convenience of prepacked snacks is worth the extra cost?

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Comments

  1. You are so right, every little bit helps save money! It’s so great that you took the time to find out the cost comparison between bagging it yourself and buying the individual bags. Thanks so much for linking up at Thrifty Thursday, come back anytime!

    • Thanks Jenn! Of course, you could save even MORE money with reusable bags and homemade snacks, but I think this is a happy medium for us! I love Thrifty Thursdays, thanks for hosting!

  2. Jessica Rinker says

    I totally agree! I’ve also recently started seriously shopping at Sams club. we are able to get 3 times the amount for either the same price or just around double and it lasts forever! Love separating things into baggies and being ready to go and organized! Saves time in the morning too when you’re hurrying around trying to get packed and out of the door

    • Jessica Rinker says

      also, pinned it!

    • I love wholesale clubs like Sams and Costco! They really do offer some great deals if you compare prices. The kids actually sort their own snacks into bags, and fight over who is going to do it, lol. It’s a great way for them to count and measure things out, and we just put them all in a big container so they can grab them in the morning on their way out the door. Thanks for stopping by and pinning too!

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