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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think these lunches are too expensive?

188 replies

EssieTregowan · 16/02/2017 12:54

My two teenagers are currently spending around £5 a day on lunch from the school canteen.

It's a cashless system and unfortunately £5 is the minimum you can set the limit to.

We've said they're not allowed to buy drinks from now on and take water in, so that should help a bit, but I wondered if I'm being tight. We can sort of afford £200 a month on lunches but it means making cutbacks elsewhere.

Do we need to just suck this up, or is this crazy money? It's only recent as DD was taking a packed lunch until a couple of weeks ago and DS has for some reason started eating more at school.

How much do your secondary lunches cost you? Is this about right or am I raising a pair of gannets?

OP posts:
SmellySphinx · 16/02/2017 16:45

If it's Parent Pay then they take a fee from that, I think. I was sick of topping up yet it would very quickly go into the red! My daughter spends more some days than others £1.90 some days, £2.20, 90p etc. I tend to top up £5 every two days but aftwr adding up what the website is saying she buys it just doesn't seem to tally- I haven't done this in great detail just a glance. I could be wrong on the fee thing but I'm sure they do charge you...

BarbaraofSeville · 16/02/2017 16:48

Is ParentPay like Paypal where they take a percentage for handling the money? Is it compulsory in the schools that use it? That would really annoy me, unless the fees were tiny.

Acornantics · 16/02/2017 16:49

Ours have a packed lunch Mon to Thurs and school lunch on Friday, where £3 is more than enough for a main course, biscuit/pudding and a drink. They can also use it to buy the odd slice of toast or flapjack during the week, but not every day.

We put £20 on their cards per month and set a £3.50 daily limit, and if they spend it all before the month is up, they don't get any more until the next month.

AlexanderHamilton · 16/02/2017 16:54

We have the additional problem that ds's school have a no child to be refused food because their parent has forgotten to top up their account policy. DS has an asd & is unable to self regulate so often goes I've drawn, up to as much as £30 & the school then start chasing me for the money.

Whatsername17 · 16/02/2017 17:05

I'm a teacher and can easily see how your kids are spending £5. At my school some of the sandwiches are £2.75. Add in a drink, cake and break time snack and before you know it they've spent £5. They do offer a meal deal on hot food but the choices are always a bit crap. If I were in your position I'd set the limit lower and buy snacks that they can take in.

user1484578224 · 16/02/2017 17:33

can't they take packed lunch and have meal on Friday?

Rubyboo1 · 16/02/2017 17:33

My eldest is in 1st yr at secondary..have the same cashless £5 min system...though we do get online reciepts. Some of his mates have canteen lunches others packed lunch and some go separately to a hall as they are boarders. He has a packed lunch with the occasional £5 put on tab for treats or for p.e. days etc. I have 2 other children ... who also have packed lunches. I try to give them all the same rules so wont give eldest lunch money knowing full well I wouldnt fund it when all 3 got to the same school. I can make lunches for all of them for less than £10 a wk and they all only take water, always have. To me its wasteful....though the lunches are reasonably priced. He is happy to have his lunches. Middle ground is I do put in extra treats that the others dont get at juniors as they have the contents of their lunch monitored. When I add up paid lunches for all of mine its £300 for 4 wk mth...sorry but compared to the £35-40 I spend making them Im just too tight to pay it. Also my children actually make the lunches the night before...except if they have sarnies.

AndNowItsSeven · 16/02/2017 17:36

Barbara no there are no fees to the parents , I assume the school pays.

PandoraMole · 16/02/2017 17:53

That's insane. The secondary school I work at (SE England) charges £2.25 for a main course and dessert.

Sandwiches, wraps etc don't work out such good value but you could a decent size roll, cake and a drink for £3 max.

If DD has school lunch she'll buy a wrap or baguette and take a drink, crisps and fruit in.

groovejet · 16/02/2017 18:18

I work in a secondary school kitchen, the maximum daily spend is set at £5.00 although if parents call the school office it can be set lower or higher.

£5 a day can easily be done, bacon bap for morning break, meal deal with pudding and a large bottled drink like an Oasis will total £5.

Thankfully dd1 prefers taking in her own lunch, but I did tell her the money on her parent pay would have to last her a month, with no top ups if she overspends.

Ghodavies · 16/02/2017 18:31

You can have a meal deal (full hot dinner with desert) and free water for £2.80.
My kids get £15 a week and have to budget. They take a morning snack with them and a bottle of tap water each day

Thissideof40 · 16/02/2017 18:46

I put £12 a week my daughter's parentpay and it has to last the week. She has to bring snacks with her, normally crisps and fruit.

Enko · 16/02/2017 18:52

My 4 get £15 put on their card every Sunday evening then it is down to them how they chose to spend that over the week. They each go differently with this.

DD1 tops up so she can simply purchase what she wishes.
DD2 will have what she wishes for 2 days and then be more careful for the rest of the week. When she first went to 2ndary she used to make packed lunches for 1 or 2 days and then have loads on the other 3 she outgrew this.
DD3 just has a main meal and a side dish each day (her school is the cheapest so she can manage a bit more)
DS will not have any clue what he has in his account he just gets a main meal and every now and then will get a baguette early on in the day. He has always got money left at the end of the week. Oddly he is the one who eats the most at home.

I would simply tell your children they have x amount pr week and don't budge on it. Teach them to budget and how to make good choices.

ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 16/02/2017 21:23

If the minimum amount you can put on is £5 then that means the children's who get free school meals must be getting £5 a day. Could you ask the school to clarify this? Or you could go to your local authority website and get the information from them. I always gave my kids the same amount as the free school meals kids got and was guided by that.

rollonthesummer · 16/02/2017 21:32

They don't need to spend £5 a day though, do they?? Just because it's the minimum top up, that could last two days.

I have many children and can't afford lunches out. DH and I take our own lunch, so the kids can too! DD has dinners every Friday only.

corythatwas · 16/02/2017 21:34

I give my 16yo £4 a day but that is because he has a long commute, has to set off at 7 in the morning and is often not home until 5, so that is both lunch and snack money.

glitterazi · 16/02/2017 21:38

Not read all the replies, but that's ridiculous. I have a young teenager at high school with a cashless system, and to get a school dinner (ie a good hot meal and a dessert as well) it's approx £2.50 a day.
He has school dinners once a week, so I'll send him in with a fiver at the beginning of the week and that's enough to buy a school dinner on the one day he doesn't take packed lunch, and also enough to buy something like cheese on toast at break some days (70p) or a bagel or whatever for about the same price.
Luckily he only ever wants to drink water so he just takes his own water bottle in every day so that cuts costs too.

ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 16/02/2017 21:40

I think rollonthesummet is right. You've been told the minimum amount you can pay in is £5 but that doesn't mean it's a minimum of £5 a day. Yes, thinking about it, that sounds more likely

flumpsnlumpsnstuff · 16/02/2017 21:45

I always did packed lunches for us all until my DD's school started the parentpay thing and she wanted canteen, I now give the option of packed lunch and £20 pocket money or £15 a month on the card and £5 pocket money, both now have packed lunch and a £5 top up on the card which amazingly does 2-3 canteen lunches now they are paying Confused

Oldraver · 16/02/2017 21:56

I will buy decent stuff for her to take though (brand name crisps/mini cheeses/naice fillings for rolls/individual drinks etc

LMAO @ decent stuff = brand name crisps

ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 16/02/2017 22:11

Oldraver what did your kids have for lunch today?

ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 17/02/2017 10:53

Does anyone else use the free school meals allowance as a guideline?

IHaveBrilloHair · 17/02/2017 11:41

Yes oldraver
Decent stuff that my teenager wants to eat, but then I'm sure you knew that.

clarehhh · 17/02/2017 17:36

Agree a bit much tell them they can only buy a drink on Fridays and rest of week take own snacks and water.

gavver1 · 17/02/2017 17:36

I think this is a lot. My son was spending around this amount to start with until I checked through what he was buying. Bit of a discussion and we agreed a daily budget of £3 which he doesn't go over. He can get a decent hot lunch for £1.85-£2.20. Every now and then he'll have a fruit pot for break, and if he's had a particularly sporty week, then we agree he can go over budget for a day.

It's not just about the cost, it's also about getting them to make healthy choices themselves and sometimes that means not eating at break and lunch or having extra portions at lunch.

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